The recipe actually comes together quickly, but the cooking time in the oven is long — about 1 and 1/2 hours — so plan accordingly.
The secret to this dish is in the sauce. The base is cooked cauliflower to which I added, among other flavourful ingredients, ground, dried Shitake mushrooms. I buy dried mushrooms in little 14 gram / 1/2 ounce packets at the grocery store which I blend to a powder in my blender or coffee / spice grinder. The chickpea flour I used as a thickener adds some more depth to the flavour. But, any other flour such as brown rice flour could be substituted in equal amounts.
This recipe takes a long time in the oven. So, let's get cooking.
1-1/2 cups water
2 cups cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup)
2 Tablespoons gluten-free tamari
1 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk
1/2 cup water
14 grams (1/2 ounce) dried Shitake mushrooms, ground to a powder
4 Tablespoons chickpea flour or other flour
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons dried thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
about 2 kilograms (about 4 pounds) red-skinned potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes)
1 large white onion, sliced into half moons
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups frozen corn, optional
paprika, smoked paprika or nutmeg for dusting
Cover the bottom of a large glass or ceramic casserole dish or roasting pan with 1/3 cup of the sauce. Make a layer of overlapping potato slices on top of the sauce. Cover the potatoes with half of the sliced onions, sprinkle with half the chopped garlic, and pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the top. Add a layer of one cup of frozen corn and dust with half the dried thyme.
Repeat, adding another layer of overlapping potato slices, sliced onions, chopped garlic, 1 cup of sauce, the rest of the corn and dried thyme.
Cover the corn and thyme layer with a last layer of potatoes and the reserved sauce and sliced onions. Dust the top with paprika, smoked paprika or nutmeg, if desired.
Bake covered with a lid or aluminum foil for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Thank you to everyone who takes time out of their day to visit my blog and try out my recipes. An extra special thank you to my subscribers and those who leave me comments and messages. Your feedback is appreciated. Writing these healthy, delicious recipes and sharing them with you is a great pleasure for me. I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season.
May you be healthy and happy in the coming year.
Beans and rice