Roasted Cauliflower

 

The days of autumn are beckoning with this bright golden and seasoned spiced dish. That said, seasonings may be changed with what you have on hand and prefer; and may also change throughout the months to accommodate a more roasted seasonal palette. The cauliflower is tender however if you wish to have a more crispier texture replace half the olive oil with melted butter. Grated cheese may be added in the last 5 minutes of cooking time to give a more familiar cheesy cheerful flavour which is often associated with cauliflower.   

Roasted Cauliflower

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1 medium cauliflower, sliced into florets

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt free dry herb mix

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place the cauliflower florets and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to evenly coat. 

In another bowl combine the paprika, curry powder, onion powder, dry herb mix, salt and pepper. Whisk together. Sprinkle over the cauliflower and tomatoes and toss to coat. 

Spread the cauliflower and tomatoes evenly on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden and slightly tender crisp.  

Gochujang Cauliflower Bites

I stumbled upon this recipe and oddly enough I had most of the ingredients so I thought it would be worth a try. A different way to enjoy cauliflower with a bit of spice.  

Gochujang Cauliflower Bites

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1 cup (250ml) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250ml) water

1/3 cup (75ml) Hellmann's® Spicy Gochujang Dipping Sauce 

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets, about 8 cups

Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC) 

Whisk flour, water, Hellmann's® Spicy Gochujang Dipping Sauce and salt in a large bowl until blended.

Arrange in single layer on parchment paper lined baking sheets(s). Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Serve, if desired, with blue cheese dressing or additional dipping sauce. 

To find this recipe and other recipes using Hellmann's® click *here*

Hope the week is going well... warmer weather in the forecast today. Bring on the sunshine if only for a day or two. - JD 

Toast: The Cookbook

Toast is simple and the recent surge of mashed avocado on toast has brought toast into the limelight.   

Toast has been gracing breakfast tables for decades. So why not make toast inspired lunches, dinners and desserts all part of our regular culinary repertoire. This cookbook has 50 different ways to inspire one into doing just that. Mouthwatering photography compliment each one page recipe. Broken down into the 4 seasons, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer with approximately 13 recipes for each; this cookbook will simply revolutionize your thoughts on toast. Toast is and can be flexible, creating such plates as savoury, sweet, vegetarian, vegan, and meat laden. 

The recipes in this book offer culinary inspiration for the home cook and chef in ways of being simple and sophisticated, comforting and nourishing as well as effortless and chic. 

As the rise in the popularity of avocados, cauliflower has been flourishing as well. So even more reason to share this recipe from the cookbook. 

Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce
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1 small head cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/355ml) porter or stout beer
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, plus extra for serving
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz/170g) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Toast:
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Four 3/4 inch (2cm) thick slices rye bread
Fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)


1. Make the cauliflower: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and 2 teaspoons of salt and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, 4 - 5 minutes. Drain, then turn the cauliflower out onto a tea towel to cool.

2. Make the cheese sauce: In a saucepan used for the cauliflower, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the mustard sand cayenne. Drizzle in the beer in a slow stream, whisking constantly to ensure the mixture remains smooth. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir using a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens a bit, 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add the Cheddar, a little at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Once all of the cheese is added, remove from the heat, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Make the toast: While the sauce cools, preheat the broiler (grill) to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bread on the sheet and broil until golden brown on both sides, 1 1/2-2 minutes per side.

4. To serve, top each toast with a few cauliflower florets. Ladle a generous amount of the cheese sauce over each toast, splash with a few shakes of Worcestershire, and serve with parsley, if desired. 


Hope everyone has been keeping warm! - JD 

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

January has come and gone and lightening the culinary cuisine was in order. This substantial salad is great on it's own or as a side. It also got an honourable mention in E-town's weekly newspaper, the gastro section. 

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

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1 medium sized cauliflower, outer leaves removed, and chopped

5- 7 dried dates, chopped

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

handful of arugula 

First in an oven proof dish, that has been lightly oiled, add the pieces of cauliflower. Place in a preheated 400ºF oven and roast for about 30 minutes. Checking every 10 minutes, and drizzling with a bit of water. When done. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once the cauliflower has cooled, in a large bowl combined the cauliflower and arugula. Drizzle what ever salad dressing you wish, I made a simple oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbed dressing. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the chopped dates and the sunflower seeds on top. Serve.     

The honourable mention as mentioned. 

Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds

This side dish is the simplest thing you can rustle up even when you are foraging around the kitchen. Even if you do not have all the ingredients there are only a few which makes this recipe efficient and a breeze to create after a busy day. 



Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds
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1 medium/large cauliflower, washed and chopped into smaller florets
a bunch of fresh kale, washed and chopped into strips
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vegetable herb mix
handful of almonds
1 orange, for juice and or rind, optional

In a large frying pan add the oil and warm over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the kale. The kale will stand high in the fry pan however it will cook down. Stir to ensure that the kale does not stick and everything gets incorporated nicely. 

