Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
This month’s recipe takes DFC’s Subtly Sweet & Tangy Not Just BBQ sauce out of North Carolina and on a trip towards the Middle East! We’re serving up cauliflower steaks, roasted till juicy and scented with turmeric, cumin, and richly caramelized brown sugar. Thick slices of halloumi cheese come along for the ride—baked alongside the steaks for max convenience, of course. Plated atop a handful of peppery arugula, and doused in tahini dressing and pomegranate seeds, these steaks will be so satisfying, you won’t even miss the beef!
Cauliflower Steaks
(Yield: 4 servings)
1 large, dense head of cauliflower
2x 200g pkgs halloumi
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp crushed cumin seeds
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp brown sugar
flaky sea salt, to taste
1/4 c. DFC’s Subtly Sweet & Tangy Not Just BBQ sauce
tahini dressing
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon, to taste
salt and black pepper, to taste
water to thin consistency, if needed
salad
Four big handfuls of arugula
pomegranate seeds, to taste
sumac, to taste
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Trim and wash the cauliflower, then slice it vertically into four slices, making sure to catch the core in each. Arrange them with lots of room around them on the baking sheet. (Your outer slices may fall apart a bit. That’s okay! Re-assemble them on the baking sheet and they will roast up just as well.) Slice each halloumi block into four slices, width-wise, and slide them in between the steaks on the sheet.
In a small bowl, mix the Carolina sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, and spices. Paint both sides of each steak and halloumi slice with the mixture. (If you were left with some broken-up florets from your steak carving, coat them with any leftover sauce and a bit more oil, and roast them on their own pan for a snack!) Lightly salt the cauliflower only. Pop the sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then carefully flip each steak and cheese slice, then roast for 15 minutes more.
While the steaks are in the oven, make your tahini dressing by stirring together all the ingredients until smooth. Add enough water that the dressing pours well. Set out your salad ingredients and gather four dinner plates.
When your steaks are done they should be golden and caramelized on the outside, and pleasantly al dente on the inside. If you want more colour on them, feel free to broil them for a minute or two. On each of your plates, place a handful of arugula, then top with one cauliflower steak and two slices of halloumi. Generously drizzle the whole thing with tahini dressing, then scatter as many pomegranate seeds as you like over top. Finish with a sprinkle of sumac—and enjoy!
