Roasted Cauliflower

If you want to entice your children to eat their veggies, then you can't find much of a better option than caramelized roasted cauliflower. My daughter could eat most of a head of cauliflower all by herself. It is that good. And you're going to want to try this. There is so much flavor in this cauliflower, and the caramelization just puts it over the top.

Cauliflower
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprkia
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees if cooking the cauliflower by itself. You can also use whatever temperature the rest of your dishes use and adjust the cook time accordingly. Cut off the green and stalk of the cauliflower, and then cut the cauliflower into florets.

Lightly coat the cauliflower with olive oil.

Evenly sprinkle the spices over the cauliflower, and then use your hands to toss it and ensure the spices are covering each piece.

Place the cauliflower in a foil-lined dish, and bake until caramelized until your liking. I prefer much darker caramelized pieces; my husband likes his much lighter. Start checking it about 30 minutes and pull it to your taste.

Fried Cauliflower

I don't set the best example of a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. I'm a picky eater, and there's only a handful of either fruits or vegetables that I'm willing to eat. Because of this, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to prepare those items that I am willing to eat. Enter Dr. Ola's Kitchen's Extra Crispy Fried Cauliflower. This recipe was rather tasty and fairly simple to prepare. I do believe I will add more salt and pepper and I'm going to have to think of an herb or spice to add to it the next time I make it.

1 medium sized Cauliflower
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Salt and pepper according to taste (or use your favorite spices)
Oil for deep frying

Cut up cauliflower into florets, and cook them in water for five minutes; drain well.

Combine cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in one bowl and mix well. Batter should be slightly thin, but not runny.

Place breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip each piece of cauliflower first into the batter and coat complete and then into the breadcrumbs ensuring all sides are covered.

Cook in hot oil until golden brown. Serve!

Baked Cauliflower

Some vegetables I like without any adornment... raw carrots, raw squash, raw cucumbers, boiled corn without butter or additional salt, perfectly steamed broccoli. Some vegetables, I probably won't be eating at all unless it's adorned very well. Peas... not going to happen. I cook with them in casseroles and such, but I'm not eating a spoonful. Cauliflower, I'm more apathetic about. I don't like it raw, but it has to be steamed just right for me to like it. This is an easy way to get in a good serving of cauliflower, and not really even acknowledge that you're eating it. It's a recipe my mother's been making for years, but all I have is a hand-written recipe, and of course I've tweaked it a little since I've been making it.

Head of cauliflower
butter (about 4 Tbsps or so)
Flour (about 3-4 Tbsps)
Milk
Italian-style breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Cut off the green stalk and boil the cauliflower until fork tender. Pour out water, and let cauliflower cool. I use a colander.

Once cooled, break into bite-size pieces and place in casserole dish. I use an 8X8 glass dish. Start the sauce, which is really just a white gravy. In skillet, melt butter, and then whisk in flour to create a roux. 

Add a little milk and continue to whisk; add a little more and keep whisking. Adding a little at a time helps you keep the gravy smooth.

Bring it to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer. It will thicken as you stir it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over cauliflower.

Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs across top. Add a few evenly spaced very small pats of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown.

Cauliflower Soup

I love cream soups - cream of leek, cauliflower soup, cream of asparagus. It's a great way to get some vegetables in your diet, and they make for an enjoyable light dinner. This recipe was passed to me from my mom. I think she got it from our German friends who used to own a cafe, but I'm not positive. Here it is.

Cut off the base and greenery from your head of cauliflower. If it's too big for your pot, you can cut it in half. Cover with water and boil until the cauliflower is fork tender. Remove from heat and remove cauliflower to cool, but keep the water stock. Once the cauliflower is cool, cut it up to your desired size. My mom always kept the florets rather large. I mangle mine into bite-size pieces.

Then we make the base of the soup next. Mom's recipe only calls for about 2-3 Tbsp of butter and flour, but I used a whole lot more - probably 1/2 to 1 cup of butter. Melt it in the soup pot. Add enough flour to create a roux. Add some of the water stock, about a cup or two, and whisk until smooth, and then add enough of the stock to fill about half the pot.

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. If it's not thick enough, and it probably won't be, pull a cup or so of the liquid and put in a bowl or cup. Add flour until thick and then slowly add the mixture back to the soup pot. Whisk well to ensure a smooth consistency. Do this however many times you need until the soup begins to thicken to the consistency you want. Once complete, add the cauliflower, and be sure not to boil the soup again.

Right before serving the soup, mix one small container of heavy whipping cream and one egg yolk, and add to the soup and mix well. 

You will probably want to add some salt and pepper to the soup while it's still in the pot. It's only cauliflower, water, flour and butter, so it can be pretty bland by itself. I use Maggi seasoning in my bowl of soup and I love it. This soup really hits the spot, and it's pretty inexpensive to make.