Cauliflower and white bean puree

March 23, 2024March 23, 2024 Belinda

This is a delicious, silky, low carb alternative to mashed potatoes. We love it!

2 medium or 1 large head of cauliflower – cut into large-ish florets
1/2 medium onion – chopped
6 cloves garlic – chopped fine
1 can (14.5-oz) chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 can (15-oz) cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
4 oz full fat cream cheese (1/2 package)
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
Salt and ground white pepper – to taste

Combine the cauliflower, onions, garlic, broth and cannellini beans in a Dutch oven or medium soup pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover slightly and cook 15 – 20 minutes or until cauliflower begins to soften.
Uncover and break up the cauliflower as much as you can with a wooden spoon or other utensil.
Continue simmering uncovered over low heat until much of the liquid has evaporated, being careful the liquid doesn’t completely boil out and the cauliflower beings to burn.
Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese and butter.
Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
Serve immediately.

Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie

October 22, 2022February 16, 2023 Belinda

Another beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi and the OTK
Serves 4 generously

1 large cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (700g)
2 tsp mild curry powder
3 tbsp olive oil
100g unsalted butter, 50g cut into roughly 3cm cubes and 50g melted
75g plain flour
675ml whole milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp English mustard
150g mature cheddar, roughly grated
6 sheets of good-quality filo pastry (we use feuilles de filo)
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, to serve
1 1/2tsp lemon zest, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Put the cauliflower on a large, parchment-lined baking tray and toss with the curry powder, half the oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and lightly coloured. Set aside, and turn the oven temperature down to 170°C fan.

3. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Put the cubed butter into a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes – it should start to smell nutty (like popcorn). Turn the heat down to medium and slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps, until incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Cook, whisking often, for about 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Off the heat, stir in the garlic, mustard, cheese and 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt until the cheese has melted.

4. Keep your filo sheets under a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. In a bowl, combine the melted butter and the remaining 11⁄2 tablespoons of oil and keep to one side.

5. Working one sheet at a time, brush the exposed side of the filo with the butter mixture and drape it into your prepared tin (buttered side up), pushing it down gently to fit. Continue in this way with the next filo sheet, brushing it with butter and then laying it over the bottom sheet, rotating
it slightly so the overhang drapes over the sides at a different angle. Do this with all six sheets.

6. Spoon half the béchamel into the base and top with the roasted cauliflower florets. Spoon over the remaining béchamel, then crimp up the overhang so that it creates a messy ‘scrunched-up’ border around the edges, leaving the centre of the pie exposed.

7. Brush the top of the filo border with the remaining butter mixture, then transfer the tin to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.

8. Using a tea towel to help you, carefully release the outer circle of the springform tin and return the pie to the oven for another 20–25 minutes, or until the sides are nicely coloured and everything is golden and bubbling. Leave to settle for 15 minutes.

9. Top the pie with the parsley and lemon zest and serve warm.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Za’atar Spice and Green Tahini Sauce

February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 Belinda

This is a healthy vegan side dish bursting with Middle Eastern flavor. Easy and delicious!
Allow 90 minutes roasting time

1 whole large cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon za’atar spice (or try dukkah) ( or try a mix of coriander, cumin and optional sumac)
1 cup water
1 Batch TAHINI SAUCE (go to recipe below)
Garnish with fresh herbs – parsley, dill and or mint, sprinkle with optional Aleppo chili flakes, drizzle with this the green Tahini sauce!

Preheat oven to 425F.

Trim the cauliflower – either cutting off the stem (easier) or leaving it intact, trimming and slicing the bottom so it stands up straight.

Place it in an ovenproof skillet or dutch oven. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil all over the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt and za’atar spice. Pour one cup of water into the bottom of the pan.

Cover tightly with the lid or foil and bake for 45-60 minutes- or until tender all the way to the middle, when pierced with a knife. Smaller cauliflower heads may only take 45 minutes, larger can take up to 60.

Make the Everyday Tahini Sauce! Follow the link to the recipe.

Very carefully take the lid or foil off, minding the hot steam (it will burn!). Drizzle with a little more olive oil, place back in the oven for 30 minutes, perhaps rotating halfway through. At this point it should be deeply golden, but if not, continue roasting until it is… please no pale cauliflowers here!!!

Remove from the oven and sprinkle more za’atar if you like, fresh herbs, optional Aleppo chili flakes, and either drizzle the tahini sauce over the whole thing right in the pan, or cut it up, like a cake, into wedges and serve the tahini sauce on the side.

