Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Apple and Butternut Gratin

This dish was first created on a whim. I was preparing a spontaneous supper for about 20 people, many of whom had never eaten vegan food before. I wanted to make something familiar and comforting: one of the hardest things about eating differently is having foods that you've never had before! This is comfort food at it's best: without all of the heavy fats and cheese that normally make a gratin an artery-clogging mess. 
The other challenge I faced in creating this dish was a lack of groceries: I only had a little of this and a little of that. I look at what all the ingredients had in common and went from there. Starchy veggies baked in a casserole are sure to satisfy you in these early spring days.

Total Time: 35 min + 1 hour to bake

Serves: 8

1 lb Butternut squash
1 lb  Celery root
1 lb  Sweet potatoes
1 lb  Apples
1 lb Cauliflower (orange cauliflower works great)
5-6 tablespoons flour
Olive oil
2 teaspoons of Salt
fresh black Pepper
2 tsp dried Thyme (or marjoram)
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp white pepper

Action:
1. Whisk salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, cinnamon and white pepper together in small bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. Peel all of the veggies and apple and cut into 1/8 in slices. 
4. One at a time you will prepare each vegetable, layering an 8x8 in pan.
5. Start with squash: In a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil to coat, salt to taste, and ¼ of spice mixture. Toss to coat.  Then place in bottom of pan and sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over the top.
6. Proceed in same manner with each vegetable except for the cauliflower. Do not sprinkle flour on top of last layer.
7. Cover with tin foil and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft (test with knife in center)

Crispy cauliflower topping:
1. Chop up cauliflower into small florets. Coat with olive oil and salt
2. Heat a cast-iron pan over medium high and saute cauliflower until they are golden brown. 
3. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
4. Serve the gratin with crispy cauliflower on top.

Benefits:
+ Full of B vitamins
+ Anti-inflammatory
+ Anti-carcinogenic

* Every single recipe on this website uses nature’s ingredients, only. Always choose organic, local and seasonal whenever possible.

This recipe was created by Chef Hannah Gruber.

Photo thanks to Roxxe NYC Photography.

This recipe is part of © 2014 The Earth Diet ™  All Rights Reserved