Serious Foodie is always looking for and developing recipes that would appeal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. A very popular ingredient for our friends who are vegetarian/vegan or even vegan-ish is cauliflower. We’ve done a lot of braised cauliflower, pickled cauliflower, and dishes with cauliflower rice – and now we’ve ventured to the grill with this meaty-like veggie. This recipe was developed for ease-of-use during any grilling season, especially for tailgate parties where you don’t want to do a lot of prep work.
There are several versions of this recipe we tried, with our favorite recipe presented here which uses a slab of fresh mozzarella melted onto the grilled cauliflower before adding the Serious Foodie Calabrian Hot Pepper Relish which adds a nice creamy contrast to the amazing flavors of the pepper relish. Our vegan version is simply without the cheese. And the simplest version is grilled cauliflower seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika, and spreading on the Serious Foodie Calabrian Hot Pepper Relish when serving.
Whatever version you decide to try, we guarantee that these Grilled Calabrian Cauliflower Steaks will be a flavor bomb, and a big hit at any grill party.
Ingredients
- 2 Large Cauliflower heads
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 fresh tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 jar Serious Foodie Calabrian Pepper Relish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves (optional)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
- 1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves from each cauliflower head. Cut off the bottom stem end so that you create a flat base and can stand the cauliflower up on a cutting board. Resting the cauliflower on the stem, use a large, sharp knife to trim away the sides, then cut the remaining head into 3-4 moderate "steaks." Reserve the sides for another use (we just grilled all the pieces, but you can also use the extra pieces of cauliflower for pickling).
- Heat a grill to medium (about 350 degrees F). Brush one side of each cauliflower steak and the tomato slices with olive oil (you can also use garlic infused olive oil for some added flavor). Salt and pepper to taste. Place the veggies on the hot grill. Cover the grill and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the bottom of the veggies begin to char. Flip the veggies over, then re-cover the grill and cook for 2-4 additional minutes, until the veggies are slightly charred on both sides.
- Remove the tomatoes, then add the slices of mozzarella onto the cauliflower steaks. Cover to let the cheese melt - about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the grill, then assemble; for each cauliflower steak, add 1-2 slices of grilled tomato, then 1-2 teaspoons of the Serious Foodie Calabrian Hot Pepper Relish. Garnish with lemon, basil, and freshly grated Parmesan.