Once the kale has cooked down and the cauliflower is tender but still firm; sprinkle the vegetable herb mix over the cauliflower and kale mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Add  the almonds, stir and heat for a few minutes longer until the almonds are warm and sautéd well enough. Transfer to a serving dish and serve as is or add some freshly squeeze orange juice over the top or grate orange rind over the dish. 

Notes: You can always add chickpeas and or mushrooms. Use lemon juice or lemon rind instead of orange. Try using different oils. Add cheese. To make it a main meal you can always serve over cooked quinoa or brown rice. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We did! Still managing with this cold virus hope to be 100% soon. - JD 

Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Improvising in the kitchen is not a new thing when you have most of the ingredients except the two you forgot. Sometimes it is best to just go ahead and make it anyway. I mixed my own harissa powder... well something that resembled it anyways and as for the Italian parsley, that remained at the grocery shop. I did have some kale on hand however I served the salad as is and with the added sprinkle of Nigella seeds. Which my son found ironic but very fitting because it is a Nigella Lawson recipe. This dish or salad is quite flavourful and was the perfect side to our vegetarian wraps. There are leftovers to which we will enjoy with some fresh kale.    

Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

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1 small head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons regular olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, home-cooked or drained from a jar or tin

1-2 tablespoons harissa, to taste depending on the heat of the harissa

4 smallish ripe vine tomatoes, approximately 6 ounces in total

1 teaspoons se salt flakes, or kosher salt, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

2 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves

*harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste. Some ingredients may include a blend of rose petals, red peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander and caraway. 

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Trim the cauliflower and divide into small florets. Pour the oil into a large bowl, add the cinnamon and cumin seeds, and stir or whisk the spices together. Add the prepared cauliflower and toss to coat. Pour the contents of the bowl into a small oven proof pan or dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Do not wash out the bowl you've been using; as you will need it for the next step of the recipe.

Add the chickpeas to the already used large bowl and add the harissa, tasting it first to see if you want both tablespoonfuls. Again, toss to coat. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the bowl and stir to mix. When the cauliflower has had it's 15 minutes, remove the pan, quickly tip the chickpeas and tomatoes over the cauliflower, and toss to combine before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. 

When it is ready, remove from the oven and sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, then toss to combine with half of the pomegranate seeds. Divide the parsley leaves, without chopping them, toss to mix and scatter with the remaining pomegranate seeds.

To find this recipe and more Simply Nigella recipes visit Nigella Lawson by clicking *here* 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Chickpea Veggie Korma

Almost nothing compares to sautéing vegetables, their muted colours burst with vibrancy and flavour. With the added seasoning blend of a Korma that makes these veggies even more irresistible. Whether you create the sauce on your own or use a low-salt ready made one; trying different vegetables like cauliflower and kale adds superfood goodness while also adding texture and taste.  

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD 

Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

This is one of the most simplest dishes and my favourite. Super delicious and healthy. Love those oven roasted veggies.    

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

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1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into florets

bunch of Kale, chopped

8 brown mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 scallions (green onions), chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

mixed herbs or seasoning mix (I used a blend of dried crushed chili peppers, sea salt, and dehydrated lime) 

about 4 tablespoons of cold water in a glass  

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, add cold water and soak for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime wash and chop the kale, set aside. Wash and slice the mushrooms, set aside and chop the scallions and set aside. 

Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Place in a large, 9 x 13 inch oven proof baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil. Generously sprinkle with mixed herbs. Toss to coat. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes; turning every 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Sprinkling each time with about 2 tablespoons of cold water.

When the first 10 minutes are up, being careful remove the hot dish from the oven and add the chopped kale and sliced mushrooms. Lightly toss to incorporate. Do not worry if the dish is heaping, it will bake down. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven to  roast for another 10 minutes. 

Again, once those 10 minutes are up carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and add the scallions, toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven and roast for the remaining 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately as a main dish or as a side dish.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD 

Leftovers #27 ~ Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

I just knew when I posted about the Crock Pot Cauliflower and Cheese that I would be making it again soon. This time I had leftovers and decided to make a soup. I added some low sodium chicken broth, a teaspoon or two of mixed herbs and blended it until smooth. Then transferred the soup mixture into a large sauce pan and heated until warm. The soup was a substantial cheesy herbed one that was enjoyed by everyone.  

Hope everyone's weekend was a good one whether you celebrated St. Valentine's Day or not. Ours was quite a good one! - JD 

Crock Pot Cauliflower and Cheese

Still going through my cauliflower phase and this recipe is an easy way to make a delicious dish with little to no effort. I normally do not cook with cans of soup due to the salt content; however for this recipe I had all the ingredients, the can of soup and evaporated milk, and decided to give it go anyway. 

Crock Pot Cauliflower and Cheese

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1 medium/large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 small onion, finely diced

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (370ml) of evaporated milk

1 teaspoon paprika 

1-2 teaspoons Colemans mustard powder

salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Grease the inside of a 3 to 4 quart crock pot.

Place the cauliflower florets inside the crock pot.

