Cauliflower soup, with Red Pepper and Potato

Cheap cauliflower and cabbage from the Coop resulted in this wonderful soup. The cauliflower was cooked first, after it was stripped of its leaves. Thirty minutes all told. Then it was diced with a sharp knife in the pot. Then I added the diced red pepper and potato, plus the chopped green cabbage.

Simmered for twenty minutes. Mash if you prefer. I added vegetable stock and  black pepper. Simple and fabulous!

 

Cauliflower, Swede and Carrot Soup

One half of a head of cauliflower chopped into florets, half a peeled swede cut into thin strips, one large carrot cut into chunks, and eight diced cherry tomatoes.

The cauliflower florets, the swede and the carrots were stir-fried in sunflower oil for ten minutes at a medium to high heat, stirring frequently.

The diced tomato was added, along with around a pint of boiling water. The heat was turned down low, and the pot was lidded. Simmered for forty-five minutes.

After that, the contents of the pot were mashed for about thirty seconds (I wanted this soup to be chunky). I added the vegetable stock and two pinches of Tarragon. Simmered again for twenty minutes before serving. Great flavour!

Cauliflower Cheese Tray Bake

Cauliflower florets in a cheddar cheese sauce made with cornmeal.

The cornmeal, milk and cheese sauce was made first.

The chopped baby plum tomatoes, carrot, garden peas (from the pod), diced mushrooms were added to the cauliflower florets in a non-stick oven proof dish. The bubbling cheese sauce (100g of cheese) was poured over the top of the vegetables.

A further 150g of cheddar was grated over the top of the dish, spread as evenly as possible.

The oven was preheated to 190 deg C (about 25 minutes to wait) and the dish was placed on the middle shelf. Cook for at least 45 minutes, and judge by eye when it is ready.

Serve dressed with freshly ground black pepper. Delicious!

Cauliflower Cheese

A gorgeous dish of cauliflower cheese, with red and white onion, tomato, cornmeal, and cheddar cheese.

I cooked the cauliflower and the diced onion first, for about fifteen minutes, in a pan of water brought to the boil, and then turned down to a simmer. A little turmeric was added, turning the cauliflower yellow.

I mixed three dessert spoonfuls of cornmeal into about 200mls of milk and stirred until thoroughly mixed.

The mixture was added to the pan containing the vegetables.and stirred in for two minutes, until the sauce began to thicken. The cheddar, thinly sliced (about 150g), was stirred into the sauce until entirely melted.

I shredded a salad tomato, and stirred it in. Also added some vegetable stock. Left to simmer on the hob at the lowest heat under glass.

After twenty minutes I decanted the contents of the pan into a medium sized casserole dish. About 150g of cheddar was finely grated, and spread over the top, pinch by pinch. Then the casserole dish was placed in an oven preheated to 190 deg C, on the middle shelf. Cooked for an hour uncovered. Check every fifteen minutes to see how it is doing.

Macaroni Cheese with Cauliflower, Parsnips and Tomato

My own variation on Macaroni cheese. Made with chopped cauliflower, parsnip and onion, boiled and drained. Two thinly sliced salad tomatoes, a teaspoonful of paprika, white pepper, a dessert spoonful of cornmeal, blue Stilton cheese (100g), and Cheddar cheese (150g). And two handfuls of dried macaroni.

Unlike most recipes for Macaroni cheese, this one does not involve any milk (though you can add some if you like).

Boil and drain the vegetables. Make a sauce with the cornmeal and some water (about 200 mls - beat until there are no lumps in the mixture). Boil until the sauce thickens, then add the crumbled blue Stilton cheese, and some white pepper. Stir frequently until all the cheese has dissolved, and allow to cool. Boil the macaroni for ten minutes, drain, and allow to cool also.

 Mix together in a pyrex bowl (the dish is going into the oven at around 190 deg. C) the vegetables, the macaroni, and the cheese sauce. Slice the tomato, and grate the cheddar cheese. Lay the tomato slices over the top until the surface is covered completely.  Mix in the teaspoonful of paprika with the grated cheddar. Spoon the cheese and paprika mixture over the top of the layer of tomato, until it is completely covered.

