Cauliflower Piccata

Is cauliflower underrated? Yes, and I think part of the reason is its association with broccoli, which many people don't like-- probably because they haven't had it cooked right! Strictly boiled is a terrible idea; generally, I recommend it roasted with parmesan, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

I'm sure you've seen cauliflower served in a variety of ways on restaurant menus. I'm talking cauliflower steak, rice, or soup to name a few.

This recipe, of course, treats the vegetable like a piece of butterflied, flattened chicken breast (or veal, actually) to make the classic Italian piccata. The dish combines capers and lemon juice with heavy cream (I used coconut to make it vegan), white wine, fresh parsley, garlic, and butter which brings everything together.

You can eat it as is Secondo style or with some hot pasta!

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower head (you will likely have a some individual florets left over)

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 cup flour (more or less depending on what you need to drench the cauliflower)

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

1/3 cup white wine

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice + slices to garnish

1-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (depending on how saucy you want the dish)

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

Cooking spray

2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

5 ounces coconut cream

Instructions

Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower head and cut lengthwise into 1/2-1 inch slices - you want them thick enough to not break down while cooking, but not too thick. 1 large head will give you 3-4 slices; you can keep the extra florets for another recipe. Make sure the cauliflower is dry so that it does not become soggy!

Season the cauliflower with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Season the flour with the steak seasoning and 1 teaspoon garlic, mix well. Drench the cauliflower slices one by one, set aside.

Pour the olive oil into the nonstick pan until the entire surface is covered (you can adjust accordingly) and turn the heat to medium-high.

Add the cauliflower slices to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, cooking each side until golden. Remove from the pan.

Add the butter to the remaining oil and melt, and deglaze with the white wine, cook for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and capers, cook for about 2 minutes.

Follow this with the lemon and broth, then simmer for about 5 minutes (you can reduce the heat if necessary).

Mix in the coconut cream and stir; the mixture should start to thicken—if too watery, add 1/2 teaspoon of flour. Add the cauliflower back to the pan and cook on both sides for 1 minute each (you don’t want to overcook though!), and make sure you flip over the cauliflower slices gently to prevent them from breaking down.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and gently shake the pan to distribute the sauce and herbs.

Remove from heat and serve hot with extra capers and lemon slices - I used limes because that's what I had! Serves 2.