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Bread, Breakfast, Salads & Suppers, Sides, Vegan &/or Raw

Cauli Toasts

“Does the smell of bacon make you want it?”

“Don’t plants feel too?”

“Wasn’t Hitler a vegan?”

… just some of the delightfully irritating questions vegans shake off on a daily basis. “What can you eat?” carnivores ask, pupils morphing into one of those tiny kaleidoscopic wheels on a Mac before it crashes.

Food, dudes. Real food. Hundreds of plant-powered ingredients are at a herbivore’s fingertips everyday; they are Mother Nature’s heavyweight champions of fibre. I envy a vegan’s commitment. Their bowel movements must be like Christmas presents.

Given I am happily institutionalised into marital bliss with all its obligations and sacred rituals, I like to flirt with everything that crosses our front door. This week, it was vegan. The guest. Not the husband.

I wanted to thrill my guest, in the only way available to me (through my pantry). I quickly learned that with just a bit of mental parkour, you can turn any vegetable into a thundering drama queen and steal the show.

So here’s the recipe.

 

 

 

Cauli & Caper  Toast

Cauliflower toasts are scorching their hipster mark across NYC restaurants. With the right flavours, cauli toast is pretty fantastical. This dish has quickly become the litmus test of trendiness across cafes. Who knew a bleedin’ cauliflower could cause such a stir?

 

1 large head of cauliflower
Splash of olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

 

Fire up your oven to 210 Celsius, gas mark 7.

Cut 2 or 3 large slices from your head of cauli. Aim for about 2cm thick so it won’t collapse on you. I slice down the centre, using the core to hold it all together. Rub all over with olive oil and cumin. Then roast flat for 20-30 minutes or until slightly charred and golden. Throw the capers on top, halfway through cooking.

To plate up, crown with a poached duck egg like in the picture, or and some hummus for a vegan supper. The capers will give fabulous pops of ‘salty lemon’ to the finished dish. Fried chorizo is achingly good too. Hakuna matata.

 

 

 

Here’s an interview of me, and my potty mouth talking to a journalist in NYC, on the release of the US edition of The Virtuous Tart cookbook………..

Don’t forget to hit “BOOM” at the top left corner, with your email address my friend, to receive a new weekly recipe direct to your inbox. Until then!

X SJ

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7 Comments

  • Reply Andria January 28, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    Hi Susan, Andria your old Neighbour here! Just bought 3 of your VT books for Darragh’s teachers. Love it!! We are living in Georgia, USA now so will keep an eye out in case y’all pop down to us southerners here 😉 best of luck on your book tour!

    • Reply Susan Jane January 29, 2017 at 12:58 pm

      Andria! No waaaaaay! Georgia?!? You amazing woman. How generous you are – someday I might return to Georgia in my apron. Who knows?!?

      Much love from Mount Very Pleasant, xxxx

  • Reply mitch January 28, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    I love cauliflower!! the “other white meat”.. I wiz up a white sauce with raw cauliflower, raw cashews, a touch of miso and a touch of aquafaba.. Works on Salads or steamed veg… I have to try your cauli recipe.. Cumin and capers, sounds like a plan… Thanks,, mitch 

    • Reply Susan Jane January 29, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      Genius! I’ll try something similar, thanks!

  • Reply Carol January 28, 2017 at 10:50 pm

    Hi Susan, you had mentioned about coming to do a book signing in Soho, NY on Feb. 14th., would love to bring my cookbook for you to sign. Can you tell me where you will be. Thanks so much,Carol

    • Reply Susan Jane January 29, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      Hi Carol. I’d love to! Feb 13th is confirmed at Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway and 5th. 7pm. Soho is still TBA, but I’ll have all the details up on this website just as soon as they’re all polished and firmed up. Brilliant! See you there!

      • Reply Carol February 7, 2017 at 11:54 pm

        That would be great Susan, hope to see you

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