A little over a year ago, Justin and I started to do “Meat-Free Mondays.” Not only did this make our weekly grocery bill a little bit cheaper, but it also made us become more adventurous with trying new things! There is the great debate on whether or not humans should eat less meat {a few good articles here, here, and here} but I live on the side of moderation. But whatever you believe, try these cauliflower cakes and you won’t care either way! They were AMAZING and I can’t wait to make them again. I loved the salad too with it’s incredibly simple two-ingredient dressing!
A few of our other favorite meat-free meals:
- White Wine Ravioli
- Three Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
- Turkish Red Lentil Lettuce Wraps
- Pesto Quinoa with Tomatoes and Corn
- Creamy Crunchy Avocado Salad
Crispy Cauliflower Cakes with Herb Sauce and Arugula Salad
Yield 4 Servings
Recipe {slightly adapted} from Deb Wise, as posted in Cooking Light magazine, the August 2013 issue.
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Cakes
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 1 large {10 ounce} baking potato, peeled and cut into 4 wedges
- 2 large shallots, halved lengthwise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounce shredded fontina cheese {about 1/2 cup}
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the Herb Sauce
- 4 tablespoons light sour cream
- 4 tablespoons canola maynonnaise {or plain Greek yogurt}
- 4 teaspoons chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh chives
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For the Salad
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- In a large bowl, drizzle the cauliflower, potato, and shallots with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Toss the veggies to coat them, then lay them out on a large baking sheet.
- Bake the veggies at 400° for 35 minutes or until they’re tender, stirring them around once.
- Place the cauliflower mixture in a food processor and pulse it 10 times or until it’s all chopped.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the fontina, thyme, salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the egg.
- Combine the panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a shallow dish.
- Using your wet hands, shape the cauliflower mixture into 8 {1-inch-thick} patties and then dredge them in the panko mixture.
- Place the patties on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until they’re browned, turning once. {Make sure to spray the pan or you’ll have some crumbly cakes for dinner!}
- To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream with the mayonnaise, parsley, chives, black pepper, and garlic.
- To prepare the salad, in a medium bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice. Toss it all well to completely coat it.
- Place 1 cup of arugula salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Top it with 2 cauliflower cakes and serve them with the herb sauce.
- Have a happy meat-free meal!