The Spicy Spatula

Welcome to another week of delicious and nutritious vegan eating!

Today I have a wonderful whole food, plant based recipe that’s (mostly) just cauliflower and potatoes. It’s pretty much a simple recipe but there are a few steps that you might not be used to, but it looks pretty and tastes amazing.

The weather has been very wintery lately and I’ve really been feeling these hearty, cozy vegan meals. I’ve been making a lot of big pot, one-pot or tray bake vegan meals to save some time but when I saw this on Insta, I knew I had to make it.

Kitchen Tools:

*9×13 casserole dish
*Stock pot (2)
*Hand mixer
*Mixing bowl
*Whisk

Ingredients:

*Potatoes
*Cauliflower (2 small)
*Plant milk (almond unsweetened)
*Vegan butter (optional)
*Harissa paste (or pepper paste)
*Salt & pepper
*Sweet paprika, dried parsley & garlic granules

Instructions:

*Peel & chop potatoes and place them in a large stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until fork tender.

*Trim the cauliflower, removing most of the outer leaves. You can keep the softer leaves, they’re edible and delicious.

*Bring another stock pot of water to a boil and place the cauliflower in with the root side up. I used two small cauliflowers and they both fit in a large pot but you might need do it separately. Boil about 10 minutes and drain, placing stem side up.

*In a small mixing bowl combine harissa (or other pepper) paste, spices and a few drops of sesame oil (optional) and whisk together until combined.

*Place cauliflower in a glass casserole dish. Rub or drizzle the harissa mixture all over the cauliflower until coated. I swirled a bit of water in the bowl and poured it into the bottom of the baking dish to add some extra steam during the cooking process.

*Bake 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your cauliflower. Be sure to test it out with a fork after 30 minutes to check for doneness.

*Drain the potatoes and reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water. I often use this rather than adding vegan butter to my potatoes. If you use vegan butter, add the butter and milk to the warm pot while the potatoes drain. Then add potatoes, salt & pepper and whatever other herbs & spices you like.

*Break out your hand mixer and whip these bad boys until smooth and creamy. Add more plant milk or potato water as needed.

To serve: Smooth the whipped potatoes on a plate and place the whole cauliflower on top, serving with a knife and fork. Think of this as a totally plant based version of meat & potatoes.

My thoughts: I loved this dish! The harissa paste added a nice depth of flavor and when combined with the other flavors it was fantastic. The few drops of sesame oil was an unexpected treat both in terms of fat and that umami flavor which sesame oil is known form.

The extra step of boiling the cauliflower might deter some people, but don’t be one of those people! This takes down the cooking time significantly and helps the harissa flavor sink in nicely. This is a great dish to impress people or just a hearty weeknight vegan dinner.