Easy Cheesy Baked Vegan Cauliflower Food

CHEESY VEGAN CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
• Combine the melted butter, breadcrumbs and a pinch of granulated garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
• To soak cashews, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes, until softened (*see note).
• While the cashews are soaking, you can steam the cauliflower. Place about 1 " of water into a med/large pot that will fit your steamer basket. Place your basket on the bottom and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to med-low to maintain a low boil and place cauliflower florets into the basket. Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes, until just tender. Uncover and remove from heat.
• Drain and rinse cashews (discard soaking water). Now place all cheese sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until cashews have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
• Pour cheese sauce into a medium skillet/pot over medium heat (I used the same pot for steaming the cauliflower). Cook for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up a lot and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent burning. If sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add a little soy milk or broth to thin it out. Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.
• Pour 1/2 the cheese sauce on the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Now add the cauliflower on top in one layer. Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower. Now sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and cover with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Remove from oven. *Sprinkle with optional fresh-cut parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

VEGAN CRISPY BAKED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Destem cauliflower and chop into small florets. You want to make sure the florets are small enough for bite-size pieces, anything larger won't come out right!
• In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup non-dairy milk, and half of the spices [so 1 teaspoon of each]. Mix until well combined. The mixture should be like a thin pancake batter. If it is still too thick, add more milk.
• On a large plate, add half the breadcrumbs and 3 TBS of flour as well as the remaining half of the spices. Use a fork to combine.
• Put cauliflower florets into a huge bowl and then pour the wet mixture over the florets. Using a spoon or your hands, toss to combine so that every floret is coated in the wet mixture.
• Now, using your clean hands, take each floret and dredge it through the dry panko breadcrumbs mixture. Then, place it on a lined baking sheet. NOTE: About halfway through, the breadcrumbs will become soggy and no-good. Throw them away and replenish with the remaining half of your breadcrumbs, more spices, and more flour. Continue until all cauliflower is on your baking dish.
• Cook cauliflower for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take the cauliflower out and turn/flip it. At this point, you can use a pastry brush to coat each cauliflower bite with a little bit of oil or you can spray oil on. Feel free to skip this step if you are oil-free.
• Cook for 15 minutes more and remove from the oven when the breading is golden brown.
• Serve immediately with the dipping sauce of your choice. [1 part vegan mayo to 1 part ketchup or 2 parts maple syrup to 1 part dijon mustard]

VEGAN CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the cauliflower florets and stalks with the oil in a large roasting tin and season well. Roast for 25-30 mins until almost tender, then add the leaves and cook for a further 5 mins.
• To make the sauce, melt the vegan butter block in a large saucepan. Add the flour, mustard powder, onion and garlic granules and cook for 2-3 mins. Gradually add the soya milk, whisking well to incorporate. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, then simmer for 4-5 mins until thickened and reduced slightly. Add the nutritional yeast and season well, then whisk to combine.
• Tip the sourdough breadcrumbs and vegan cheese into a bowl and stir to combine. Season well. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, spoon over the sauce and stir to combine. Scatter over the cheesy sourdough crumbs and return to the oven for 10 mins until bubbling and golden. Serve as a side or main with a green salad.