Cauliflower Steak

Cauliflower, cut into rounds
Carrots, small sized, peeled and trimmed
Olive oil
2 cups (16 ounces) canned chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained
Hoisin or barbecue sauce
Pistachios, crushed
Garlic clove, minced
Shallot strips, fried
Vegetable stock
Parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon



Cut the cauliflower into 1 or 1-1/2 rounds. Too thin and it just falls apart. If big pieces do break, no one will know once they're on the plate.

Brush both sides the cauliflower with the hoisin sauce.

Brush the carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake the cauliflower and the carrots at 375 degrees for 30 minutes on a wire rack placed in a sheet tray. The cauliflower will still have some chew which I like. Bake longer if you want it softer.

Make the chick pea puree. Cook the chick peas in vegetable stock for 20 minutes to soften them up. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put the chickpeas in a blender with with a handful of fresh chopped parsley and the minced garlic. Blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add some vegetable stock or water.

Put some shelled pistachios in a Ziploc bag and smash them up with a meat hammer. Alternatively, you can use your chef's knife to chop up the nuts.

Assemble

Chickpea puree goes into the middle of the plate. The roasted cauliflower goes on top. The roasted carrots go anywhere you want.

Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over everything.