Featured Recipe: Vegan & Dairy-Free Roasted Cauliflower with Gravy
Photo Credit: delish.com
- By Lauren Porat, Owner of YogaSpark
I refer to myself as a "wanna-be vegan". If being vegan was totally easy, meaning that healthy and delicious vegan food was convenient and abundant, and I wouldn't find myself eating the same exact things (read: cashews and apple slices) every day, I would do it. On Thanksgiving, I am blessed with a father who doesn't know how to delegate turkey responsibilities. This is great, because I get to focus on beautiful fall vegetables like cauliflower. I came across this recipe two years ago, and it is a huge hit at my table. This dish really tastes like a main course, and the mushroom gravy makes everything on my plate taste amazing. I hope you enjoy it! Please note: the original recipe from delish.com uses melted butter, but I replace the oil to make it both vegan and dairy free - your choice!
INGREDIENTS - CAULIFLOWER
1 large head of cauliflower
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 whole cloves garlic (skin-on)
4 leaves fresh sage
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
INGREDIENTS - GRAVY
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tsp. freshly chopped sage
1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 to 4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450°. Put cauliflower in a large oven-safe skillet, rub all over with 2 tablespoons of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange garlic and herbs around cauliflower.
Bake until cauliflower is tender and slightly charred, brushing with remaining 2 tablespoons oil halfway through, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Pierce cauliflower with a paring knife to check if it’s ready.)
MAKE GRAVY
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Add onion and cook, stirring until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Add 1 or 2 cloves of the roasted garlic (skins removed), breaking up cloves with a wooden spoon. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, then whisk in 2 cups of broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has thickened to your desired consistency, 5 minutes. (Add more broth if desired.) Serve cauliflower with gravy and enjoy!
Lauren Porat is the founder and owner of YogaSpark, a hot power yoga studio started in 2013, with locations in both Westchester and Tribeca. After receiving a BBA from the University of Michigan, Lauren started her career in investment banking and private equity before spending 8 years at IAC. After leaving IAC, she started Urban Interns, a job board for part time jobs and internships. To balance the intensity of the industries she was in, she turned to hot yoga as her mindful workout of choice. Thus, upon moving to Westchester with her family, Lauren immediately saw a void in the area’s fitness offerings and decided to do something about it.
YogaSpark opened in January of 2013 and the clean, modern studio that offered challenging but open level classes was an instant hit. She designed every class and hired every instructor to be different and dynamic. YogaSpark found a loyal following filled with clients from all over Westchester joining its community. The success of the studio led Lauren to open a second location in the fall of 2016 in Tribeca. Since then, YogaSpark has quickly become the Tribeca community’s go-to option for a full service, high-end, hot power yoga experience that is unrivaled.
Lauren has trained with Yoga to the People and Bryan Kest, and considers teaching to be the an unexpected blessing of this enterprise. Now Lauren dreams about new sequences and aims to kick serious physical and spiritual ass on a daily basis. As an owner she brings a unique perspective to her classes and is mindful of how she wants you to feel not just in the studio, but throughout the rest of the day and your life off the mat. Lauren currently resides in Mamaroneck with her husband and two children.
