10 mouthwatering cauliflower dishes to try this week
Vegan cauliflower buffalo wings. Picture: iStock
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Start your week off on a healthy note by trying out these quick and delicious cauliflower recipes which you and your family will love.
These dishes are the perfect recipes to recreate, especially if you are a fan of meatless Monday.
Roasted cauliflower and hazelnut carbonara
Roasted cauliflower and hazelnut carbonara. Picture: iStock
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon of olive oil
small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
100g of hazelnuts, roughly chopped
350g of penne
100g of parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoon of double cream
small pack of parsley, chopped
Instructions
Heat oven to 180°C. Toss the cauliflower with the oil, thyme and seasoning, and spread out on a large baking tray. Roast for 15-20 mins until starting to soften and caramelise. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the cauliflower and cook for another 5 mins until the nuts are lightly toasted and the cauliflower cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions.
Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water, then return to the pan. Take the baking tray out of the oven and add the cauliflower and hazelnuts to the pasta, then stir in the Parmesan, egg, cream, parsley and 1 tablespoon of cooking water. The heat from the pasta should be enough to just cook the egg without scrambling it. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more cooking water. Check the seasoning and serve.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break the cauliflower into florets and pulse in a food processor until fine. Line a steamer basket with a kitchen towel (not terrycloth); set in a saucepan with 2 inches simmering water. Add the cauliflower, cover and cook 5 minutes. Drain well, then wring dry in the towel to get out all the moisture. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine the cauliflower with 1/2 cup mozzarella, the parmesan, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the garlic powder and eggs. Transfer to the centre of the baking sheet and spread into a 10-inch circle to make a pizza crust. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Spread the marinara sauce on the crust; top with bell peppers and onion and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Roast the cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower florets with drizzles of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned around the edges.
In a medium bowl, toss the arugula and roasted cauliflower with a drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt. Spread onto a platter and drizzle ⅓ of the tahini sauce on top. Sprinkle on the lentils, the pickled onions, pine nuts, apricots, and olives. Drizzle with the remaining tahini dressing (or as much as you like) and top with microgreens, if using. Season to taste and serve.
Heat the grill to high and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Grill the bacon slices for 5 mins or until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper and cut into small pieces.
Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Add the cauliflower to the pasta pan for the final 8 mins, so that it is just tender, then drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water.
Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of mins. Gradually stir in the milk, mixing well between each addition. Bring to a simmer, then cook for a few mins until thickened. Season, add the mustard and half the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Tip the pasta and cauliflower back into the pan along with the reserved cooking water. Stir through the cheese sauce and bacon, then transfer the mix to a baking dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs and remaining cheese, then sprinkle over the pasta. Cook for 5 mins under the grill until browned. Serve with a salad, if you like.
2 tomatoes, sliced and seasoned with sea salt and pepper
¼ cup of fresh parsleye
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the romesco sauce
1 tomato, halved and cored
1 roasted red pepper, fresh or from a jar
¼ cup of toasted almonds
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of almond milk
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 230°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the cauliflower into ½-inch (1.27 centimetre) slabs and place onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender in the middle and golden around the edges.
To make the romesco sauce: In a blender, combine the tomato, roasted red pepper, almonds, garlic, olive oil, almond milk, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Assemble the sandwiches with the romesco sauce, salad greens, red onions, tomato slices and roasted cauliflower and a few sprigs of parsley.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a plate with paper towels.
Pull off the leaves from the base of the cauliflower and cut off the stem, but do not cut out the core. Slice the cauliflower into 1 inch (2.5cm) thick slices, aiming for about 3 nice “steaks” from the centre. The rest will break into smaller florets, and that is okay.
Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Put the eggs in another shallow bowl and panko in a third shallow bowl.
Add 1/4 inch olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Working with the larger pieces first, add the cauliflower to the flour and turn to coat. Shake off the excess, then dip in the egg to coat. Let the excess egg drip off, then coat thoroughly in the panko. Fry the cauliflower in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to the lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining smaller pieces of cauliflower (leave out any tiny crumbly pieces).
Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch (23cm by 33cm) baking dish. Arrange the fried cauliflower on top, then spoon 1 cup of the sauce on top of the cauliflower. Arrange the mozzarella over the sauce, then spoon the remaining 1/2 cup marinara over the top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake until bubbling and lightly browned in spots, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
Chilli cauliflower fritters with blue cheese dressing
Chilli cauliflower fritters with blue cheese dressing. Picture: iStock
Ingredients
300g of cauliflower, cut into small florets
100g of self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 egg
125ml of iced water
Peanut oil, to deep fry
Curly endive, to serve
For the blue cheese dressing
100g of blue cheese, crumbled
60ml of milk
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
Instructions
To make the blue cheese dressing, process the cheese, milk, oil and vinegar in a small food processor until smooth. Transfer to a jug. Season with pepper. Cover. Set aside to allow the flavours to develop.
Cook cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain well.
Whisk together the flour and chilli in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk in the egg and water. Add cauliflower. Toss to coat.
Pour enough peanut oil into a wok or large saucepan to come one-third of the way up the side. Heat oil to 160°C. When the oil is ready, a cube of bread will turn golden in 30-35 seconds. Use tongs, shaking off excess batter, to transfer pieces of cauliflower to the oil. Cook, in batches, for 3 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pieces to a tray lined with paper towel.
Arrange endive on plates. Top with the fried cauliflower and drizzle with the blue cheese dressing.
2 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 thyme sprigs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 garlic clove , crushed
750-850ml veg or chicken stock
100ml of single cream
½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Toss the cauliflower florets in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp olive oil, the cumin and the thyme. Roast for 15 mins or until golden and tender. Discard the thyme.
Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan with the onion and celery and fry over a medium heat for 10 mins or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Stir through most of the cauliflower, reserving some to top the soup with later. Add 750ml of the stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins.
Blitz the soup until smooth using a hand blender or food processor. Stir through the cream and season to taste. Add extra stock if you like your soup a little thinner. Ladle into bowls and top with the parsley, reserved cauliflower and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
2 tablespoons of grated Italian cheese, such as Parmesan
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
fresh rosemary, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Add the cauliflower and a pinch of salt to a boiling pot of water and cook until cooked through and very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and quickly dry well with paper towels. Add the hot cauliflower to a food processor with the chicken stock, cheese, olive oil, yogurt and garlic and process until smooth.
Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper and the chopped rosemary, and serve immediately.
2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
177ml of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups of shredded cheddar
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2/3 cup of sour cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Cook the bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
Put the cauliflower florets in a 3-quart casserole dish. Toss with the reserved 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the florets are soft and begin to brown, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the cream cheese and 1 cup of the Cheddar in a medium bowl until well combined. Dollop over the cauliflower, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Cheddar and bake until the cauliflower is tender when poked with a knife and the Cheddar is melted and bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Dollop the sour cream evenly over the casserole and sprinkle with the scallions and reserved bacon pieces.
