Roasted Cauliflower with My Gremolata & Cashew Cheese

This is my version of a dish at our favorite date night restaraunt, Hearth. I tried to recreate it and have added my own twists. The cauliflower is roasted a bit al dente and golden. It is spiced with coriander, a touch of cayenne, and a bit of tumeric for color. The golden roasted veggies are served on a bed of herb gremolata/pesto with a dollop of delicious cashew cheese on top. It makes a great dish for week night guests because the cashew cheese and gremolata/pesto can be made in advance. It can be a full meal if you like, or it can be served as a side dish. This serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a full meal.

Creamy cashew cheese tops the roasted and herbed cauliflower, which sits on a bed of gremolata.

You won’t be disappointed with your efforts.

To make this yummy pairing of cauliflower, herbs, and creamy cashew cheese, gather up these ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower (2 lbs) cut into florets 2 1/2 inches across

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado oil or some other non-reactive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of coriander

• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne (or a 1/4 teaspoon if you like spice)

• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric for color

Cashew cheese:

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours and up to 12 hours)

• 1/4 cup filtered water

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast. You can sub parmesan cheese but it won’t be vegan.

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons white wine (wine you’d drink) or use 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, adjust to taste

• sea salt and pepper to taste

For my gremolata:

• 1/4 cup of flat parsley leaves

• 3 mint leaves

• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped preserved lemon or fresh lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon of fermented garlic or 2 small cloves of garlic

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you aren’t using preserved lemons and fermented garlic

First, make the cashew cheese. You can do this a day or so ahead. Gather the ingredients into your food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Refrigerate for 1 hour to solidify the consistency. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

Now make make my version of gremolata, which is a pesto without the cheese. Traditional gremolata is chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. For this recipe I make a hybrid gremolata pesto by combining the traditional ingredients of gremolata with a bit of mint, some pumpkin seeds, and a bit of olive oil to create a creamy sauce.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the cauliflower florets in a bowl. Add the olive oil, coriander, salt, tumeric, and cayenne and toss till the florets are lightly coated. Place them on a thick tray and roast for 15 minutes. Check them half way through the roasting process and give each floret a careful turn to encourage browning on all sides. They should be browned, a bit tender, but not mushy. You may need an additional five minutes of roasting if they are still too raw.

To serve, spread a tablespoon of gremolata on each plate. Distribute the cauliflower on the four plates over the gremolata. Add a large dollop of the cashew cheese on top of the cauliflower in the center and serve immediately. I think you will really enjoy it.