Are you fireing up the grill for the weekend? Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks are a delicious vegetarian option. I can not even pretend to be a vegetarian but we love vegetables and I TRY to make fruits and vegetables in all forms about 70 percent of my diet. I just can’t give up an occasional great steak or lamb chop and I’ll always love seafood. Does red wine count, that’s fruit right?!?  

I remember when my Mom decided to start cooking in a more healthy way. My parents have always been great cooks but in my teen years the basic recipes started to get a healthy flare.  They canned everything, made their own jam, dehydrated fruit and even made beer and wine. My dad used to bribe my sisters to pick dandelions for his dandelion wine. What their adventurous cooking taught was to appreciate the flavors of the food in its natural unprocessed form. Fresh from the garden, not over cooked or over sauced. Today I like to feed my family the same way.

 

Cauliflower is one of our favorites. Roasted cauliflower with garlic and cumin is on repeat in my recipe line up.  This twist with teriyaki and gremolata is delicious.  Enjoy it as a side for steak, chicken or fish or simply as the main course. The cauliflower is cut into steaks and marinated in a sweet and spicy teriyaki glaze, grilled or roasted and topped with a sweet herby gremolata for a healthy vegetarian dinner even your meat eaters will love!

Cauliflower comes in a few colors. white, yellow, green and purple. If you can’t find the various colors, no need to worry. The cauliflower tastes the same no matter what the color, so simply choose the freshest.

When cutting the cauliflower into steaks, be prepared to sacrifice a few of the cauliflower florets that won’t make it into intricate looking steaks.  Simply set the smaller pieces aside and save them for another day to roast or use it on a veggi + dip platter. Don’t cast off the tiny pieces either.  Chop up all the stray pieces of cauliflower and save it to make cauliflower rice.

Because the marinade is coating vegetables, you can feel safe in using the same marinade to baste the grilling cauliflower without fear of contamination.

Traditionally a gremolata is an herb infused topping for pasta or meat. Lemon and herbs are standard ingredients in a gremolata. This one is sweetened up with brown sugar to compliment the teriyaki flavors.
I like a lot of this herby sauce so I double the recipe for the gremolata. Top your cauliflower steaks with a bit of toasted sesame seed for added flavor and a little crunch.

Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks with

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 heads cauliflower
• 1 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce (try two brothers teriyaki marinade)*
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar*
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped finely

* brown sugar is optional, I think it’s good without the extra sugar but if you have a sweet tooth go for it.

* I used “Weber Just Add Juice” Teriyaki Marinade Mix with Orange Juice

METHOD

• Preheat the grill to medium high and prepare the grates with canola oil. Or indoors pre-heat oven to 425°
• Slice the cauliflower heads into ½ inch slices. Place in a baking dish and pour the teriyaki sauce blend over the steaks and carefully coat the steaks. Let sit at room temperature while preparing the rest of the dish.
• Pour the sesame seeds into a small sauté pan and heat to medium high. Toast the seeds for 3 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant, shaking the pan often so the seeds don’t burn. Set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, add the olive oil, brown sugar, kosher salt, lemon zest and lemon juice with the cilantro and mix well. Set aside.
• Place the cauliflower on the grill and baste with the reserved teriyaki sauce. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear and cauliflower is cooked to your preference. Or roast in the oven on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes until tender but firm.
• Place on a serving platter and drizzle with the gremolata and top with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

If you’re serving a crowd and don’t want to mess with individual cauliflower steaks you can prepare it in pieces and layer the gremolata throughout your serving platter.