Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad
I make broccoli salad pretty often, but sometimes like to switch it up a little by adding cauliflower. The result is a salad that has a great mixed of flavors, colors and textures. The addition of bacon also adds a wonderful smoky flavor. Certainly, feel free to omit the bacon for a vegetarian salad. With or without the bacon, this is a great salad for the warmer days ahead.
Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad
1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into bite- sized pieces
2 broccoli crowns, cut into bite- sized pieces
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. shredded cheese- I used a sharp cheddar
8- 10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup of mayo – or more according to your taste
salt and pepper to taste
Steam the cauliflower and broccoli until just tender/crisp. About 5 minutes in a microwave steamer, 6 minutes in a conventional steamer. Place in a bowl to cool down then combine with remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Serves 6-8.
Best Cauliflower Soup- Ever!
My friend Kim and I used to laugh at the covers of all the December issues of women’s magazine. They were lined up by the check-out at every grocery store. They always declared it was “The Best Christmas Issue Ever!!!” It was just something that struck us both funny.
When I made this soup, I knew it was extra good. A friend was over and I gave him a bowl to taste. He looked at me and said, wait for it…”This is the best cauliflower soup you ever made.”
I didn’t have a name for the soup yet, so I decided to call it My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup. I thought it was funny- I hope you do, too. It is also a nod to my sweet friend. Kim would have gotten the joke.
The soup lives up to its name. It has plenty of flavor, even without the toppings. With the toppings, it becomes something very special.
If you are looking for a really good and easy soup recipe- I suggest you give this one a try.
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
3 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped- about 6 cups
1 qt. chicken stock, but you could use beef or vegetable stock instead
1 qt. canned tomatoes, I had home canned, you could use a 28 oz. can of tomatoes
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 T. curry powder, I used my homemade curry powder
2 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom topping:
2 T. oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional toppings:
Green onions, sliced
Cashews, you could also use peanuts
Sesame oil
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add cauliflower and cook about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. While soup is cooking, make mushroom topping. Heat oil in medium skillet and cook onion until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are almost caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add parsley and cook a few more minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Once soup veggies are tender, puree until smooth. To serve soup, ladle some hot soup into a bowl. Top with some of the mushrooms and add a few green onions, cashews and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serves 6.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
Long before cauliflower became trendy, I was a fan. I love it steamed, served with a little butter and salt or pan fried and mixed with garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese. I have enjoyed cauliflower in any number of salads as well.
I picked up a huge cauliflower from a local produce market. I decided to turn it into a salad. I was not disappointed.
Here is the recipe I made with a head of cauliflower.
I used curry powder- I make my own- but you can use a store bought one. The recipe for curry powder is at the end of the recipe. I also added some green onions and peanuts for crunch. It came out quite nice.
I have used curry powder in hot cauliflower dishes before, but the salad was a pleasant change of pace.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cooked
½ c. chopped green onions
¾ c. mayo – or less or more depending in the size of the head of cauliflower
1 T. curry powder- or to taste
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. peanuts
First break the cauliflower into florets. Cook the cauliflower any way you like. I steamed mine for about 5 minutes. You could roast it, or sauté it in a little oil. You want it tender, but still a little crisp. Don’t cook it to mush. I would also advise against boiling it, as it gets too wet. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let it cool down before proceeding. Combine the cauliflower with the green onions, the mayo and seasonings. It was hard to be exact because your head of cauliflower might be bigger or smaller than mine. I could have said 5 cups of cooked cauliflower- but would that really help? Then you’d have leftover cooked cauliflower. Or perhaps not enough. So add a little more mayo, if needed, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste and the amount of cauliflower you have. Chill and toss the peanuts in closer to serving time. If you add the peanuts at the end, they stay crunchier.
Curry Powder
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground turmeric
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place.
Cauliflower Gratin
Gratin is just another way of saying cheesy cauliflower. I love cauliflower. I also love cheese. Bringing the two of them together is a classic combination.
I decided to make a cauliflower gratin for lunch today. When I started, I remembered one I had made a few weeks ago. It tasted great, but was a little too watery.
The problem is, I wanted the cauliflower to be cooked, but not cooked to mush. I just steamed it for a few minutes. It was tender, but still pretty firm. When it cooked in the cheese sauce, it cooked a little more and became more tender. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, it gave off water as it cooked and thinned the sauce too much.
I wanted to try again, with a thicker base sauce, to offset the water in the cauliflower. We were so pleased with the final dish. Creamy, cheesy and not watery at all.
I have to admit, I almost chickened out when I saw how thick the base sauce was. But, I figured if it was too thick, it would still taste good.
I forgot to measure the cauliflower before and after steaming. I had to take a good guess at how much chopped up cauliflower there was. A little more or less won’t matter that much. I had a pretty good size head of cauliflower. I guessed at 8 cups raw, but it could have been 10 cups.
So here is the recipe- I hope you give it a try.
