I suspect that, for most people, the knee jerk thing to do with cauliflower is to serve it with cheese sauce. But, my very earliest childhood memory of cauliflower is fishing it out of the bottle of pickled veg before my Dad got to it. They were his favourites, too, so competition was hot!
From this, you will deduce that you can pickle it very successfully.
It can also be eaten raw, chopped up into small pieces in a salad or larger pieces to serve with a dip.
It works very well in a stew. You should pop it in fairly late, though, because it contains high levels of water and could go a bit mushy otherwise. Mind you, some people like it like that. In fact, if you cook it long enough to go fairly soft (don't destroy it!), you can mash it up with potatoes.
Served as a veg in its own right, it can be steamed or boiled (I prefer steamed, you won't be astonished to hear). If you fancy adding the cheese sauce, or even just white sauce, you go right ahead, but don't be misled into thinking that this is the only option and that cauliflower is off the menu if you've run out of milk and/or cheese.
I once ate a cream of cauliflower soup that was absolutely delicious and was astonished to discover how easy it was to make. Here's one example, but there are many others. I have also found that a cream of cauliflower-and-butternut soup works very well, and you can make it by following the cream of cauliflower recipe, and just adding some cooked butternut at the blending stage. As far as I'm concerned, butternut and cauliflower were made for each other (a bit like Forrest Gump's peas 'n keerits).
If you like a bit of bite to your food, try this cauliflower curry. Veggies may like this chickpea and cauliflower curry, which adds the protein source.
Image by Ian Britton.
I like it boiled and finely chopped, do the same with potatoes and make an omlette.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim. Björn is the omelette king in our house. I'll suggest it him next time! :o)
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love roasted cauliflower. Cut into florets. Toss with a little olive oil, salt, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (whatever you have but my favorites are basil, flat leaf parsley and oregano). Spreaad on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. The cauliflower will shrink and brown, getting almost crispy, crunchy. It is an addictive healthy snack :)
ReplyDeleteCauliflower No Cheese, as invented by my partner Andy. Break it up into largish florets. Cook the cauliflower in boiling water, about 10 mins. Drain & keep water. Meanwhile use gram flour to make a roux, slowly add the water from the cauli & cook out to make a white sauce.Add mustard to taste & cook a little longer.Put cauliflower in a baking tray & pour sauce over.Cook in medium hot oven for about 20 mins till golden on top. YUM!
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