Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Baked Cauliflower Dijon Patties


As you may have observed in the recipe photo to the left, today I'm dealing with one of the major foes of a food blogger: The Brown n' Beige Blahs.

You know the usual culprits: corn, potatoes, rice, bread. Try as they might, they're just not Cover Girl material. Food bloggers prefer the Heidi Klum's of the culinary world: bright green cilantro, vibrant red bell peppers, and juicy purple blackberries.

Today's recipe is freak-tastically good. It's finger-lickin' tasty. It's literally erupting with flavor. But let's face it, friends: These patties have a face that only a mother could love.

We're talking Baked Cauliflower Dijon Patties. Holy delicious-ness! We served ours on top of a bed of lettuce, smothered with sauteed onions, bell pepper, and garlic, and topped with chopped avocado.

Adam adapted these baked cauliflower delights from a recipe in Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. You MUST buy this cookbook. It's loaded with over 150 pages of meat-less burgers and (of course) burger condiments. We're hoping to cook our way through the entire book.

Lesson learned today: Don't judge a book by it's cover. You never know when your Beige n' Brown Blahs will turn into Cover Model material.

Baked Cauliflower Dijon Patties
(adapted from a recipe in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger)

You can't tell in the picture below, but there IS a Cauliflower Patty buried under that pile of veggies. While I LOVED the Parmesan crumb topping on these patties, you could easily vegan-ize the recipe by eliminating the cheese. If you're feeling daring though, go ahead and mix some Parmesan right into the burgers. A little more cheese never hurt anyone :)

Ingredients:
  • head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
  • 3 TBSP Dijon mustard
  • 2 TBSP cornstarch
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 2 - 3 TBSP dried parsley (use fresh if you have it; we just didn't have any on hand)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt, divided
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • For topping: sauteed onions and bell pepper, spinach/lettuce, and chopped avocado
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Over a saucepan of simmering water, steam the cauliflower for 8 - 10 minutes, or until very tender (easily pierced with a fork).

3) In a food processor, puree 2/3 of the cauliflower mixture with the mustard, cornstarch, egg, and lemon juice. Transfer to a large bowl. Chop the remaining cauliflower into small pieces and add to the processed mixture. Stir in parsley, pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Shape into 6 patties.

4) Combine the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp. salt, and Parmesan on a plate. Dredge the patties in the crumb mixture until they are fully coated on both sides. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until burgers are nicely browned.

5) Serve on top of a bed of lettuce or spinach, topped with sauteed onions and bell peppers, and diced avocado.

16 comments:

  1. These look delicious! With the exception of pumpkin, my favorite foods are brown and beige :)

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  2. Oh we love cauliflower and this looks soooo good. I am really looking forward to trying this like tomorrow!

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  3. I haven't had cauliflower in months! I'm totally craving it now!!!!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas and Crayons

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  4. Gosh I so need that book!! I really dont care that much for meat, and would so love to experiment with all the ways to replace it! These burgers look excellant!

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  5. I have a head of cauliflower languishing in my crisper- it may have to be transformed into these burgers. They sound yummy!

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  6. Wow! That sounds awesome! I have cauliflower in my fridge that I was going to throw in soup, but this sounds better...
    Sometimes the best foods are also just boring blah colors---I'm fine with that. It's all about the taste :)

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  7. You're too hard on yourself. I think there are downright pretty, especially with the sauteed vegetables. Cauliflower is probably one of my most under-utilized veggies. I really enjoy it but don't cook it often enough. Thanks for reminding me to make it more often!

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  8. Ohhh those sound SO good. I'm always looking for new ways to use cauliflower - what a great recipe!

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  9. Wow, I never would have THOUGHT to use cauliflower as a veggie burger ingredient, but (beige or not) these look delish!

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  10. Sometimes the most "boring" colors produce the most wonderful flavors and textures. This looks and sounds like a winner to me! Thank you so much for sharing with me tonight...and thanks for all the sweetness you leave on my blog...it means so much to me!

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  11. I absolutely love Dijon mustard... oh its creamy yet punchy flavour... I really, like cauliflower as well, and am always looking for ways to eat it = )

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  12. Oh wow--that cookbook sounds great! I am going to have to order it because I am huge fan of burgers without the beef. Thanks for the heads up on this! I'll be anxious to follow you cooking your way through the book! :-)

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  13. LOL...loved the post! Only a Mama would love them! I'm a Mama, know what you mean...and love them to death! Pretty cool idea, and that sounds like a great book! WOW!!

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  14. This looks so good! I have been looking for a good way to use cauliflower. I have never tried it before but I want to cook it and see if I actually like it. :)

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  15. One of my favorite foods, peanut butter, is brown, so I agree you can't judge a book by its cover! These look delicious brown and all!

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  16. Gosh, I just bought some cauliflower that I was going to use in soup tomorrow, but now I want these too! I love how you guys go all out with the toppings. Onion and avocado are two of my favorite things!

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