Is your food real?
That might sound like a funny question because isn’t all food real? Well, yes and no.
All food is real in the sense that you can eat it, digest it, and derive calories from it. But there’s a huge variance in quality and nutritional density of different food items. Food that has been processed and packaged in a factory is less real than food that we find in nature.
Real food will go bad if left sitting out for a few days. (With the exception of honey.)
Real food is something your great-grandma would be able to recognize. (If Gran-Gran were around today.)
Real food is grown and flavored by Mother Nature. (Not produced in a factory and flavored with artificial chemical compounds.)
Eating a diet that is primary made up of real food is where you’ll find your best body, your best health, and your most vibrant energy levels.
It doesn’t get more real than steaks made from big slabs of fresh cauliflower topped with homemade pickle pesto.
Having spent eighteen years as a vegetarian, I know how lovely it feels when someone takes the time to make a meat-free main dish when you visit, rather than leaving you to survive on side dishes. These Cauliflower Steaks are wonderful served alongside real steaks—and will please both the meat eaters and the herbivores among you. The Pickle Pesto will keep for up to a week in the fridge and is fantastic on eggs or chicken, or mixed into a salad.
¼ cup fresh parsley
1½ tablespoons capers
½ cup sweet pickles, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 heads cauliflower
sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon Lemon Zest
Combine the first eight ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar, transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Wash the cauliflower and remove the stalk and leaves. Using a large knife, carefully slice the cauliflower into 1-inch-thick pieces, cutting straight down from the top of the head through to the stalk. Some of the slices will crumble into smaller pieces, and that’s OK. The key is that each piece of cauliflower has two flat sides and is about 1 inch thick.
Generously season both sides of each cauliflower slice with sea salt and black pepper. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower slices and sear each side, 4–5 minutes per side.
Decrease the heat to medium and add the white wine to the skillet. Cook until the wine has evaporated and the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.
Serve the cauliflower steaks with a dollop of the Pickle Pesto and a sprinkling of lemon zest.
Calories: 224
Fat: 11g
Carbohydrates: 14g
Sodium: 67mg
Fiber: 11g
Protein: 9g
Sugar: 5g