Meaty Monday: Whole Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Sage & Capers

What was left of the cauliflower after the photo shoot...

A lot of things changed last spring when Chuck died, and I simply lost my cooking mojo. It is coming back, bit by bit, and I think some of it has been rekindled by the lovely vegetables and meat I've found in my CSA shares. Life has a habit of going on. Luckily. On Friday afternoon, I had just finished shooting this cauliflower dish when my pal John wanders into the kitchen and says, "What's THAT???! It smells wonderful." Those pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked, but this shot of it after the two of us had a go at the cauliflower right on the platter says it all. The cauliflower is tender, but just holds together until you collapse with a fork it into the rich, toasty brown butter sauce.

Even though today is usually Meaty Monday around here, you need a few good, fast side dishes to go along with the meat. More than a few.  Especially if you eat Primal / Paleo as I do. The uninformed think it is a meat-centric diet; actually it isn't, it's mostly vegetables with moderate portions of high quality animal protein a time or two a day. I generally aim for two cups of cooked vegetables (or the equivalent raw) at each meal, including breakfast.  Just no grain, legumes or processed sugar, although I avoid any kind sugar most of the time.

There has been an absolutely beautiful cauliflower recipe circulating the 'net for the last few years with a whole roasted cauliflower and sauce. The cauliflower roasts for about 1-1/2 hours. Gorgeous, but who, on a work night, really has time to roast anything for that long? I don't.  Can't speak for you, though.  In my  CSA box this week from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative is a lovely, locally grown cauliflower, and it deserves to be shown off. This is the way to do it. The absolutely fastest way to cook a whole, intact, cauliflower is in a pressure cooker. It cooks in 6 minutes flat, and brown butter, one of those delicious but fussy sauces can be making itself in 5 minutes in your microwave with no watching on your part. And you pop the butter in the micro while the cauliflower cooks. Instant dish. Spectacular. Lick the plate good.

This really isn't a recipe. More of a technique following a list of ingredients. If you are Primal / Paleo, use pastured butter.  Set out all your ingredients, and have the sage cut and the lemon squeezed before you so much as touch the pot. This is vegetarian, Paleo, Primal, gluten free, and utterly delicious.

Please use a pressure cooker of 5 quarts or larger with a rack or basket in it and always, always, follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter.

Evidently I can still cook, but the photo skills are rusty.

Whole Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Sage & Capers 

From start to finish, this takes perhaps 15 minutes , and most of that time is hands-off, so you can multitask and make some sautéed salmon or pan-grill some steak while it is all cooking.

1  2 lb. whole cauliflower, leaves removed and stem trimmed flush
2 oz. unsalted butter
Juice from 1/2 lemon
6-8 fresh sage leaves, slivered
2T capers, drained
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Place 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Set the rack or basket inside, and set the cauliflower on the rack. Close the lid and seal according to the manufacturer's instructions. Bring to high pressure over high heat. While it heats, place the butter in a deep microwave safe bowl ( I use a 2-cup heatproof glass measuring cup), and cover with waxed paper or parchment, large enough to tuck under the bowl to contain any splatters.

2. When the pressure cooker reaches high pressure, reduce the heat to maintain high pressure for 6 minutes, and cook the butter in the microwave for 4 minutes on high. If the butter isn't brown enough, give it another minute. Remove the bowl carefully from the microwave and set aside.

3. When the cauliflower has cooked for 6 minutes, release the pressure quickly, using the vent carefully (see your manufacturer's instructions for details). When the pressure is down, open the unit away from your face to keep the steam away and carefully lift the whole cauliflower out using two big cooking spoons, or a big cooking spider. Place it on a an attractive platter.

4. Stir the sage into the hot brown butter, followed by the lemon juice and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then pour over the cauliflower and serve.

Serves 2 to 4 depending on how greedy you are about brown butter.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan

I've been trying to focus on good side dishes that don't include grains, but that are still satisfying and delicious. I promise the broccoli puree, soon, but I make this often, it's so versatile, and it goes with so many foods that it bears re-posting.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan.
I'd rather have this than potatoes any day.

