Cheesy Onion and Garlic Orzo with Cauliflower Steaks
I don’t normally post whole meals, but I wanted to take one ingredient like my onion and garlic marinade and use it to create an entire meal that was all tied together by a basic flavor profile.
So here is how this came about:
Me: (last week) I’m going to make cauliflower steaks for dinner tonight
Tim: Oh. Don’t we have pasta?
Me: Yes, but we’ve pretty much been living on Italian food recently, so I thought this would make a nice break
Tim: For the record, I don’t need a break from Italian food. Ever.
Me: But I’m going to add peppers to the top. That’s kinda Italian.
Tim: Do we have any of that pizza left?
Me: Sigh
Two days and 600 more Italian meals later: How about that cauliflower tonight?
Tim: I think we still have some of those beyond Meat sausages left in the freezer.
Me: I can add sauce and cheese and the sausage and peppers to the cauliflower.
Tim: Sounds great. Except for the cauliflower.
Me: But you love cauliflower
Tim: Yea, but I just don’t feel like it right now
Me: Well how about we look into the crystal ball and see when you will feel like cauliflower? Maybe before it petrifies?
Last night:
Me: We are having cauliflower steaks for dinner.
Tim: But…
Me: No. No other options. This is happening.
So I make the steaks with peppers and onions and a cheesy quinoa orzo on the side.
Me: So we have some leftover cauliflower from the steaks. I’m thinking maybe we can do some buffalo wings with them tomorrow night.
Tim: Oh. I thought maybe we could have Italian tomorrow night.
Me: Grrrrrrrrrr.
Ingredients for marinade: (I made a double batch)
- 1 medium onion
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (white wine vinegar is fine too)
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons of dried. You can use dried Italian herbs as well, or Basil)
Directions:
Put all ingredients into high speed blender and puree till it becomes a sauce.
Ingredients for the Steaks: (4 steaks)
- 1-2 heads of cauliflower, depending on how large they are
- 3 large peppers, any color
- 1 red onion
- 1-2 Tablespoon of Italian herbs
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Slice the cauliflower into 1 inch slices. You will probably only get 2 steaks per head unless you have an unusually large head.
- Place the steaks on a baking tray lined with foil or a silpat. Brush both sides with the marinade. Bake for 25 minutes per side.
- While the steaks are cooking on the first side, slice the peppers and red onion into thin strips. Place on a baking sheet and add several Tablespoons of the marinade, the dried Italian herbs and some salt and pepper. Toss and place in oven to roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Ingredients for the Orzo:
- 1 (8 oz) box (1 cup before cooking) of orzo
- Onion Garlic Marinade
- 1 cup parmesan “cheese”
Directions:
- Cook orzo according to package directions. You can start heating the water while you are making the marinade and preparing the steaks and peppers. Drain the orzo when it it cooked and return the pot to the stovetop.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the marinade to the pot and cook over medium high heat for about 3 minutes to “cook” the raw onions and garlic. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Add the parmesan cheese and stir till creamy. Remove from heat.
To serve: Place the steaks on a plate and top with the peppers. Add a helping of the orzo. Enjoy!