Cauliflower Gratin
1 medium head of cauliflower, stems trimmed off and cut into bite sized pieces- you should have about 8 cups
6 T. butter
6 T. flour
1 c. half and half- you could use cream or milk, if you prefer
6-8 oz. cheese- cubed, shredded or sliced- any cheese that melts will work. I used a combination of cheddar and Muenster
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
½ c. bread crumbs
2 T. butter
Steam the cauliflower until just tender. I steamed mine in the microwave for 6 minutes. It took me two batches to steam it all. Place cauliflower in a mixing bowl and set aside. In pot, heat the butter until melted and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the half and half and cook, over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens. It is going to get REALLY thick. Don’t freak out. When the mixture cooks with the cauliflower, the cauliflower will give off more liquid which will thin out the sauce. Once the mixture gets bubbly, cook over very low heat another couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir occasionally, until the cheese has melted. You can turn the heat on if you need to for a minute or so. Trust me, be patient, the cheese will melt. Spoon the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and mix it together as best you can. Add seasonings, if you like. Place cauliflower mixture in a baking dish. I used a deep dish pie pan- and it fit, but I had to push it down a little. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until it gets all bubbly and starts to brown a little. This takes about 25-30 minutes.
Let it sit a few minutes before you try to eat it. It is really hot.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
Long before cauliflower became trendy, I was a fan. I love it steamed, served with a little butter and salt or pan fried and mixed with garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese. I have enjoyed cauliflower in any number of salads as well.
I picked up a huge cauliflower from a local produce market. I decided to turn it into a salad. I was not disappointed.
Here is the recipe I made with a head of cauliflower.
I used curry powder- I make my own- but you can use a store bought one. The recipe for curry powder is at the end of the recipe. I also added some green onions and peanuts for crunch. It came out quite nice.
I have used curry powder in hot cauliflower dishes before, but the salad was a pleasant change of pace.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cooked
½ c. chopped green onions
¾ c. mayo – or less or more depending in the size of the head of cauliflower
1 T. curry powder- or to taste
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. peanuts
First break the cauliflower into florets. Cook the cauliflower any way you like. I steamed mine for about 5 minutes. You could roast it, or sauté it in a little oil. You want it tender, but still a little crisp. Don’t cook it to mush. I would also advise against boiling it, as it gets too wet. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let it cool down before proceeding. Combine the cauliflower with the green onions, the mayo and seasonings. It was hard to be exact because your head of cauliflower might be bigger or smaller than mine. I could have said 5 cups of cooked cauliflower- but would that really help? Then you’d have leftover cooked cauliflower. Or perhaps not enough. So add a little more mayo, if needed, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste and the amount of cauliflower you have. Chill and toss the peanuts in closer to serving time. If you add the peanuts at the end, they stay crunchier.
Curry Powder
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground turmeric
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
I make broccoli salad pretty often, but sometimes like to switch it up a little by adding cauliflower. The result is a salad that has a great mixed of flavors, colors and textures. The addition of bacon also adds a wonderful smoky flavor. Certainly, feel free to omit the bacon for a vegetarian salad. With or without the bacon, this is a great salad for the warmer days ahead.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
4 c. cauliflower, broken into bite- sized pieces
2 broccoli crowns, cut into bite- sized pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. shredded cheese, optional
8- 10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2- 3/4 cup of mayo, adjust to your preference
salt and pepper to taste
Steam the cauliflower and broccoli until just tender/crisp. About 5 minutes in a microwave steamer, 6 minutes in a conventional steamer. Place in a bowl to cool down then combine with remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Serves 6-8.
Cauliflower Gratin
Gratin is just another way of saying cheesy cauliflower. I love cauliflower. I also love cheese. Bringing the two of them together is a classic combination.
I decided to make a cauliflower gratin for lunch today. When I started, I remembered one I had made a few weeks ago. It tasted great, but was a little too watery.
The problem is, I wanted the cauliflower to be cooked, but not cooked to mush. I just steamed it for a few minutes. It was tender, but still pretty firm. When it cooked in the cheese sauce, it cooked a little more and became more tender. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, it gave off water as it cooked and thinned the sauce too much.
I wanted to try again, with a thicker base sauce, to offset the water in the cauliflower. We were so pleased with the final dish. Creamy, cheesy and not watery at all.
I have to admit, I almost chickened out when I saw how thick the base sauce was. But, I figured if it was too thick, it would still taste good.
I forgot to measure the cauliflower before and after steaming. I had to take a good guess at how much chopped up cauliflower there was. A little more or less won’t matter that much. I had a pretty good size head of cauliflower. I guessed at 8 cups raw, but it could have been 10 cups.
So here is the recipe- I hope you give it a try.
Cauliflower Gratin
1 medium head of cauliflower, stems trimmed off and cut into bite sized pieces- you should have about 8 cups
6 T. butter
6 T. flour
1 c. half and half- you could use cream or milk, if you prefer
6-8 oz. cheese- cubed, shredded or sliced- any cheese that melts will work. I used a combination of cheddar and Muenster
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
½ c. bread crumbs
2 T. butter
Steam the cauliflower until just tender. I steamed mine in the microwave for 6 minutes. It took me two batches to steam it all. Place cauliflower in a mixing bowl and set aside. In pot, heat the butter until melted and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the half and half and cook, over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens. It is going to get REALLY thick. Don’t freak out. When the mixture cooks with the cauliflower, the cauliflower will give off more liquid which will thin out the sauce. Once the mixture gets bubbly, cook over very low heat another couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir occasionally, until the cheese has melted. You can turn the heat on if you need to for a minute or so. Trust me, be patient, the cheese will melt. Spoon the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and mix it together as best you can. Add seasonings, if you like. Place cauliflower mixture in a baking dish. I used a deep dish pie pan- and it fit, but I had to push it down a little. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until it gets all bubbly and starts to brown a little. This takes about 25-30 minutes.
Let it sit a few minutes before you try to eat it. It is really hot.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
Long before cauliflower became trendy, I was a fan. I love it steamed, served with a little butter and salt or pan fried and mixed with garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese. I have enjoyed cauliflower in any number of salads as well.
I picked up a huge cauliflower from a local produce market. I decided to turn it into a salad. I was not disappointed.
Here is the recipe I made with a head of cauliflower.
I used curry powder- I make my own- but you can use a store bought one. The recipe for curry powder is at the end of the recipe. I also added some green onions and peanuts for crunch. It came out quite nice.
I have used curry powder in hot cauliflower dishes before, but the salad was a pleasant change of pace.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cooked
½ c. chopped green onions
¾ c. mayo – or less or more depending in the size of the head of cauliflower
1 T. curry powder- or to taste
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. peanuts
First break the cauliflower into florets. Cook the cauliflower any way you like. I steamed mine for about 5 minutes. You could roast it, or sauté it in a little oil. You want it tender, but still a little crisp. Don’t cook it to mush. I would also advise against boiling it, as it gets too wet. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let it cool down before proceeding. Combine the cauliflower with the green onions, the mayo and seasonings. It was hard to be exact because your head of cauliflower might be bigger or smaller than mine. I could have said 5 cups of cooked cauliflower- but would that really help? Then you’d have leftover cooked cauliflower. Or perhaps not enough. So add a little more mayo, if needed, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste and the amount of cauliflower you have. Chill and toss the peanuts in closer to serving time. If you add the peanuts at the end, they stay crunchier.
Curry Powder
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground turmeric
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place.
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
My friend Kim and I used to laugh about the covers of all the December issues of women’s magazine. They always declared it was “The Best Christmas Issue Ever!!!” When I made this soup earlier today I knew it was extra good. A friend was over and I gave him a bowl to taste. He looked at me and said, wait for it…”This is the best cauliflower soup you ever made.” I didn’t have a name for the soup yet so I decided to call it My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup . The soup lives up to its name. The soup itself has plenty of flavor, even without the toppings. With the toppings it becomes something very special. If you are looking for a really good and easy soup recipe- I suggest you give this one a try.
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
3 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 qt. chicken stock, but you could use beef or vegetable stock instead
1 qt. canned tomatoes, I had home canned, you could use a 28 oz. can of tomatoes
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 T. curry powder, I used my homemade curry powder
2 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom topping:
2 T. oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional toppings:
Green onions, sliced
Cashews, you could also use peanuts
Sesame oil
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add cauliflower and cook about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. While soup is cooking make mushroom topping. Heat oil in small skillet and cook onion until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are almost caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add parsley and cook a few more minutes. Set aside until ready to use. When soup is done, puree until smooth. To serve soup ladle some hot soup into a bowl. Top with some mushroom mixture and add a few green onions, cashews and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serves 6.
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
If you are looking for a fun way to serve cauliflower you might try serving it mashed. I know people who started serving mashed cauliflower as a lower carb option for mashed potatoes, but they are good enough to make just because they taste so good. I found myself with a very large head of cauliflower and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. My friend Jonathan helped me to decide. I mentioned the cauliflower to him and he reminded me how much he likes cauliflower mash. So I made this for him.
I started by cutting up the cauliflower and boiling it until tender. I drained it and then mashed it up a little. When you do that some of the cooking water will come out. Drain it off. I then started adding all the yummy stuff. Butter, a whole stick, and 4 ounces of cream cheese. The heat of the cauliflower helped to melt the cheese. Then I added some salt and pepper and a healthy dash of hot sauce. I made it cheesier by shredding 4 ounces of sharp cheddar into the mix. As I stirred it in the cheese melted. I felt it still needed something. I added a cup of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese and added some green onions and fresh chopped parsley, too. What can I say? I tasted great.
You can serve it with or without gravy. Sometimes I put it in a casserole dish and add bread crumbs and extra butter on top and cook in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and a little brown on the top.
No matter how you finish it off, cheesy cauliflower is an easy and tasty way to serve this very versatile veggie.
