• Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

Cauliflower beet patties

Some of my recent recipes have contained different types of vegan cheeses, and things like seitan, and were created to mimic more traditional dishes. This time around I thought I’d avoid all that kind of stuff and make something different. This colorful dish would make the perfect plant-based Easter main course – but can be enjoyed any time at all!

Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I recently mentioned my ongoing attempt to appreciate beets (or beetroot as some of you might say). Yeah, that’s right, I’m trying to like them, by eating them more often. They’re so good for you and they’re so colorful, and well, they’re one of those things that I feel an adult should like, haha. Plus, as a vegan, I feel that I should get along with all vegetables and fruits, and not disclude any from my plate. So, when I was at a friend’s recently and asked if beets were OK for dinner, I smiled and said “Bring ’em on!”  That said, I’m still in the early stages of beet be-friending, so you won’t see me eating sliced, whole beets anytime soon. Nope, at the moment I’m still trying to disguise them!

Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

So how you do disguise a vegetable? Well, I don’t mean put a hat, glasses and a mustache on it like Mr Potato Head! No, I mean I grate it and mix it it together with a lot of other stuff so that while I’m eating entire beets, and all the goodness and color from them is still there, the textures and flavors of the other ingredients help “take the edge off”. This creation is inspired by a recipe I saw in a Swedish magazine last year – when I still was not so beet brave. I added the chickpeas, breadcrumbs, potato flour and herbs to help alter both the consistency and the flavor a bit more to my liking. Here I am blabbing about beets, when the main ingredient is actually cauliflower! While I quickly boiled the cauliflower this time, roasting it in the oven is even better, and imparts even more flavor.

Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

The lupine bulgur I’ve mentioned earlier in my flower sprouts recipe. I wanted this entire meal to be bright and happy, and these lupines turn a wonderful yellow when cooked. Topped with the quick-roasted snack peppers, the colors just pop. We don’t need nearly as much protein as people are often going on about, but since the patties contain very little (only from the small amount of chickpeas) I wanted to get some in here through another source. This is a good place to point out that while protein might be missing from one part of a plant-based meal, you can make up for it another. Just like in this dish, where you might normally expect the protein to be in the patties, you can, for example, have a vegetable-only pasta sauce, but use protein-rich bean pasta. See, we vegans are creative like that! There’s no need to get hung up on protein, but when you’re planning meals, it’s good to remember all the ways we can incorporate it into a dish.

Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

And it wouldn’t be spring if there wasn’t any asparagus – oh how I love primeurs! I’ve always liked the word primeurs (and I’ve always enjoyed pronouncing it incorrectly, too!) and I’ve always associated it with asparagus. While beets and I still have some issues to work out, I get along really well with all the more or less bitter green veggies like asparagus, Brussel sprouts and leafy greens like arugula and kale. And for all the sauce lovers, I included a quick and easy one with tahini and creme fraiche. Don’t sweeten it too much – even if if may seem like it needs it at first – when paired with the beets the flavors perfectly balance each other out.

Cauliflower beet patties | www.planticize.com

So there you have it – cauliflower beet patties and one of the most colorful, main courses you could ever hope to find on a plate – ideal for Easter or any other special dinner!

Cauliflower beet patties

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients

    Cauliflower beet patties
  • 1 lb (454 g) – cauliflower
  • 8 oz (225 g) – beets
  • ½ cup (1.2 dl) – chickpeas, drained
  • ½ red onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ½ cup (1.2 dl) – rice flower
  • ½ cup (1.2 dl) – gluten free breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup (.6 dl) – potato flour (or cornstarch)
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) – dried rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) – dried basil
  • salt and pepper
  • Tahini sauce
  • ½ cup (1.2 dl) – tahini paste
  • ½ cup (1.2 dl) – plant-based yoghurt or crème fraiche
  • ¼ cup (.6 dl) – lemon juice
  • ¼ -⅓ cup (.6 - .8 dl) – water to adjust consistency
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) – fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp - 1 Tbsp – agave syrup, depending on taste
  • salt
  • Lupines and Asparagus
  • 1½ cups – lupine bulgur (I chose lupines for their nice color and very high protein content, and because I love them and they’re accessible to me. They are also gluten-free. So, you might want to think about these things when substituting it.)
  • vegetable stock powder
  • 4-6 small snack peppers, yellow and orange
  • 2 bunches of asparagus
  • 2 oz (ca 50 g) – pine nuts
  • olive oil or plant-based margarine

Instructions

Beet and Cauliflower patties
  1. Chop the cauliflower into florets and boil for about 5-8 minutes, drain.
  2. Grate/Shred the beets, drain the chickpeas, chop the onion and crush the garlic.
  3. Place all these ingredients in a blender, mix until smooth, and empty into a large bowl.
  4. Add the rice flower, bread crumbs, potato flour, and herbs and mix well.
  5. Form into patties, and if desired press onto extra breadcrumbs before frying in a pan – this can help keep them from sticking in some pans.
  6. Put all the tahini sauce ingredients into a small blender or food processor, or use a wand mixer to blend until smooth. Use more/less water as desired. Add the agave or other sweetener 1 tsp at a time, and taste before adding more.
  7. Boil the lupines or whatever you are using along with a few teaspoons of vegetable stock. Slice the snack peppers into rings and fry until they soften a bit.
  8. Roast the pine nuts in a small frying pan until they get some color, and sauté the asparagus in vegan margarine or olive oil.
  9. Serve your amazingly colorful meal along with the tahini sauce.

4 Comments

  • Susanne March 20, 2016 (5:49 pm)

    Looks yummy! Is there any vegan chevre? In that case you should really try a warm beet robot salad with chevre, honey and walnuts or pine nuts.

    • Chris March 20, 2016 (9:37 pm)

      Vegan chevre would be so awesome! 🙂 I’ve never seen a commercial version. I’m going to make my own cheese soon, but I think I’ll start more modestly with a very basic mild nut cheese.

  • Neil March 20, 2016 (7:10 pm)

    Coincidentally Im making caulifliwer, courgette and hazelnut patties tonight! Thus sauce will be perfect with them. Delish! 🙂

    • Chris March 20, 2016 (9:35 pm)

      Ah cool! You escaped the beetroot 😉