Open Faced Cauliflower and Asparagus Sandwich

I remember when Diana spoke so well of this sandwich I knew it was something I had to try soon. Luckily for me, I had some cauliflower left over from the farro salad so it was the perfect amount to try this lovely sandwich. I already had some wheat bread on hand so it was just a matter of picking up the asparagus at the farmers market and I got some aged Vermont cheddar from TJs. Since I ended up using a lot of the cheddar in my stovetop mac and cheese for Trevor, I didn't feel so guilty about getting all these separate ingredients to make one sandwich. Since I had so enjoyed the flavor of the roasted cauliflower, I decided to stick with it in this sandwich instead of steaming it separately from the shallots. This definitely takes some time and dishes to put together, but I must say, it's worth it. Instead of frying an egg, I decided to try poaching for my first time ever. Thanks to this helpful tutorial on Cookthink, I managed to get one egg that looked (and tasted) pretty good. I definitely need to perfect my poaching technique, but I think I did pretty good for my first time. This was definitely a fun sandwich to make and especially to eat. I think if you try it, you can play with the flavors a bit to make it however you choose!


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Open Faced Cauliflower and Asparagus Sandwich
(Lightly Adapted from Diana Takes a Bite)

1 slice bread of choice (preferably a thicker slice that can stand up to the ingredients)
6 spears of asparagus
Florets from 1/2 head of cauliflower
2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
White cheddar cheese
1 egg
Bread crumbs, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the cauliflower, shallots, and asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. You may want to keep the asparagus on one side of the baking sheet and the cauliflower and shallots on the other. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower and asparagus are tender.

To make the cauliflower puree, add the roasted cauliflower and shallots to a medium pan. Add the chicken broth and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.

Lightly toast the bread. Top with a generous serving of the cauliflower puree and then the roasted asparagus. Top the asparagus with shredded cheese. Place the sandwich on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. While the cheese is melting, poach or fry (or even scramble) an egg. Top the baked sandwich with the egg and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and serve immediately.