GREEN TAHNI SAUCE

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves
3/4 cup fresh herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley, mint, dill or basil or a combo! See notes)
2–3 slices jalapeno (optional)
1/2- 1 teaspoon salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon add more to taste
½ cup tahini paste, stirred

Place all the ingredients (except the tahini paste) in a blender or food processor and blend until combined but not overly smooth. Add tahini paste. Blend until creamy, leaving some of the herbs intact.

Taste, and adjust salt, acid and heat. (Add salt, lemon, fresh chilies to taste).

If you want a “looser “sauce, add a little more water until the desired consistency.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Sticky sesame-baked cauliflower

February 1, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Anna Jones

Sticky sesame baked cauliflower, it’s crispy, sticky, sweet, salty and sour. Lovely eaten with crisp leaves and lime spiked rice.

SERVES 4

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
120g spelt flour
2 tablespoons rice flour
a clove of garlic, grated
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 large head of cauliflower (about 800g)

FOR THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon chili paste or chili sauce
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
a small thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

TO SERVE
300g brown rice
2 heads of Little Gem lettuce or 1 head of Romaine, shredded
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. To cook your rice, rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear then put it into a pan, cover with 3 times the amount of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 20–40 minutes, depending on the type of brown rice you are using.

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, 150–200ml water, grated garlic, sesame seeds and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Your batter should be like a pancake batter, thick enough to coat a piece of cauliflower and not run off. If the batter is too thick, add a drop of water until you reach that consistency.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Toss the cauliflower florets in a good pinch of salt, then drop them into the batter and stir until all the pieces are coated. Use 2 forks to transfer the battered cauliflower to the baking trays, leaving a bit of space around each floret. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan combine the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil on the stove over a medium heat. Simmer for a couple of minutes or until slightly reduced. Set aside.

When the cauliflower is golden and crisp remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Once it is cool enough to handle, transfer the par-baked cauliflower to a large bowl. Cover the cauliflower with all but 3 table- spoons of the sesame sauce. Toss to thoroughly coat the cauliflower.

Put the cauliflower back on the baking trays and back into the oven for another 10–15 minutes, or until the edges are starting to darken. Remove from the oven. Serve with the shredded lettuce and cooked rice. Finish with the remaining sauce, extra sesame seeds, and spring onions.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Cauliflower Steaks and Purée with Walnut-Caper Salsa

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 Belinda

Fabulous recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

You will have more than enough of the cauliflower purée and the salsa. Use the leftovers as a dip or swirl into vegetable soups.

Serves 2

SALSA
⅓ cup walnuts
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp drained capers, patted dry
1 Fresno chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried currants
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
1 small head of cauliflower
Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 sprigs oregano
2 3-inch strips lemon zest
Lemon wedges (for serving)

SALSA
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°.
Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.

Step 2
Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl; let cool.

Step 3
Mix in walnuts, chile, parsley, currants, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt.

Step 4
Do Ahead: Salsa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
Step 5
Remove only the toughest outer leaves from cauliflower (leave on any tender inner leaves). Trim stem to create a flat base. Resting cauliflower on stem, cut in half from top to bottom, creating two lobes with stem attached. Trim outer rounded edge of each piece to create two 1½”-thick “steaks” (the stem should hold the florets together); set steaks aside. Very coarsely chop remaining florets.

Step 6
Cook florets in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain well, then process in a food processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 Tbsp. water until smooth; season with salt. Set aside.

Step 7
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add butter and swirl until melted, then add cauliflower steaks, oregano, and lemon zest. Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown (if oregano or lemon start to burn, place on top of steaks). Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes.

Step 8
To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup cauliflower purée onto plates and place steaks on top. Spoon salsa over and sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Step 9
Do Ahead: Purée can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface, and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Grains · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Faro and Cauliflower Parmesan

October 31, 2021October 31, 2021 Belinda

This dish has all of the crispy-melty-tomatoey appeal of a chicken or eggplant Parmesan, but it uses only one pot. Olive oil provides richness, and broiling lends a cheesy crunch without the mess of breading and frying. The pizza-like flavors and mellow cauliflower make it a (potentially) kid-friendly meal. Feel free to omit the olives if that makes more sense for your family. In fact, this dish is highly customizable: Add more or less red-pepper flakes, throw in some capers or use broccoli rabe instead of cauliflower. Any salty, hard aged cheese will work in place of Parmesan, like asiago or pecorino. Leftovers are great crisped in the oven.
Recipe from the New York Times

