Cook With Us Week #26- Vegan Daikon "Scallops" with Parsnip Cauliflower Purée

I can't believe it's already season 3 for @cookwithus. Welcome back @offoodandart, @chefsteve and @pandamama. To kick off this season, the theme is root vegetables. There are so many root vegetables I enjoy to eating, I was having a hard time deciding what to make. When I was at the grocery store I spotted two of my favorite root vegetables side by side, I thought I would make daikon "scallops" with a parsnip and cauliflower puree.

Daikon Scallops

serves 2

• 1 medium daikon, peeled and cut into 1" thick coins
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup water
• olive oil

Heat a saute pan with some olive oil and add the daikon coins. Sear the daikon coins and flip them over to color the other side. Remove the daikon and add in the sliced onions. Cook the onions until translucent. Add in the miso paste and dijon mustard and cook for another minute.

Add in the daikon, maple syrup, water and sprig of thyme. Bring the mixture to a bowl and let the daikon simmer until tender.

Remove the daikon and reduce the liquid until a sauce consistency.

Parsnip and Cauliflower Purée

• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 head of small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 garlic clove minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Steam the cauliflower and parsnip in the microwave until soft. Place the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. I like the combination of parsnips and cauliflower because the parsnips add a touch of sweetness to the puree.

I had some riced cabbage leftover from one of my meals so I added it to this dish. The cabbage added some crunch, the daikon was meaty and the purée was creamy. The miso added a depth of umami flavor. This was a perfect fall meal.