Vegetarian comfort food that tastes like down home cookin’ – I could eat this dish all winter long! Isn’t cauliflower magical? Mixed up in this patty it takes on a different shape entirely. I got this recipe from a friend’s mother who is trying to get her husband to eat more vegetables. I added nutritional yeast for B vitamins and even more delicious cheesy flavor. This is a dish the entire family will love – even the pickiest vegetable eater. With the help of the food processor it all comes together pretty quickly. The sauce simmers while the patties bake, making the kitchen smell like down home comfort food cookin’.
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Step 1
Mince the garlic and herbs in the food processor. It’s so easy and only takes a second.
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Step 2
Rice the cauliflower in the food processor by pulsing a few times. Keep it light and fluffy – you don’t want soup!
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Step 3
Combine the ingredients for the patties (except the parmesan and panko) and mix it all up.
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Step 4
Using your hands, form patties and dust them with panko and parmesan cheese. Place on parchment papered cookie sheet.
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Step 5
Bake for 25 minutes at 450F.
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Step 6
To make the sauce start by sautéing the onion, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper in a dab of butter and dash of olive oil until fragrant.
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Step 7
Cook all ingredients for the sauce together on medium/low until liquid is reduced and sauce begins to thicken.
Ingredients for the Cauliflower Cakes
1 head of cauliflower
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Some fresh herbs, I used basil and thyme
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (for crust)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (for crust)
Ingredients for the Marinara Sauce
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 onion
1 handful of fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 garlic cloves
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes, if you like spice
1 dab of butter and a bit of olive oil for sautéing
Directions
Wash and dry the cauliflower, cut into florets. Rice the cauliflower florets by pulsing them in the food processor a couple times. This will be done in stages as you can only pulse a few florets at a time. Make sure not to over-process, you want couscous consistency – not soup! Mince the garlic and fresh herbs by pulsing them in the food processor as well – such a time saver! Pulse the chickpeas in the food processor a couple times, not hummus consistency – just mashed. I also grated the mozzarella cheese in the food processor as well. Place all the ingredients for the cauliflower cakes in a large bowl (except the crust ingredients). Mix well. Using your hands, form patties. Dust them or roll them in the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake patties for 25 minutes on 450F.
To make the sauce start by sautéing the onion, garlic and herbs in a dab of butter and dash of olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the sauce in the food processor to blend well. Place the sauce in the sautéd garlic and onion and cook on medium low until liquid is reduced and sauce begins to thicken. This sauce is easily customizable to your liking – add fresh herbs like oregano and thyme if you wish. You can opt for a chunky or smooth sauce by chopping the whole tomatoes instead of blending them up. I like my sauce thick so 2 cans of tomato paste help thicken things up – if you like it less thick, just add a little water.