Put the bowl (uncovered) into a preheated oven at 190 deg. C, and cook for one hour, until the cheese is melted and beautifully browned. Serve with a large spoon. Fabulous dish!

Pasta Bake with Cauliflower and Tomato

Cut off the leaves from a whole head of cauliflower. Cut the florets into smaller chunks, and place in a pyrex (ovenproof) bowl. Shred two salad tomatoes, and add to the bowl.

Cook penne pasta in a separate pan for 8 or 9 minutes, and drain.

Preheat the oven to around 190 or 200 deg. C.

Make a white cheese sauce with cornflour, milk, Greek yoghurt, and a little water. Add 150 grams of medium strength cheddar cheese, thinly sliced. Stir frequently at a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Add half a teaspoonful of white pepper.

Grate about 75 grams of the cheddar. Add the cheese sauce to the cauliflower and tomato, and also add the pasta. Stir together with some vegetable stock. Dress the surface of the dish evenly with the grated cheddar.

Put the bowl on a shelf in the middle of the oven, and cook for at least 45 minutes. Watch the contents carefully, and don't allow the grated cheese to overcook. Turn the heat down if necessary, and extend the cooking time (not necessary in this example).

A very satisfying dish. It takes about thirty minutes to prepare, apart from the cooking time, but it is well worth it for the result!

Cauliflower in a Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Half a head of a medium sized Cauliflower, steamed for twenty to twenty five minutes until tender.

The cheese sauce was made with cornflour and water, with 150g of finely sliced pieces of mature cheddar cheese. Bring the cornflour and water mixture to the boil until it begins to thicken. Turn down the heat. Add the cheddar pieces and stir in thoroughly. Stir more or less continuously to prevent sticking or burning, until most of the cheddar cheese has dissolved. Add some turmeric. Add coriander leaf to the sauce. Ready in around fifteen to twenty minutes.

Serve with a dressing of freshly ground black pepper. Simple, nutritious and delicious!

Cauliflower and Cumin Soup with Cream

I made a delicious cauliflower cheese with one half, and decided to make a soup with the other.

The cauliflower was steamed, which means it is more likely to keep its integrity during cooking. This soup was always going to be blended however, so boiling in water is fine.

The other ingredients are: one carrot, a medium onion, green lentils (one handful), vegetable and chicken stock, one deseeded green chilli, coriander leaf, a teaspoonful of cumin powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds, plus a quarter teaspoonful of turmeric, and a dash of white pepper.

boil the vegetables for half an hour, and then mash. Add the stock. Cook for another half an hour, and then blitz the contents of the pot with a hand blender for two minutes. Serve the soup with two dessert spoonfuls of single cream in a swirl. Delicious!

Cauliflower and Brocolli Florets in a Cheddar Cheese Sauce

A 400g bargain tray of cauliflower and brocolli florets at Morrison's yesterday, for 19 pence instead of £1.76, inspired this variation on cauliflower cheese. Easy to make, nutritious, and a pleasure to eat. 

The florets were steamed gently for twenty minutes. The sauce was made with standard fresh milk and two teaspoons of cornflour, and 100g of coloured mild cheddar cheese. The milk and the water were added to a measuring jug (about 300mls) containing the cornflour, and stirred together thoroughly. Then the mixture was decanted into a small saucepan. The cheese was cut into thin squares, and gradually added to the saucepan as the sauce began to thicken, stirring continuously. The heat was reduced to the minimum, and I continued to stir for five minutes until all of the cheese had dissolved into the sauce. Then I removed the pan from the heat. 

Decant the florets from the steamer onto a serving plate, and spoon the sauce over them. Dress with freshly ground black pepper. Delicious! Serves two. 

Cauliflower and Brocolli Florets in a Cheddar Cheese Sauce