In a large saucepan combine the diced onion, soup, evaporated milk, paprika, mustard powder, salt and pepper, and the grated cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Give a stir if you feel the need to. Then place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. It depends on how tender you would like the cauliflower to be.

Notes: I used old cheddar cheese however do not recommended using extra-old cheddar. It is acidic and may make the sauce go grainy. Also cooking on high may curdle the sauce so cooking on low is strongly recommended. You may try adding curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, crushed garlic and fresh chives. Even though I had set the slow cooker to 4 hours, I found that by 3 1/2 hours the cauliflower had the perfect tenderness for my liking. The sauce was not heavy or stodgy perhaps because I added the whole can of evaporated milk; possibly if I had added less the sauce would have been a bit more thick. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry

I really enjoyed creating this for dinner... super delicious and full of, what I call, spicy goodness. Cauliflower and chickpeas were a great way to change up one of our dinner favourites, curry. This curry sauce is easy and able to adapt to any veggies you wish to add or meat, if you are so inclined, however it was unanimous that this vegetarian version was the preferred dish hands down! 

Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry

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2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

fresh ginger, peeled and crushed

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1x 15 ounce can of coconut milk

1 x 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

4 teaspoons garam masala

Fresh chopped cilantro for a garnish

In a large stock pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for about 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Stir in the fresh cilantro. Serve with your preference of rice. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. Just think... the weekend is almost here. - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Cheese

I do not mind cheesy sauces however it always conjures up as a smothering heavy pool sitting with you well after dinner has finished. When I made this oven roasted cauliflower and broccoli, the cheese was an after thought. Rather than make a gooey cheese sauce I just grated some strong cheddar cheese. Once the vegetables were finished roasting; I sprinkled the cheese over the top and the dish was put back into the oven to let the cheese melt. Sparing a dense overindulgent sauce for something a bit more modest and light. The vegetables were tasty to begin with and the cheese added a bit more flavour which went down like a treat with the kidlets and my husband. An easy way to add a bit more flavour and comfort to an already satisfying dish. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD  

Leftovers #20 ~ Cauliflower Salad

Though the oven baked cauliflower was a hit. There were leftovers so I decided to turn this superfood dish into a super salad. The slightly chilled cauliflower was tossed with parmesan cheese, feta would be great too, and served on a bed of spinach and arugula with a nice squeeze of fresh lemon. This was the best leftover salad one could ask for. Very, very delicious and healthy. 

Hope everyone had a good long weekend. - JD 

Superfoods

Superfoods are super abundant in the culinary world. More healthy and nutritional eating seems to prevail as we all look for more ways to increase our vitamin and mineral intake while living longer lives. Fuelling the body right rather than filling it with saturated empty calories. Conscious living and healing the body with our culinary or dietary needs. A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Healthy cooking can be simple and delicious and by incorporating more superfoods we are maximizing nutritional value that offer plenty of health benefits.

The recipes in this cookbook are based around veggies, fruit, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, low fat diary, nuts and seeds. The darker, brighter and greener the fruit or veg the better. Essentially it is inspired by a Mediterranean style diet; more plant based and rich in antioxidants. This cookbook is superabundant with varied ingredients and recipes to prove that healthy cooking... and eating not only tastes great but is not complicated at all. 

Most of the recipes offer a short ingredient list which make them even more easy  to replicate at home. There are healthier versions of those infamous comfort foods we love so much. The photos definitely help in making this book a very appetizing and inspiring one. If you are looking for tastier ways to increase your veg, I recommend this book. If you want to maximize the nutritional value of your meals, I recommend this book. If you want to put forward a healthier more balance you, I recommend this book. 

For that past few weeks I have been craving cauliflower, don't know why, I just have. I bought a nice crown not sure exactly what would become of it until I was flipping through the Superfoods cookbook and stopped at this dish. The recipe I am sharing uses cauliflower. This is a very simple and easy dish and a great way to enjoy this veg. Roasted cauliflower smells and tastes so good and paired with the few simple ingredients it was a pleasant superfood that will be enjoyed many times. Oven roasted goodness!  

Cauliflower with Orange Zest & Green Onion

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Makes 4 servings 

1 head cauliflower (about 1 3/4 lb/875 g) cored and cut into uniform-sized florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

4 lemon wedges

Put the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and add cold water to cover. Let stand for 20 - 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC)

Spread the cauliflower in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast, turning every 10 minutes and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons cold water each time, until the florets are tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Pile the green onion, parsley and orange zest on a cutting board and finely chop them together. Using your fingers, toss the finished mixture on the board to distribute all the ingredients evenly. When the cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the green-onion mixture. Spoon the cauliflower into a warmed serving dish and garnish with the lemon wedges. Server right away. 

Have a good long weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Cheesy Macaroni with Broccoli and Cauliflower

The kidlets have ate cheesy macaroni with broccoli before however adding cauliflower brought this to a whole other level for them. I wasn't quite sure how much of a warm reception the cauliflower would receive. Regardless, adding more vegetables is a plus and can make any classic that much more healthy. The only thing that would make this even more delicious is... more cheese! 

- JD