Pan-Roasted Cauliflower

This cauliflower is one of my new favourite things to eat. It says it serves 4 as a side dish but I can't help myself from eating at least more than half of the recipe at a time. I love finding recipes like this that are single vegetable and simple - does that make sense? Like if I have a vegetable in my fridge/pantry, I'd love to have some things to do with it aside from steaming, pan frying or roasting it. Something a little different but still really easy. And in this case, so incredibly deliciously wonderfully tasty. The combination of pine nuts (don't omit these, they're crucial!), lemon (I tried vinegar, not as good), ground mustard, salt, pepper and green onions is so perfectly balanced and interesting. I'm sure this will remain a favourite dish of mine for a long time.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Warm Vegetable Salad with Sesame-Maple Dressing
Herbed Cauliflower with Capers & Lemon
Cauliflower Gratin
Ginger Roasted Winter Vegetables

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower
Adapted from fresh 365

serves 4 as a side dish

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 large head cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
2-3 green onions, chopped

In a large sauté pan, add pine nuts over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, 5-7 minutes, until toasted. Transfer pine nuts to a serving bowl. Place pan back on heat and add cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, ground mustard and salt. Cook, 12-15 minutes, shaking or stirring every few minutes, until cauliflower is golden brown. Transfer cauliflower to the serving bowl with pine nuts. Season to taste with pepper, and top with green onions.

Herbed Cauliflower with Capers & Lemon

I was looking for something interesting to do with cauliflower (there seems to not be very many recipes out there actually, at least those where the cauliflower is not covered in cheese - which is delicious but not something I want to eat all the time) and came across this recipe in The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. The sauce is yummy but I think I'd double it next time (except for the oil). But how I liked eating this cauliflower best was making a salad with it using quinoa, feta, cranberries and walnuts. Because of the sauce on the cauliflower you don't have to add any sauce and it's yummy all mixed together!

I'm going to start posting more pictures of our awesome cat, Abby. Because, well, she's awesome, but also because I love seeing pictures of other food bloggers' pets so I want to share mine too! Not surprisingly, as a cat she really loves bags and we like to take advantage of this by carrying her around in them. (This picture is my boyfriend carrying her, well attempting to, until the bag broke.)

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cauliflower Gratin
Spinach Balls
Caribbean Roasted Vegetables
Wild Rice Almond Cherry Pilaf

Herbed Cauliflower with Capers & Lemon
Adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp drained capers, rinsed and minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
1 medium cauliflower head (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets

1. Combine the parsley, basil, capers, lemon juice, oil and salt to aste in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

2. Steam or boil the cauliflower until the florets are tender, about 7 minutes. (Ashley note: The recipe recommends boiling the cauliflower but I always prefer steaming vegetables.)

3. Drain the cauliflower and toss with the herb sauce in a large bowl. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Gratin

Looking at this picture, I'm not sure if you can even tell what it is. But it's an extremely delicious cauliflower gratin, with a very yummy cream sauce. Growing up my mom often made Alfredo sauce, which I loved, but I'd also like having Alfredo sauce when we went out to eat. The sauce in restaurants was usually different from what my mom made (both were good, usually my mom's was better) and I never realized until I made this what made it distinctly different - the nutmeg. Yes this may be so very obvious to many of you. And yes I have seen nutmeg listed in Alfredo sauce recipes but I had no idea that it contributed that certain flavour. So in conclusion, I am in love with the sauce on the cauliflower, and I've also used it on pasta.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Audrey's Deluxe Mac & Cheese
Caribbean Roasted Vegetables
Squash and Aged White Cheddar Tart with Sage and Roasted Garlic Custard
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Cauliflower Gratin
Adapted from Ina Garten, found on Smitten Kitchen

My only adaptation was to use aged white Cheddar instead of Gruyere. I'd also use more bread crumbs next time (as suggested on Smitten Kitchen). Also, make sure you drain the steamed cauliflower very well otherwise it will water down your sauce.

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated aged white Cheddar, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.