Easy-Kine Cooking: Tasty ‘steak’ adds pizazz to meal

Once deemed dull, the humble cauliflower is now considered a superfood for its nutrients and fiber.

One way to glamorize the vegetable is to cut it into thick slices (called a “steak”) and roast it in the oven. The baking time is quick, about 30 minutes.

With seasonings, the steak presentation is attractive and can easily be a main dish for nonmeat- eating friends. Perhaps this is the special holiday dish to have for the vegans in your family.

Harissa is a red pepper paste with origins in Tunisia. Now it is found in markets all around the world. The pepper paste is seasoned with many herbs, for a Mediterranean feel. Many brands make it spicy with chiles, but even without, it has a warmth from spices like coriander, cumin and olives. In Hawaii, bottles or tubes of the seasoning are found in most supermarkets.

A mixture of harissa, olive oil, salt and pepper is brushed on the cauliflower, and walnuts and capers are added for contrast in color and texture. Time in the oven renders the cauliflower tender, the capers crisp and the walnut crunchy.

Enjoy this recipe as a side dish, or a vegan main dish. Either way, it has enough pizazz that you will not miss the meat.

ROASTED HARISSA CAULIFLOWER WITH CAPERS AND WALNUTS

• 1 medium head cauliflower (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons harissa paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Chopped parsley (flat leaf or American), mint or basil (or any other green herb), for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Clean cauliflower, discarding green stems. Slice into 1/2-inch vertical “steaks.” Place on large foil-lined baking sheet.

In bowl, mix olive oil, harissa, salt and pepper. Drizzle or brush half the mixture on cauliflower.

Bake uncovered 15 minutes, then turn over and drizzle or brush with remaining mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts and capers. Bake uncovered until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with parsley or other herb. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Approximate nutritional information, per main-dish serving: 420 calories, 36 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 9 g protein.

”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via Instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.