Some meals just cry out for mashed potatoes. Roast beef and gravy. Pork chops. Homey things. Then there are chic meals that need something UNDER the protein to prop it up. Any restaurant worth its salt will plop some potatoes, couscous or polenta under your meat or fish, and plate your entree at an appealing angle. The starch is the "glue" of the plate. You eat first with your eyes. And the meat on top looks great. The stuff underneath, well, not so much.  I have a much better choice.

Often those potatoes or grainy glop are hardly worth eating. Guess what? Cauliflower puree is creamy, unctuous, and decadent. If you put that under your chop, or along side it, you may just decide to eat it first, after just one taste. So good, that when you spoon it into a bowl. it'll be impossible not to run your finger through the swirl and taste. Pure heaven. Gluten-free, grain free, low carb and vegetarian (with vegetable stock or water), even cauliflower haters will enjoy this creamy, mildly cheesy puree.

There are still nice cauliflowers in your local farm market, but if you are pressed for time, two 1-lb. bags of frozen cauliflower will work, too. We had a cross between the two: the last home-frozen cauliflower from last year's garden. Especially appreciated since the critters ate all but two of my cauliflower plants this year. It was really lovely beside our grilled pork chops and some fresh, steamed haricots verts.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan
3-6 servings

2 lb. of fresh or frozen cauliflower, cut into florets
1-1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
3T unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
1/4  homemade crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper
Minced chives or parsley to garnish

Place the cauliflower in a medium covered saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the stock as even in a covered pan, it may be mostly gone towards the end of the cooking time. There should be just a few tablespoons of liquid left in the pan; if not, add a bit of water.

Spoon the cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, keeping the cooking liquid aside to use if needed. Puree until smooth, adding as little liquid as possible. Add the butter, cheese, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree again and scrape down the bowl. Serve hot. Garnish with chives or parsley if serving in a bowl instead of individual portions.

Spinach, Cauliflower & Bell Pepper Bake, Revisited

This was posted a while back during vacation season...and I just made it again. It was late Summer and  this was a side dish to my husband's grilled (burnt) offering. I was even lamenting the slim pickings in my vegetable garden at the time. Well, I really had nothing to complain about. Because now it is late Winter, and the vegetable garden, is brown and full of dead leaves and other winter debris that has collected inside the fence over the last few cold, dark months. The cauliflower, peppers and spinach are easily available, and good at this time of year, and this does make a great (ova-lacto) vegetarian, gluten free meal for a wet chilly windy night like this one. just too good to relegate to summer only.  With a nice piece of bread or a gluten free roll, a glass of white wine and some fruit  for dessert...and you can sit back and pretend you picked it all in your yard, even if the snow is flying.

Spinach, Cauliflower & Bell Pepper Bake

From last Summer:

Now that we've joined the Big Green Egg cult, I haven't cooked a single piece of meat in the house, unless you count a pan or two of bacon. While I used to be the BBQ Girl around here, regularly loading and running a smoker full of apple logs and briskets while my disinterested DH watched baseball, I am now Kitchen Girl. The Egg has kindled a new interest in outdoor cooking in him and I am relegated to the side dishes. For the moment...I'll be back out there as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, though, it has given me a man-free kitchen to whomp up something to go with the manly burnt offerings (actually he hasn't burned anything, but it sounds good). And when you cook the meat outdoors, there is no roasting pan to wash. So it's all good and I pretty much love our Egg as much as he does, maybe more, since I've wanted one far longer. But I digress...

Remember I was whining about  the slim pickings in the garden last Friday? Well, it still is producing a little of this and that. All good.  Some shallots dug a few weeks ago, garlic, and bell peppers. And I got a very small cauliflower at the farmers market on Friday which, when you are aiming for low- carb, is a godsend. It made the base for a good cheesy dish that's somewhere between a casserole and a crustless quiche. You can add or subtract whatever you don't like here, but the eggs and sour cream proportions need to stay constant, or, well, you have an entirely different dish...possibly not bad, but different.

