Skip to content

Improve your Gippslandia browsing experience by using Chrome or Safari.

Contribute to Gippslandia and support positive local storytelling. — donate here

Connecting Gippsland through
positive storytelling.

Shop GippslandiaSupport Gippslandia

Connecting Gippsland through positive storytelling.

ArticleFood & Drink

Smoky and the cauliflower.

The humble cauliflower made sticky and smoky! YUM!

Oct 30, 2020


Words: Mettle & Grace

Contribute to support more positive local storytelling.

Support
Vegan & Plant based

In my early days of cooking for varied diets and dietary choices, I was working at a vegetarian venue. It was nearing Christmas and my sous chef at the time was busy carefully moulding a ‘Tofu-rky’ for his Christmas feast. He even took the time to mould tofu drumsticks!

I’ve never been one to recreate an animal shape in a vegan form. Instead, I prefer vegetarian alternative centrepieces, like showcasing a humble head of cauliflower.

Often when my clients are vegan or plant-based it is by choice, however, here and there I have clients who wish to incorporate more vegetables into their meals, possibly enjoying full vegetarian days or maybe because they have a member of the family who is vegan. For these clients, I like to transform their favourite meat-based dishes into plant-based meals.

“Melsa, I’ve planted my broccoli and cauliflower seeds,” says Dad every year around May. I’ll receive another message in about 15 to 20 weeks reporting his first pick of the season too. Dad can count on me to be the first one down to the farm to steal as much fresh produce as I can carry.

As I begin experimenting with his freshly picked vegetables, I imagine my dad’s reaction when I tell him the latest thing I have made.

“Cauliflower rice?! What’s that? Why not just eat ordinary rice?”

Then I mention I’ve made the following sticky BBQ cauliflower.

His reply, “Hmm... Okay, now that’s interesting”.

Sticky BBQ Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 x Onion (chopped into quarters)
3 x Garlic Cloves
3 tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Ground Cumin
½ tsp Chili Flakes
1 tsp Black Pepper
⅓ cup Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1kg Cauliflower (whole)
½ cup BBQ Sauce

Method

1 / Preheat the oven to 220°C.

2 / Add onion, garlic, spices, sugar and olive oil to a food processor or blender and blitz until it reaches a smooth paste.

3 / Remove leaves from the cauliflower head and cut the base of the cauliflower so that it will sit flat on the oven tray.

4 / Place cauliflower onto a sheet of aluminium foil, then rub the BBQ paste over the cauliflower, covering the whole head in flavour. Wrap the cauliflower in foil, then roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until it has softened.

5 / Peel back the foil, then using a pastry brush, baste the cauliflower with BBQ sauce. Then return to the oven (leaving foil peeled back) for a further 15 minutes to caramelise and crisp the BBQ sauce.

6 / Serve topped with fresh herbs.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup Tomato Passata
⅓ cup Apple Sauce
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Thyme
3 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder
¼ tsp Garlic Powder

Method

1 / Add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.

2 / Remove from the heat and store in a jar in the fridge.

* / Optional: Add liquid smoke (½ to 1 teaspoon) for an extra smoky punch!

-
Subscribe
to Gippslandia.

Did you enjoy this article? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram.

More in

    Gippsland

Share this article

FacebookTwitterEmail
FacebookTwitterEmail

Read this next

ArticleFood & Drink

The comfort of baking.

People of all ages (and not just bakers) are caring for a fermented friend. Read more


More in Food & Drink

ProfileFood & Drink

The Mahlooks.

The Mahlook family has made an indelible mark on the Gippsland Lakes food scene. Read more

Support Gippslandia

Support from our readers is what keeps the lights on and the printing presses running.

Support

Browse topics

Food & Drink

Explore regions

East Gippsland Shire

Partners

Gippslandia is made possible thanks to our supporting partners. They are businesses that believe in the value of sharing optimistic tales from our great region. We encourage you to support them in return, as without them, Gippslandia wouldn’t exist.

About Gippslandia

Gippslandia is a community, non-profit publication. We curate an ever-optimistic take on regional, national and global issues, in a local context. Leaving you feeling like a Gippslandia local, no matter where you’re from. Read more

© 2021 Gippslandia, All rights reserved