Cook’s Notes: To make the roasted garlic, cut off the bottom portion of a bulb of garlic and season the inside with a tiny shot of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place the garlic in a tin foil pouch, add a little shot of water, seal the pouch, and roast for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. When ready, you can squeeze the garlic cloves out.

To make Ghee/Clarified butter, get the recipe here: https://www.flavcity.com/clarified-butter

You can buy chopped butternut squash, but it’s more expensive. Watch my video to see how I carefully cut and peel a butternut squash.

Begin Cooking:

To make the butternut squash puree, bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt and carefully add the cubed squash to the water. Boil for 15 minutes, making sure you don’t overcook the squash. When a fork goes in and out of the squash with relative ease, it’s ready. Drain the squash and place it in a blender. While the squash is hot, add everything else to the blender along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, using a plunging stick or wooden spoon to help the mixture blend. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk. Check for seasoning, you may need a touch more salt. Set aside.

For the cauliflower steak, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the ends off both heads of cauliflower, the parts that don’t have the root attached. Cut the cauliflower into 1/2 inch thick steaks, going from the top, to the bottom, and through the stem. You should be able to get 6 steaks, although the recipe calls for 5.

Make the steak spice rub by combining the smoked paprika, ancho chile powder, cumin, and thyme in a small bowl. Mix well. Drizzle a shot of veggie oil on both sides and rub it evenly over the steaks. Season with a generous pinch of salt and spice rub on both sides, rub the spice rub into the cauliflower. Place the steaks on a sheet tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Cauliflower steaks can sit at room temperature for a while after they have been baked.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make the corn salad by pre-heating a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat with 2 teaspoon of veggie oil. Add the corn kernels and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the corn is slightly charred, stirring a few times. Lower the heat to medium, add the red onions, garlic, along with ½ teaspoon of salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Turn the heat off and add the mixture to a large bowl. Add all of the remaining salad ingredients along with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. Mix well and check for seasoning, it may need a little more salt or lemon juice.

To finish the steaks, pre-heat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of veggie oil for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully place 2-3 of the cauliflower steaks in the pan and sear for 3 minutes, or until the steaks are nicely browned on the first side. Use a spatula to carefully flip the steaks, and sear for another 3 minutes. Remove from pan and sear the remaining steaks.

Assemble your meal prep containers and enjoy! The steaks and butternut puree can be frozen for 2-3 months, but the salad can only be kept in the fridge for 5 days. For re-heating, I prefer to take the lid off the containers, wrap in tin foil, and heat for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. If using the microwave, cover the containers with a wet paper towel so the food stays moist. The salad should be eaten cold or at room temperature.