Tag Archives: vegetarian

Braised Cauliflower in the Instant Pot

Food, Recipes,

I came across a recipe in the “Mediterranean Instant Pot” cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe looked pretty good, and used a spice blend I hadn’t heard of before called ras el hanout. I changed the recipe a little due to my own preferences and the unavailability of one ingredient.

The result was delicious, and I’ll definitely be making this again!

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Braised Cauliflower with North African Spices

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 head Cauliflower trim leaves and stem, keep whole
  • 1 can Whole San Marzano tomatoes drain (keep liquid), and coarsely chop
  • 2 tsp Ras el hanout
  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup kalmata olives pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Turn on Instant Pot to Saute, high setting, and add olive oil, garlic, and ras el hanout

  2. Saute for about 2-3 minutes, until spices become really fragrant, then turn Instant Pot off

  3. Add the reserved tomato juice and chopped tomatoes to Instant Pot, stir well, and then reserve 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture

  4. Insert trivet then steaming basket into Instant Pot

  5. Complete preparation of the head of cauliflower by making a deep criss-cross slice into stem, then place head into steaming basket, stem side down.

  6. Pour reserved tomato/spice mixture over top of cauliflower.

  7. Cook in Instant Pot using high pressure, for 3 minutes, doing a quick release when cook time has completed.

  8. Set cauliflower head aside in serving dish, and cover with foil

  9. Set Instant Pot to Saute, add olives and golden raisins to tomato mixture. Cook this down to thicken a bit. You can salt & pepper this if you like (I didn't)

  10. Cut the head of cauliflower into quarters, then eights. Spoon more of the tomato mixture over top, and then sprinkle cilantro over when serving. Provide the rest of the tomato/spice mixture alongside so people can add more as they wish.

Recipe Notes

The original recipe called for green olives, anchovies, and pine nuts (which I couldn’t find at our grocery store).  Omitted the anchovies to make the dish vegan, and I prefer black olives over green 🙂

Zucchini Walnut Lasagna

Zucchini Walnut Lasagna

Food, Recipes, ,
Zucchini Walnut Lasagna
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Zucchini Walnut Lasagna

A Keto-friendly, vegetarian lasagna
Course Main Course
Keyword Keto
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 can diced tomatoes drained
  • 1 white onion finely diced
  • 2 carrots shredded
  • 3 cups mushrooms chopped
  • 2 large zucchinis
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts chopped in blender
  • 2 tsp thyme dried
  • 2 tsp oregana dried
  • 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper med-coarse grind
  • 750 g ricotta
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg ground
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano grated
  • 10 grape tomatoes sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Prepare Zucchini

  • Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/8" – 3/16" thick slices.  Lightly salt & pepper both sides of each slice. Let sit for a few minutes then dry slices with a paper towel.
  • Lightly oil a cookie sheet, or line sheet with a silicon cooking mat, and arrange zucchini slices in a single layer.
  • Setting oven rack so that cookie sheet will be 6 inches or so from broiler.
  • Broil on high for 5 minutes, remove from oven, flip slices and pat dry, then return to oven for an additional 3 minutes.
  • Line a cooling rack with paper towel, and place zucchini slices on it.  Repeat these steps until all slices have been broiled, and set aside.

Prepare Ricotta

  • Mix ricotta, 1/3 of the chopped spinach, and nutmeg in a medium size bowl.  You can add a little salt & pepper if you like.  Set aside.  (I intended to add an eqq to this as well but forgot – the lasagna turned out fine without it.)

Prepare Sauce

  • In one skillet, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and saute the onions and shredded carrot until translucent. 
  • In a larger, deep skillet, heat up two tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter, and fry the chopped mushrooms along with the thyme.
  • When mushrooms are turning golden, clear a space in the pan and add the tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. and stir well.
  • When the tomato paste starts to deepen in color, add the drained tomatoes, and the sauteed onion and carrots, and toasted walnuts.  Stir well.
  • The sauce is ready when most of any liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly

  • Set cooking rack to middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees.
  • Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  • Put a very thin layer of sauce across the bottom of the dish.
  • Arrange one layer of zucchini slices
  • Spread one third of the sauce over the zucchini, followed by one third of the ricotta mixture followed by one third of the remaining chopped spinach.
  • Repeat the previous 2 steps.
  • Spread the shredded mozzarella, followed by the grated parmesan.
  • Arrange sliced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves over top.
  • Place lasagna into oven, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top starts to turn golden around edges.
  • Remove from oven when ready, and let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.