We’re going all things green! In this “All Things Green” series, I’m jam packing meals with as many green vegetables as possible while keeping everything flavorful and elevated.
Recently I’ve been taking Masterclasses with some of cookings best chef’s like Gordon Ramsay, Dominique Creen, Thomas Keller and the list is goes on. I’ve been using the techniques I’m learning from these Master Chef’s and I’m excited to share my dishes with elevated cooking methods.
Most of the time we’re cooking with regular cauliflower, but I decided to use green cauliflower for this series. I cut the cauliflower into 3 “steaks” for this. I ended up using the smaller of the steaks, and ultimately it did fall apart on me. But when you cut your cauliflower into steaks with the core attached and large enough, it will hold the cauliflower steak together through the cooking process.
I used very simple ingredients with this cauliflower; olive oil, butter and harissa seasoning.
Elevating Green Beans
Elevating green beans is easy and simple. These delicious vegetables stand on their own as it is, so elevating them just requires a few flavor bombs.
Sautéing green beans allows for infusing them with flavorful ingredients like garlic, shallots or chili flakes. You can even try air-frying these for a healthier alternative to fries with dinner or just to cut down on the cooking and prep time.
To add even more richness to green beans, try using a dab of butter, lemon zest or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
By experimenting with different techniques and flavors, you can transform green beans from the boring side dish to the star of the plate.
Perfecting Spinach
Sautéed spinach isn’t everyone’s favorite. But it is mine. You can call me Popeye in this post because I can eat a whole bag of sautéed spinach coated with a little bit of salt. Simple and delicious. But I realize not everyone likes sautéed spinach, or even spinach regardless of how it’s consumed. So here’s a few tricks that I picked up to perfect sautéed spinach.
- Don’t cut the stems off of the spinach. The stems are actually very tasty and full of nutrients.
- Make sure the pan you’re using it very very hot. You only need to satuee the spinach for 90 seconds to 2 minutes at max. You want it wilted, but not too wilted that it’s just a watery mess.
- Don’t over oil your pan before sauteeing the spinach. Spinach is very watery, so just a dab of oil so the spinach doesn’t stick to your pan is all you need. You can use a chili or flavored oil if you want to spice things up.
- Salt the spinach right after you put it in the hot pan.
Putting it all together
Plating can be essential to monochromatic meals. Especially if you have kids, friends or family that don’t love green vegetables. Get creative with your plating and add extras like crispy scallions and garlic to the plate. Edible flowers look amazing too. A pop of color always helps the plate look more appealing.
Green Cauliflower, Sautéed Spinach & Green Beans
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
servings10
minutes35
minutesCalling all greens! This dish features tender braised cauliflower florets, like fluffy clouds kissed with savory goodness. Alongside them, crisp green beans add a delightful snap, while the sautéed spinach brings a touch of earthy elegance. Every bite is a celebration of fresh, seasonal vegetables, cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. It’s a light and nourishing meal that will leave you feeling energized and optimistic!
Ingredients
- Cauliflower
1 head of green cauliflower
4 tbs Harissa seasoning
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable stock
8 tbs olive oil, divided
1 lemon
- Green Beans
2 handfuls of fresh green beans (or half of a frozen bag, thawed)
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp chili flakes
pinch of salt
- Spinach
1 bag of spinach leaves
1 tbs olive oil
pinch of salt
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the cauliflower into steaks or florets.
- Cauliflower Marinade
- On a baking tray, drizzle olive oil and harissa seasoning directly onto the tray.
- Rub the cauliflower in the olive oil and harissa seasoning.
- Drizzle more olive oil and harissa to the top of the cauliflower.
- Make sure the seasoning is evenly covering the cauliflower.
- Cooking the cauliflower
- Bring a nonstick pan or a skillet (preferred) to high heat.
- Add olive oil to the pan.
- Once the olive oil is hot, place the cauliflower on the pan and sear for 90 seconds to 2 minutes on each side.
** the cauliflower should have a nice golden color to it when you flip it. - Add 2 tps of butter to the sides of the pan.
- Once the butter is melted and brown (but not burnt!), baste the cauliflower with the melted butter.
- Once the butter is frothy in the pan, add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock to the pan and bring it to a boil. This will start the braising process for the cauliflower.
- Once the vegetable stock is boiling, place the pan directly into the oven for 15 minutes.
**or until the cauliflower is tender enough to very easily slide a knife through the core. - Sautéed Green Beans
- Take 2-3 handfuls of green beans and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle olive oil, salt and chili flakes over the green beans and mix.
- Bring a pan to medium to high heat, place the green beans into the pan once it’s hot.
- Sauté the green beans for 5-7 minutes, frequently moving the green beans so they don’t burn.
- Remove the green beans and set aside once they are fork tender.
- Sautéed Spinach
- In the same pan on high heat, add enough spinach to cover your entire pan plus some.
**spinach is mainly water and will cook down to a fraction of what you start with. - Add a few pinches of salt, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon zest on top of the spinach.
- Use tongs to flip and stir the spinach as it begins to wilt.
- After 2 minutes remove the spinach from the pan and set aside.
- Plating
- Once everything is cooked and the cauliflower is ready. Place all ingredients onto 1 plate keeping the cauliflower at the center.
- Sprinkle fried scallions or fried ginger or chili flakes on top of your final dish to garnish.
Notes
- You can use white, purple or green cauliflower for this recipe.