Cauliflower Italian Napoleon! GF, V, BED, SCD!

Happy Friday!! Has this week flown by or what?!

Cauliflower Pesto Napoleon!

Today definitely flew by. I was busy getting some staples for a girl in New York…what are they?

Nope, not an umbrella and mace — although, those are helpful too.

wow

I got……Nude Heels and Black Spikes :)

Nude Heels for auditions, and Black Spikes for going out to the clubsss:) haha – Staples.

nom nom nom

So after a day at DSW with my mama, I was feeling some comfort food — I was hungry!

what a plate!

Tonight, I made a Cauliflower Italian Napoleon! Oh my gosh — outrageous. This is going to become a dinner staple for sure!

Gluten Free, Vegan, SCD!

And it’s Gluten Free, Vegan, and Specific Carb Diet friendly with a Body Ecology Diet option!

luxurious creamy pesto!

Here’s what you need: serves 2

4, 1-inch-thick slices of cauliflower

Broccoli Pesto:
1 stalk of broccoli  - broken into florets, and stem sliced – (~2 cups)
1 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp EVOO
salt

Marinara:
2 tomatoes, chopped, with their juice (BED option: 1 roasted red pepper)
1 carrot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil and oregano
salt and pepper
fresh basil, chopped (garnish)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your cauliflower “steaks” on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz them with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown, flipping half way through.

Meanwhile, steam your broccoli for about 5-6 minutes until bright green and tender. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Let it drain and dry, and then combine in the food processor with all the other pesto ingredients. Process until smooth and creamy (you’ll need to stop and scrape the sides about 4 times).

After you finish the pesto, put it into a bowl, and reassemble the food processor – you’ll use it again, but you don’t need to wash it.

On the stove, saute your onion in 1 tsp EVOO, with salt, pepper, dried oregano and basil. Add your carrot, and let it soften, about 6 minutes. Finally, add in your tomatoes and garlic. Let them cook for about 3 minutes. Put in the food processor to create your desired consistency.

what gorgeous colors!

To assemble, place one cauliflower “steak” on the plate and top with about 1/4 cup of the broccoli pesto. Place another steak on top of the pesto, top with about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce, and garnish with fresh basil.

layers of goodness!

This meal was immensely enjoyable! Everything about it was just wonderful – the flavors, the textures, and the aesthetics! Real Italian comfort food, with an SCD twist!

golden brown deliciousness!

First, the flavors were out-of-this-world! If you’ve never roasted cauliflower before, I highly suggest it. It becomes wonderfully golden brown, and nutty flavored! It is the perfect canvas for the fresh pesto and sweet-tomatoey marinara! The pesto was bright from the basil, with a subtle garlic note, which was lovely with the fabulous tomato sauce.

what a meal!

And the texture of the cauliflower was superbly chewy. That tender-crispness was complimented beautifully by the rich and creamy pesto, and juicy-fresh marinara.

there’s broccoli in that?!

Finally, it was a delight for the eyes! Red, White and Green – just like the Italian flag:)

catchin’ some sun:)

What are some of the “staples” in your life?

Until Tomorrow!

If you haven't noticed, I used my food processor every day. Here's the one I use: