I know, it's a failing.
There are two vegetables that I simply cannot get on board with: cauliflower and beets. You've never seen a beet recipe on this blog because I have only made one recipe with them in my life. To my palate, they have a kind of vinegar aftertaste that I just can't handle.
My dislike of cauliflower is slightly weirder. I think it looks like a brain.
This is not the only reason I don't eat it. It's very crunchy and somewhat bitter and there's something about that particular combination that I don't care for. But add to it that I feel like I'm munching on tiny brains -- well, you can see why I might avoid it.
But, as a grown human being and someone who loves cooking, I feel committed to trying things multiple times. Different preparations can make all the difference. I'm sure I'll try beets again sometime and in this recipe I gave the brain-liflower another go. It turned out very tasty.
Notes: It's been a few posts since we've done a Q.E.D meal. If your weeks are anything like mine, you need good food and you need it fast. Look no further, my friends!
The name of this recipe is not literal in that I did not use the actual hybrid vegetable broccoliflower to make it. I just used a combination of broccoli and cauliflower.
I roasted the veggies because I wanted the depth of flavor. If you really didn't want to turn your oven on, you could always just toss the veggies into the pasta water during the last few minutes of cooking time. It's no fuss and it gets you a one-pot meal. The two downsides to that method are losing the roasted flavor and losing some of the vitamin content of the veggies (water leeches some of the nutrients out of them).
Ingredients:
1 pound short cut pasta like medium-sized shells, orecchiette, or bowties
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 tablespoons of prepared pesto sauce (I used my favorite brand from the grocery store)
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions: Heat the oven to 425.
Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Put them on a baking sheet in one layer. Toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast them for 15-20 minutes until you can pierce the pieces with a fork, but they're still tender-crisp.
While the veggies are roasting, fill a stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the directions, but short cut pastas usually take between 10-12 minutes to cook.
When the pasta finishes, drain it and return it to the pot. Add in the veggies and pesto. Stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
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| BRAAAAIIINNNNNS |
Okay, so: in a food processor, shred a potato, maybe four cayennes or other hot peppers, and an inch or two of ginger. And also your bag of cauliflower, if you don't want to see brains.
ReplyDeleteDump this in a four-quart slow cooker. Add a chopped onion. Optionally add a chopped tomato. Then add a tablespoon each of your spices: salt, cumin, chopped garlic, garam masala (optional) and turmeric (maybe only a teaspoon of that), and some powdered chile, if you're a real woman.
Toss in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Or don't. Whatever.
Stir everything. Cover and cook until everyone is tender, 6 or 8 hours on low. Top with fresh cilantro. Eat as is or serve over rice.
That would be Indian cauliflower. Sometimes I make it with broccoli instead, but since you're trying to learn about how fabulous cauliflower is...
Oh and a tablesoon of coriander if you've got it.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good, but is there a way I can do it without a food processor?
ReplyDeleteSure. Dice the potato, and the cauliflower, too, if it want. I never have the patience to finely mince the cayenne or the ginger, so just do them in powdered form -- a tablespoon, maybe.
ReplyDelete