Seared Cauliflower Steak with Candied Miso-Maple Bacon

Calling all Cauliflower Lovers and Haters! This one is for you!

I was converted to cooked cauliflower late in life. I was raised on steamed cauliflower. As was customary for seemingly all vegetables in the 80's. Even drenched in cheese sauce, I would fight to my last breath not to have to finish. Unfortunately I grew up in a home where you sat at the table until your food was gone. If by some miracle you got to escape the table and go back outside to play. That dish would be waiting for you for the next meal. Now i'm not saying that was right or wrong. Just that.... Well, I'm not that parent even though I completely understand where my mom was coming from.

Cauliflower is one of those things I rediscovered when I went low-carb/keto. I'm a man with a taste for carbs and starches. So as you can imagine, I was going to find a way to satiate my longing for carbohydrates, even if I was just tricking myself into thinking it was. As I fumbled around with various methods and recipes I found that I could easily create dishes that gave me great joy, sticking to my desire live healthier and lose the weight that was giving me no end of problems.

I still have a love-hate relationship with this cruciferous crusader. You see cauliflower contains glucosinates that may help fight cancer and diseases like diabetes by blocking carbohydrates from from entering cells. All of those things I'm keenly eager to combat. So I cook with it, experiment with it and I think this recipe may well be a game changer for many. Consider yourself warned. If you generally avoid cauliflower, this recipe may ingratiate you to the world of cruciferous culinary creations.

There is one more condiment that I miss. Hummus! Oh how I miss that garlicky, savory and tangy sauce. Something about that middle eastern delight moves my soul! But alas, no hummus for folks trying to maintain a low-carb eating regimen. I saw some "alternatives" around the interwebs. Every single one I tried left a lot to be desired. I'm trying to be gentle. Oh shucks, I'll just say it. They were by-in-large, terrible facsimiles. We can do better! Then it hit me. Pumpkin seeds are bursting with healthy fats and proteins! Invite some good olive oil and avocado to the party and we have ourselves a real soiree! Oh. I think we have something here!

What you're going to need for this recipe:

Pumpkin Seed Hummus

• 2 cups Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 cup Roasted Sunflower Seeds

• 2 Heads of Roasted Garlic

• 1 Whole Ripe Avocado

• 4 Chipotles Peppers in Adobo

• 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

• 1/2 Water

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil

• Salt and MSG to taste (you don't have to use MSG but it would be cooler if you did)

Candied Miso&Maple Bacon

• 6 Slices of Thiccc Cut Bacon

• 1 tbs White Miso

• 1 tbs Lankanto Maple Syrup

• 1 tbs Lemon Juice

Cauliflower Steak

• 3/4 inch Thick Cauliflower Steak

• 1 1/2 tbs Fermented Red Chili Paste

• 1 tbs Butter

• 1 tbs Lemon Zest

• 1/2 tbs Sumac

• 1/2 tbs Coarse Salt

This is far easier than you may think! And the payoff is worth every second. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Time to roast that delicious garlic. Get 2 whole heads and cut roughly 1/4 from the top. Cover generously in Olive Oil and salt. Wrap tightly and place in oven set to 400. This will take roughly 35 minutes. Place your seeds in a vessel and cover it with 180 degree water. This part is important. Don't skip it. We have to hydrate the seeds slightly. Leave them to soak until the garlic is roasted. You'll know when the individual cloves are bursting and golden brown with some darker coloration scattered across the top. I would advise letting them cool slightly before adding them to the mixture. But I'm famously impatient , so I just burn the heck out of my hands. On second thought. Let them cool for 10 minutes, okay. Better safe than sorry.

Add all of the ingredients but the olive oil and water to a Powerful Blender or Food Processor. My Ninja Pro has been with me for years and still works perfectly! But you can use whatever you have. It may take longer though. After the mixture turns into a paste; drizzle in water and olive oil, slowly. Taste and add salt to your liking. Poor into your preferred container and set aside.

Candied Miso-Maple Bacon Time! I could try to describe this element but i'm afraid words simply fail to descibe just how amazing this is. This is really simple. Cut bacon into batons and fry until they reach 80% done. Pour off the fat and add in White Miso Paste and Lakanto Maple Syrup. Mix until each piece off bacon is coated, remove from heat and add in lemon juice. Set this magnificent creation to the side.

Get your pan hot, set to medium heat. Coat one side of your cauliflower steak with Fermented Red Chili Paste. Place that side down into oiled pan and sear for 3 minutes. You want color here. Don't be afraid if it's really dark when you flip it. The flavor comes from that deep brown color. Continue to pan sear for another 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and toss in the butter. The butter will mix with chili paste and create magic! Spoon the butter over the top for 2 minutes or so. Covering every crevice with flavor.

It's time to eat! As you can probably see, you have quite a bit of hummus left over. That was intentional. You now have your new favorite condiment in your refrigerator! It goes on just about anything! Let's not get lost.

Plate up your dish as best as you can. Don't forget we eat with our eyes first! Take the time to make this beautiful. I can say with a great deal of certainty, when we put in the effort to make delicious food and plate it beautifully. We harden ourselves against allure of unhealthy foods. Falling back into old eating habits that cause us pain and misfortune is something we must guard against. That's not to say we all don't make mistakes, slip up or cheat. It's not the end of the world. Be graceful with yourself! Happy Eating!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

CloverX

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