My husband is a WAY better cook than me. In fact, he jokingly refers to me as his “sous chef” which is mildly funny because my nickname is “sue” (haha) and also mildly annoying because it means he is usually yelling orders at me to get things out of the fridge. But yes, he really is a great cook – he really understands flavors and takes the time in the kitchen that I often don’t. So from time to time I am going to showcase his culinary talents. Today’s recipe is a simple one that he made which came out so good.

We were randomly talking about making cauliflower “steaks” over the weekend and then lo and behold, Guy Fieri made them on his show on Sunday morning! It was definitely a sign. My husband adapted this recipe significantly, especially the sauce because neither of us like olive tapenade very much. I love, love, love this dish!

The first (and maybe hardest) part is cutting the cauliflower into “steaks” without it falling apart. Hubby watched a video to do it right.

The sauce is semi-homemade because we used some of the store-bought pesto sauce but added tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil along with some spices to liven it up.

He grills the cauliflower (some of the steaks fall apart a little!)

The topping for the steak is a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme.

We put the mixture on top of each steak and liberally apply olive oil spray on top. Then its in the oven for 15 minutes or so.

Comes out looking bubbly and gooey! Perfect with the pesto sauce on top and a glass of red wine. We also had a farro dish with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms on the side which I will have to post the recipe for very soon.

Prep time: 25 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 6-7 fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4-5 springs of fresh thyme
• Olive Oil or Canola Oil Spray

Recipe: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the cauliflower into a square shape by removing the edges. Then using a large serrated knife, cut into four rectangular pieces (starting in the middle).
3. Spray the cauliflower with oil and grill until golden brown
4. Take the prepared pesto, olive oil, garlic, tomato, fresh basil, and black pepper and puree in a blender. Set aside for use as the sauce.
5. In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme. Liberally apply on top of each cauliflower steak.
6. Put the steaks in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the tops are bubbling and golden.
7. Serve with the side of pesto sauce.