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| Image by Harald Marten at Pixabay |
How to prepare it
Let’s start with some simple ideas. Adding small florets or pieces to a salad it gives a wonderful crunch component that does not overpower the rest of the mix. Making it a part of a crudites puts a splash of white in the presentation to contrast with the orange of the carrots, the green of the celery and a great way to highlight the flavors of the dressing or dip you are serving with it.
If you are looking for a simple side to go with dinner, roasted cauliflower is easy to prepare. This can be done in a couple of ways. You can cut it into steaks or into florets, depending on how much you time you want to spend preparing it and then roast or bake it. Rub on some olive oil, sprinkle with a little minced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place it in on a baking sheet and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes. Then check for tenderness. Once it is tender enough, pull it out of the oven and serve. You can also grill it this way, but I would rub the garlic on the cauliflower rather than mincing and sprinkling it on.
I often use riced, cauliflower as a substitute when I make a fried rice or Southeast Asian curry: it’s also great as a part of red or panang curry with asparagus and shrimp which I will share with you the next time I make it. It is also found in Indian cuisine. My personal favorite is a simple dish with tomatoes, onions, and curry spices braised for about ½ an hour.
I have substituted it for mashed potatoes, but I am still experimenting with the recipe. What I made was tasty and a lot less carbs than potatoes but would not really satiate the yearning for mashed potatoes. Stay tuned, I will share or recommend a suitable recipe once I find or create one that fits the bill.
1. Rinse the cauliflower and dry it as much as possible.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets or smaller.
3. Put the cauliflower pieces into a food processor in batches.
4. Pulse the food processor enough times to reduce the cauliflower to pieces approximately the size of a grain of rice.
5. Mince 3 or 4 cloves of garlic.
6. Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into a 12-inch frying pan on a medium low heat.
7. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
8. Add the cauliflower, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and sauté for 5 minutes.
9. Reduce the heat to low, add ¼ cup of water, cover the pan and allow it to steam for 5 minutes or until tender for rice. If for mashed potatoes allow it to steam for 10 minutes before checking tenderness, it should all be soft, a little crunch for rice works but not for mashed potatoes.
10. Uncover the pan, stir occasionally, allowing all the juices to evaporate: the drier the better.
If you want a rich, somewhat sexy dish, cauliflower au gratin is terrific. It’s cheesy, crunchy and has a nuttiness that you won’t find in potatoes. Personally, I would stay away from any recipe that uses the microwave in any step as it will not create the same character as you get from cooking in the oven or on the stove. I also recommend choosing a recipe that uses Bechamel Sauce. You use a variety of cheeses in the sauce to please your palette.
I hope I have piqued your interest cauliflower and have inspired you to give it a place at your table, particularly during this time of cooler weather. It is a thrifty and healthy addition to your repertoire and tastes surprisingly good too. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions you have. I look forward to sharing my next installment with you.
In the meantime, I want to wish everyone joy and happiness for the Holiday season and throughout the year!
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| Image by Traniwen at Pixabay |
If you are looking for a simple side to go with dinner, roasted cauliflower is easy to prepare. This can be done in a couple of ways. You can cut it into steaks or into florets, depending on how much you time you want to spend preparing it and then roast or bake it. Rub on some olive oil, sprinkle with a little minced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place it in on a baking sheet and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes. Then check for tenderness. Once it is tender enough, pull it out of the oven and serve. You can also grill it this way, but I would rub the garlic on the cauliflower rather than mincing and sprinkling it on.
I often use riced, cauliflower as a substitute when I make a fried rice or Southeast Asian curry: it’s also great as a part of red or panang curry with asparagus and shrimp which I will share with you the next time I make it. It is also found in Indian cuisine. My personal favorite is a simple dish with tomatoes, onions, and curry spices braised for about ½ an hour.
 |
| Image by Kristen Reimer at Pixabay |
I have substituted it for mashed potatoes, but I am still experimenting with the recipe. What I made was tasty and a lot less carbs than potatoes but would not really satiate the yearning for mashed potatoes. Stay tuned, I will share or recommend a suitable recipe once I find or create one that fits the bill.
Basic preparation for riced or mashed potato substitution
The basic the basic steps are as follows:
1. Rinse the cauliflower and dry it as much as possible.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets or smaller.
3. Put the cauliflower pieces into a food processor in batches.
4. Pulse the food processor enough times to reduce the cauliflower to pieces approximately the size of a grain of rice.
5. Mince 3 or 4 cloves of garlic.
6. Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into a 12-inch frying pan on a medium low heat.
7. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
8. Add the cauliflower, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and sauté for 5 minutes.
9. Reduce the heat to low, add ¼ cup of water, cover the pan and allow it to steam for 5 minutes or until tender for rice. If for mashed potatoes allow it to steam for 10 minutes before checking tenderness, it should all be soft, a little crunch for rice works but not for mashed potatoes.
10. Uncover the pan, stir occasionally, allowing all the juices to evaporate: the drier the better.
If you want a rich, somewhat sexy dish, cauliflower au gratin is terrific. It’s cheesy, crunchy and has a nuttiness that you won’t find in potatoes. Personally, I would stay away from any recipe that uses the microwave in any step as it will not create the same character as you get from cooking in the oven or on the stove. I also recommend choosing a recipe that uses Bechamel Sauce. You use a variety of cheeses in the sauce to please your palette.
I hope I have piqued your interest cauliflower and have inspired you to give it a place at your table, particularly during this time of cooler weather. It is a thrifty and healthy addition to your repertoire and tastes surprisingly good too. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions you have. I look forward to sharing my next installment with you.
In the meantime, I want to wish everyone joy and happiness for the Holiday season and throughout the year!
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