I love fried chicken. What’s even better is that after you fry it, you smother it. So, I love smothered chicken too. Since we’re still vegan, why not fry and smother all in one batch (pun intended). Here’s a quick and easy way to use up your leftover cauliflower.
Smothered Cauliflower with Pepper & Onion Gravy
4 cups of cauliflower florets
1 good pinch of each (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian herbs)
1/2 cup of vegan half & half
2 cups of all purpose flour
oil, for frying
For the gravy:
2 tablespoons of the reserved frying oil
2 tablespoons of flour
3-4 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/2 cup of diced bell pepper
*cooked rice
*scallions, to garnish
To start, preheat the cooking oil in a skillet. I usually use corn or vegetable oil. Then, liberally season the cauliflower florets with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian herbs. Then, pour over the half and half and mix well to combine. Next, add the flour and mix well to combine. When the oil is hot, knock off any excess flour from each floret and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to get rid of any excess oil. Remove the oil from the pan, but save 2 tablespoons plus any drippings on the bottom of the pan that may have fell off from the cauliflower frying.
Return the pan with the 2 tablespoons of reserved oil to a medium heat. Add in the onion and bell pepper and saute until tender. Then, add in the flour and stir frequently until the roux had turned a dark brown color. Add in the vegetable stock and as soon as it thickens, it’s ready. You can add back the cauliflower to heat through.
*In the video, I didn’t add any seasonings because I was using a vegetable stock. It’s loaded with flavor. However, you can certainly add a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and Italian herbs, if necessary.
Garnish with scallions and serve over cooked rice.
