Meatless Monday: Veggie Toasts with a Cauliflower Caesar

Finding fun and exciting meatless options can be a big challenge for me.  Of course there is the route of going with a salad loaded with all your favorite veggies, cheeses, and other toppings, but c'mon - salads for dinner are not always the most satisfying thing.  Don't get me wrong - I can whip up a good and loaded salad that hits the spot.  It is just that for me to have salad for dinner I need to be in a certain, salad-y kind of mood, and definitely be inspired by a fun dressing.  Plus, whipping up a  salad doesn't quite challenge my culinary skills.  What can I say - when I am in the mood to cook,  I WANT TO COOK!  I want to be creative and dive in to my culinary back pocket and do something that will wow myself and my husband.  I want to slave away in my kitchen.  I like it.  Who knows - maybe the theme for my salad for dinner kind of days is not being in the mood to actually slave away over a meal.  Anyways, I have more recently found it difficult to come up with those "WOW" vegetarian meals that are a step above my go to salad or veggie casserole dishes.  But I am not giving up because I know I can keep meatless fun here at home.  Plus, in order to keep the hubs open to indulging in the occasional burger with me, I need to make sure I keep him satisfied with all the healthy vegetarian eats.  It's all about balance, right?

So anyways, I am committed to stepping up my meatless game this week and have some fun in my new kitchen.  It's also warm and sunny up here is Washington, so I want to make a summer appropriate meal to cap off another day of unpacking, organizing, and yard work.  A reward for these laborous days that seem a bit never-ending.   One of Jordan's favorite things is Caesar salad.  So simple and classic, but homeboy loves it!  Even the cheap mix-it-yourself bags of it at the supermarket get him jazzed.  So this weeks meatless meal, I am taking inspiration from one of my husband's traditional favorites and whipping up a warm Cauliflower Caesar.  Just the thought of it gets my mouth watering, so I knew it was a recipe that needed to be brought to life.  I am lightening up this version of a caesar by making a yogurt based sauce, and bringing the flavor by roasting the cauliflower until it is brown & delicious and mixing in lots of herbs.  Warm & caesar-y cauliflower was what I was going for, and it is certainly what I got.  So yummy and addicting that my husband even declared it was the best cauliflower he ever tasted.

It's ironic because making this cauliflower dish a big success was my number one focus for dinner, but in reality it was just the accoutrement for my Veggie Toasts.  Think combination of bruschetta and an open faced sandwich, and that is what I call a veggie toast.  It is a kind of a raw food since it is really just a bunch of freshly sliced vegetables on top of some warm and toast bread.  I toasted up some artisan rosemary bread & loading it with cold and crisp veggies.  & a yummy ricotta mixture to bring a creamy element to the dish.  So summery, refreshing, and light.  Essentially, it's exactly what I needed to prepare a summer worthy vegetarian meal and a dinner that protects my summer bod. 

PS - Dessert was Rainier cherries.  We're so PNW!!

For the Cauliflower Caesar
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 c. EVOO, plus 2 tbsp. to drizzle over the florets
1/4 c. non-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 fresh parsley, finely chopped
S&P

For the Veggie Toasts
1 loaf of artisan bread, 2 1/2 inch slices cut from the loaf 
1 c. ricotta cheese
3-4 tbsp thinly sliced basil
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
1/2 of an avocado, thinly sliced
8 small heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 of a red onion, sliced with a mandolin
1 tsp minced garlic
EVOO
S&P

Start by making the Cauliflower Caesar.  Preheat your over to 400 degrees.  Toss the cauliflower florets in 2 tbsp EVOO so the florets are lightly coated, and a sprinkling of 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.  Toss to coat, and spread on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is browned.

As the cauliflower cooks, make the Caesar sauce.  Whisk together the EVOO, yogurt, parmesan, Dijon, Worcestershire, and lemon juice (reserve about 1 tsp of the juice for the toasts).  Whisk to emulsify the sauce (I did it by hand), and set aside in the fridge.

Now we can start prepping the veggie toasts.  In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, basil, and lemon.  I LOOOVVVEEE basil so I was heavy handed with it and probably ended up with 4 tbsp in my ricotta mixture.  Once it is stirred together, set aside in the fridge.  In a separate small bowl, mix together the tomatoes (& their yummy juices) with the garlic, a drizzle of EVOO (about 1 tsp), and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir so all elements are evenly combined.  Set both the ricotta and tomatoes in the fridge.

When the cauliflower has finished cooking, remove it from the over.  It should be browned and tender!  Once you remove your cauliflower from the oven, place your piece of bread in the oven to toast for 3-4 minutes.  Toss it into a large bowl with your sauce & all but 1 tsp of your parsley.  Toss it all together and transfer to your serving bowl.  Sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

When your toasts are lightly browned, remove them from the oven and place on a serving tray or cutting board.  To assemble, start by spreading a layer of the ricotta on the base of the toasts.  It should be generous, so about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle the desired amount of red onions onto the ricotta.  Then spread avocado slices along the top, so about 1/4 avocado per toast.  Finish by spooning half of the tomato mixture over each, and be sure to spoon any liquids over the toasts as well for a refreshing little sauce.

& there you have it! You are ready to chow down! The only thing you may also need to complete your dinner is some fresh cherries on the side to top it all off.

 
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Lesley Zehner