Serves 8

FOR THE FARRO AND CAULIFLOWER:
1 ½ lbs cauliflower (about 1 small cauliflower head or 1/2 large cauliflower head), florets and tender stems cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 ¾ cups semi-pearled or pearled faro (about 12 ounces)
1 (32-oz) jar good-quality marinara sauce
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup pitted kalamata or black olives, roughly chopped (optional)
8 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
3 oz grated Parmesan (about 3/4 cup finely grated)
1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
½ tsp red-pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
Black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup panko
2 oz grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup finely grated)
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds

Heat the oven to 425 F.
In a 9-by-13-inch pan, combine the cauliflower, faro, marinara sauce, olive oil, olives (if using), garlic, Parmesan, sugar, onion powder, oregano, vinegar and red-pepper flakes.
Season with the salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Pour in 1 2/3 cups water (or chicken broth for added flavor) and stir well to combine. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Uncover the pan, stir, and continue baking uncovered until the faro is tender-chewy and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes more. (If the faro has already soaked up all the sauce and the pan is looking dry, stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water/broth, just to make sure the faro has enough liquid to become tender and saucy.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the topping: Stir together the panko, Parmesan and olive oil.
Turn on the broiler. Evenly cover the top of the faro with the panko topping. Top with the sliced mozzarella. Broil on the top rack, about 6 inches from the heat source, for 2 minutes, rotating the pan once and watching carefully for burning, until the panko topping is deeply browned and the mozzarella has melted.

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Creamy Cauliflower And Onion Gratin With Sesame Bread Crumbs

February 20, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

Another super recipe by Alison Roman from her book “Nothing Fancy” I recommend you buy it!

This gratin smothers thick slabs of tender cauliflower in a creamy sauce and lots of cheese. The bread crumb studding is optional, but a highly delicious addition.

1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 –3-pound cauliflower, leafy green parts removed
1/2 small sweet or yellow onion, very thinly sliced
6 oz Gruyère or white cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs or panko (optional)
3 tbsp white sesame seeds
1/4 cup olive oil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bring the cream, butter and garlic to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Slice the cauliflower into ½-inch-thick slabs (some of the bits will fall away and crumble into tiny florets; this is fine).

Place the smallest bits of cauliflower on the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan (I like the roundness of the pie plates and cake pans, but a 2-quart baking dish of any shape will work). Scatter with some of the onion, followed by some of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, onion, and cheese until all of it is used, ending with the cheese.

Pour the cream mixture over (leave the garlic in or remove), followed by a good sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, if using.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the cauliflower is tender and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

If using the bread crumbs: now is the time to put them to use. Combine the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a medium bowl (alternatively just use sesame seeds). Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is bubbly and golden and the cream is mostly reduced, another 15 to 20 minutes (it will look slightly runny and creamy in the oven but will set and thicken once you take it out of the oven and let it cool a few minutes).

Scatter the bread crumb mixture (alternatively, just scatter the sesame seeds) over the top and bake until those are deeply and thoroughly crispy and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Do-ahead tip

Gratin (sans bread crumbs) can be baked 2 days ahead, then kept covered and refrigerated. To reheat, place in a 400°F. oven, uncovered (adding bread crumbs, if using), until returned to its bubbling, golden state, 10 to 15 minutes

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Fusilli & roasted cauliflower with capers and pinenuts

February 13, 2021February 13, 2021 Belinda

This is a super tasty and super-easy recipe from Melissa Clarke
(You can also substitute cauliflower with Brussels sprouts or broccoli)

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tbsp drained capers
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 large garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or smashed into a paste
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
8 oz fusilli pasta
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh lemon juice, as needed

Heat the oven to 425°F.
In a bowl, toss the cauliflower and 2 tablespoons of the capers with the 1/4 cup olive oil, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet, and roast it, tossing it occasionally, until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince the remaining 1 tablespoon capers. Scrape the capers and garlic into a large bowl and add the lemon zest, butter, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and cheese if you like.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is al dente; drain.

Add the pasta, cauliflower, and pine nuts to the bowl containing the caper mixture. Squeeze in lemon juice to taste.
Season with salt and pepper, toss well, and serve.