There’s no denying it, cauliflower is so hot right now. And that hotness hasn’t gone unnoticed with some supermarkets shelving full caulies at an exy $7 a pop.
Cauliflower, although not warranting such a hefty price tag (visit your local farmers market!), definitely deserve to be in the limelight. Not only are they tasty and good for you, they’re also extremely versatile, making the perfect side dish or ‘meaty’ component of a main meal.
You don’t need to simply boil these babies up and serve, there are lots of ways to make use of this old school staple. Check out the following 5 Awesome Ways To Cook With Cauliflower – making them the perfect addition to any family meal.
1. Puréed Cauliflower
All you need to make this heavenly puree is one small head of cauliflower, trimmed, washed and cut into small florets, 30 grams unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of salt.
To get started, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Once boiled, add the cauliflower and cook for 15 to 20minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and tender. Drain the water then return the cauliflower to the pan. Add the butter and then mash until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
For a yummy, cheesy variation, try adding 1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan after mashing and stir through.
2. Cauliflower Rice
For a perfect low-carb, gluten-free option with your stiry fry or curry, cauliflower rice is amazing. You can also make your fried rice with it!
Cut a head of cauliflower up into small florets. Pop the florets into your food processor and whizz it around until it is the consistency of rice. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok and on medium heat, stir-fry the cauliflower, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir-fry the rice until it is tender but not mushy, like perfectly cooked rice!
3. Cauliflower Steaks
Vegetarian nights are so much fun why does the meat always get to be the star? Vege meals are great on your wallet, great for your health and allow you to be super creative in the kitchen.
To make your cauliflower the hero of the dish, pre-heat your oven to 180C and line a baking tray or two with foil or baking paper. Cut one large head of cauliflower vertically into thick 1.5cm ‘steaks’.
On medium-high, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan, then add one or two cauliflower steaks to the pan, cooking on one side for 4-5mins, turning to do the same on the other side until golden. Cook the remaining steaks and when done, transfer all steaks to your prepared tray(s). Season each steak with salt and pepper and roast the caulie for 12-15 mins or until tender.
4. Cauliflower Bake
Winter is coming and nothing warms the belly like a hearty, baked side dish. Cauliflower bake is a deliciously cheesy addition to any meat dish, especially chicken.
All you need is one large head of cauliflower, broken into florets, 2 cups of milk (500ml), 4 tablespoons of plain flour, 50g of butter, 100g of cheddar cheese (more if you like it super cheesy!) and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs if you want a little crunch on top.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the caulie and cook until just tender; about 5 mins. Drain and tip it all into an ovenproof dish. Pre-heat the oven to 220C and putting the saucepan back on he heat, add and combine the flour, milk and butter. Whisk the combination quickly and as the butter melts and the milk heats up, the mixture will come to a boil and the sauce will start to thicken.
As the sauce bubbles, whisk for another 2mins and the sauce will be nice and thick. Take it off the heat and stir in ¾ of the cheesy cheddar then pour the sauce over the cauliflower in your dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the caulie and sauce followed by the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20mins until bubbling and golden.
5. Cauliflower Popcorn
This is just as fun as it sounds and so completely moorish that the kids won’t even ask for the real thing! Cauliflower popcorn can be eaten as a side dish or even just as a snack. It also works great as a healthy party snack/treat.
To get started, break one head of cauliflower into really small, popcorn sized florets and toss them in one tablespoon of olive oil, a large pinch of sweet paprika, turmeric and cinnamon (a little salt and pepper is nice too!).
Once tossed and evenly coated, spread your cauliflower popcorn evenly on a prepared baking tray and bake at 200C for 20mins. Give it a toss then bake for a further 10-15mins or until golden and crispy.
Here are other ways to spice things up with the cauliflower.
