We are now entering
that glorious time in Cornwall when the centres of operation of major
supermarkets fail to come to terms with the huge drop in customers once the
tourists have left the area. The shops are overstocked and what bargains we glean!
A few days ago my real man gleaned quite a bag full including a lovely cauli for 10p which is great but I already had a lovely cauliflower in the fridge and he was going away for a short while to visit an ailing cousin – he’s back in a few hours, yippee – so I had to cope with it on my own.
This gave me a chance to play with my food, sorry Daddy, and this
is what I came up with.
Roasted Cauliflower “Steak”
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~ Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/180C fan/gas
6.
~ Cut a slice or more of cauliflower,
crosswise and about 2cm/¾” thick.
~ Coat slice(s) with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
~ Lay in a shallow roasting tin and cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through, till just tender and prettily golden.
~ Coat slice(s) with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
~ Lay in a shallow roasting tin and cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through, till just tender and prettily golden.
It worked ...
What does one do with a roasted cauliflower slice? Well it could be a side dish or perhaps an alternative cauliflower pizza base (I often read of these but don’t fancy them; sort of cooked cauli and cheese pressed into a pizza shape). A vibrant dressing would be good on it with cauli enhancing flavours such as garlic, capers, olives or walnuts but I decided to savour it with smoked garlic, fresh sage, (I took a cutting from the enormous bunch my neighbour gave me a while ago) and Parmesan.
What does one do with a roasted cauliflower slice? Well it could be a side dish or perhaps an alternative cauliflower pizza base (I often read of these but don’t fancy them; sort of cooked cauli and cheese pressed into a pizza shape). A vibrant dressing would be good on it with cauli enhancing flavours such as garlic, capers, olives or walnuts but I decided to savour it with smoked garlic, fresh sage, (I took a cutting from the enormous bunch my neighbour gave me a while ago) and Parmesan.
Roasted cauliflower is
surprisingly delicious so whilst the oven was on I also roasted some florets
which took just about 15 minutes.
Roasted Cauliflower Curry – for 2 as the main dish
1 small cauliflower
broken into florets and roasted as above
1 large onion
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp curry paste
a squeeze of lemon juice
fresh cilantro – if possible
1 large onion
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp curry paste
a squeeze of lemon juice
fresh cilantro – if possible
~ Peel and halve the onion. Cut crosswise into
thin half moons.
~ Heat the oil in a small pan and toss the onion slices in it separating the layers.
~ Carefully cover the onions with a piece of foil (or a butter wrapper) to cover completely.
~ Turn down the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, till the onions are completely soft and maybe just starting to caramelise.
~ Stir in the curry paste and lemon juice and cook a couple of minutes more.
~ Taste and season (remembering that the roasted cauliflower is already seasoned) and spoon the spicy onions over the roasted cauliflower florets.
~ Sprinkle with chopped cilantro – if you can.
~ Heat the oil in a small pan and toss the onion slices in it separating the layers.
~ Carefully cover the onions with a piece of foil (or a butter wrapper) to cover completely.
~ Turn down the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, till the onions are completely soft and maybe just starting to caramelise.
~ Stir in the curry paste and lemon juice and cook a couple of minutes more.
~ Taste and season (remembering that the roasted cauliflower is already seasoned) and spoon the spicy onions over the roasted cauliflower florets.
~ Sprinkle with chopped cilantro – if you can.
Cauliflower Cheese Fritters
These are a
good idea which I have already written about here.
Cauliflower Soup – for 4-6
Especially good as the
weather is turning colder (I just put the heating on for the first time since
the spring). This is, of course, based
on my genius recipe for soup.
1
onion cooked as above in the curry recipe
1
tsp minced garlic
500g peeled floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper – thinly sliced
500g peeled floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper – thinly sliced
1
head cauliflower – divided into florets
500ml or more good stock
a little double cream optional
salt and pepper
500ml or more good stock
a little double cream optional
salt and pepper
~ When
the onions are almost tender add the garlic and continue cooking a little
longer.
~ Add potato, and enough stock to just cover it.
~ Bring to a boil, cover the pan, turn down the heat and cook till the potatoes are almost tender.
~ Add almost the cauliflower and cook gently till that too is tender.
~ Add potato, and enough stock to just cover it.
~ Bring to a boil, cover the pan, turn down the heat and cook till the potatoes are almost tender.
~ Add almost the cauliflower and cook gently till that too is tender.
~
Purée the soup adding more stock and cream till the soup is just the way
you like it.
~
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
A few more ideas for Cauliflower …
~ Cauliflower
Cheese, naturally – cook the cauli al dente, drain well and toss in hot cheese
sauce, sprinkle with more cheese and breadcrumbs and bake till hot, bubbling,
crisp and golden.
~ Salad
– turn freshly cooked still hot and just tender florets in a vinaigrette and chill till needed..
~ Coat just cooked florets in a batter and deep fry.
~ Reheat cooked cauliflower in a little cream together with a scraping of nutmeg which goes very well with this vegetable.
~ Sauté cooked cauliflower in a little butter together with garlic, stir in grated cheese and serve on toast. I have had enormous success (well I thought so) doing this using black garlic and St. Agur blue cheese. Oh yum!
~ Reheat cooked cauliflower in a little cream together with a scraping of nutmeg which goes very well with this vegetable.
~ Sauté cooked cauliflower in a little butter together with garlic, stir in grated cheese and serve on toast. I have had enormous success (well I thought so) doing this using black garlic and St. Agur blue cheese. Oh yum!
In Other News …
~ Despite
the cooler weather our primroses are still flowering – I’d like to know what
their plans are for the spring!
5 comments:
Gawjus! I've got a baby cauliflower that I'm just waiting for an opportunity to try marinating in goat yogurt and curry spices, then baking whole. I figure a baby cauli is probably a lunch's worth. LOL
ooh - that sounds yum, I shall probably copy. Actually if you post it we could link to each other - shall we?
Love cauliflower and this all looks too delicious! Thanks for sharing Suzy!
Hello there,
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I've noted the cauliflower steak recipes and don't find the thought very appealing, but I should be brave and try it. As you say roasted cauliflower florets are delicious. What I really like of course are your cauli cheese patties - I am incorrigible! Thanks for sharing all this with The Cool Cauliflower Recipe Collection :)
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