Tag: Cauliflower

Spicy Pan-Roasted Cauliflower

On By lukephillaryhIn VeggieLeave a comment
roasted cauliflower cast iron skillet NYT Food recipe
Cauliflower with a kick

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable. Cauliflower can be steak. It can be mashed potatoes. It can even be pizza. Cauliflower rice is sneaking into recipes everywhere, turning carbohydrate laden meals into gluten-free miracles. But cauliflower is also delicious just as cauliflower. It needs no Hollywood movie before and after transformation. This recipe, courtesy of The New York Times, highlights cauliflower’s inherent sweetness and adds some kick. When cooked perfectly (which is easy to accomplish), you’ll have beautifully browned florets, tender but with a little bit of crunch. Quick and simple to make, we’ve been enjoying this recipe as a healthy weekday veggie meal. It’s also great as a sneakily addicting and seriously impressive side. Take a night to celebrate cauliflower for being cauliflower! It’s a star vegetable, all on its own.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cauliflower head
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • zest of 1 small lemon
  • 1 red fresno chile, thinly sliced (optional, for a spicy garnish)
  • extra lemon, for serving

Directions:

  1. Quarter the cauliflower and cut out the core. Cut the quarters into 1/2-inch thick slices. Chop down the larger slices so that they are all about floret size.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add cauliflower, tossing to coat in the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Continue to stir and flip the cauliflower, letting the slices brown as they cook. Watch the heat – you want to keep the cauliflower pieces sizzling but not scorching. Cook until tender and can easily be pierced with a fork, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Add crushed red pepper, garlic, rosemary, parsley, and lemon zest. Stir well to coat and cook 1 minute more. Garnish with sliced chile, if you like spice, and serve with lemon wedges.

Details: Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main. Can easily be doubled to serve more!

Savory Cauliflower Cake

On By lukephillaryhIn VeggieLeave a comment
Cauliflower Cake Ottolenghi recipe
Aesthetically impressive and delicious

A photo of this recipe graces the back cover of Ottolenghi’s Plenty More. Conclusively, it must be one of the cookbook’s greatest hits. It is certainly one of the most photogenic. With its’ complementary color schema, poppin’ purple onion rings, herb freckled surface, it’s nearly modelesque. Instagram undoubtedly crosses one’s mind when admiring this cake. And, as it turns out, of the recipes in Ottolenghi’s all veggie Plenty More this cauliflower cake is a unique, flavorful, and versatile option. Looks good and tastes good too! It is spongey from the eggs, but not at all similar to a quiche or frittata. The rosemary and parmesan add a savoriness which is balanced with a little sweetness from the fresh basil. And the cauliflower creates a wonderful texture and density.

This cake can serve as the main dish of any meal. We enjoyed a slice for dinner with a green salad and some cheese. And to avoid any stressing as Ottolenghi recipes often have a difficult twist, we simplified this recipe a little bit. You can find the original on The Kitchn.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small cauliflower, leaves removed, broken in to 1 1/4 inch florets (about 4 cups)
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled
  • 5 TBS olive oil
  • 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
  • 7 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh grated parmesan
  • salt & pepper ~ to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place cauliflower florets in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and add 1 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes, until florets are soft. You’ll want the florets to break when pressed with a spoon. Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.
  3. Cut about 1/3 of the red onion into thin round slices, each 1/4 inch thick and set aside. Coarsely chop the remainder of the onion and place it in a small pan with 5 TBS oil and rosemary. Cook for ten minutes over medium heat until soft, stirring to ensure onions don’t stick or burn. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Once cool, transfer onion to a large bowl. Add the eggs and basil, whisk well, and then add flour, baking soda, turmeric, parm, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Whisk until smooth, but be mindful. This cake does not need lots of whisking. Add cauliflower, incorporating into the batter with a wooden spoon. Try not to break up florets too much, unless you have some larger guys like we did. You don’t want cauliflower popping out too much from your cake batter.
  5. Line the base and sides of a 9 1/2 inch springform cake pan with parchment paper. Or, if you don’t have a springform pan, use a 9 inch round cake pan instead, lined with parchment paper. Make sure paper comes up the sides to easily remove the cake. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange reserved onion rings on top. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set. A knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.
  6. Remove from oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve just warm.

Details: Serves 4 to 6. Perfect for morning after leftovers.

Roasted Cauliflower + Parsnip Soup

On By lukephillaryhIn VeggieLeave a comment
Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Soup
The Soup and Spread

This soup is THICK. And delicious. Beware: without the olive oil and thyme garnish, it could be mistaken for a bowl of hummus.  If you bring leftovers to the office for lunch, don’t be surprised if a coworker tries to dip a carrot.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 TBS minced fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • salt + pepper
  • plenty of olive oil to coat veggies
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Spread cauliflower, parsnips, shallots, and garlic on a baking sheet.  Cover with oil and spices and give a good mix to evenly coat.
  3. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes, making sure to toss veggies at least once or twice.
  4. While veggies are cooking, warm stock in a soup pot over low heat.
  5. Remove veggies from oven.  Blend in batches with stock in a blender or add veggies to soup pan and blend with a hand blender.  Make sure to blend until smooth, should take 3-5 minutes.  Add more stock if necessary to thin.
  6. If in a blender, add mix back to pot.  Add heavy cream, stir into soup, and bring back to a simmer.
  7. Serve with a garnish of olive oil and fresh thyme.

Details: Serves 4 (but we’re usually only 2)

To print the recipe, click here: Roasted Cauliflower + Parsnip Soup