Note: to grate cauliflower, just scrape it on the big holes of a box grater, or chop it medium-fine in a food processor. To cook it, I just sauté it in a bit of butter until soft. If you want to keep this dish vegetarian, either use vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, or Pickapeppa sauce which has no anchovies in it.

Homegrown peppers and shallots.

Spinach, Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake

3 cups of grated cauliflower, cooked soft
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2"
5 oz. baby spinach
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Cholula or other hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 9" square oven-to-table baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan, and add the shallot, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat until the pepper is soft and the shallot is limp. Stir in the spinach a bit at a time and cook until it just wilts. Turn off the heat and set aside in the pan to cool for a minute or two.

Infinite possibilities with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream hot sauce and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese, and the vegetable mixture from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 - 60 minutes until brown at the edges and bubbly. Good side with grilled meat or as a vegetarian main with a salad.

Serves 4-6.

From Garden to Plate: Spinach, Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake

Spinach, Cauliflower & Bell Pepper Bake

Now that we've joined the Big Green Egg cult, I haven't cooked a single piece of meat in the house, unless you count a pan or two of bacon. While I used to be the BBQ Girl around here, regularly loading and running a smoker full of apple logs and briskets while my disinterested DH watched baseball, I am now Kitchen Girl. The Egg has kindled a new interest in outdoor cooking in him and I am relegated to the side dishes. For the moment...I'll be back out there as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, though, it has given me a man-free kitchen to whomp up something to go with the manly burnt offerings (actually he hasn't burned anything, but it sounds good). And when you cook the meat outdoors, there is no roasting pan to wash. So it's all good and I pretty much love our Egg as much as he does, maybe more, since I've wanted one far longer. But I digress...

Remember I was whining about  the slim pickings in the garden last Friday? Well, it still is producing a little of this and that. All good.  Some shallots dug a few weeks ago, garlic, and bell peppers. And I got a very small cauliflower at the farmers market on Friday which, when you are aiming for low- carb, is a godsend. It made the base for a good cheesy dish that's somewhere between a casserole and a crustless quiche. You can add or subtract whatever you don't like here, but the eggs and sour cream proportions need to stay constant, or, well, you have an entirely different dish...possibly not bad, but different.

Note: to grate cauliflower, just scrape it on the big holes of a box grater, or chop it medium-fine in a food processor. To cook it, I just sauté it in a bit of butter until soft. If you want to keep this dish vegetarian, either use vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, or Pickapeppa sauce which has no anchovies in it.

Homegrown peppers and shallots.

Spinach, Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake

3 cups of grated cauliflower, cooked soft
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2"
5 oz. baby spinach
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Cholula or other hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 9" square oven-to-table baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan, and add the shallot, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat until the pepper is soft and the shallot is limp. Stir in the spinach a bit at a time and cook until it just wilts. Turn off the heat and set aside in the pan to cool for a minute or two.

Infinite possibilities with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream hot sauce and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese, and the vegetable mixture from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 -60 minutes until brown at the edges and bubbly. Good side with grilled meat or as a vegetarian main with a salad.

Serves 4-6.

Another Grainless Wonder: Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan.
I'd rather have this than potatoes any day.

Some meals just cry out for mashed potatoes. Roast beef and gravy. Pork chops. Homey things. Then there are chic meals that need something UNDER the protein to prop it up. Any restaurant worth its salt will plop some potatoes, couscous or polenta under your meat or fish, and plate your entree at an appealing angle. The starch is the "glue" of the plate. You eat first with your eyes. And the meat on top looks great. The stuff underneath, well, not so much.  I have a much better choice.

Often those potatoes or grainy glop are hardly worth eating. Guess what? Cauliflower puree is creamy, unctuous, and decadent. If you put that under your chop, or along side it, you may just decide to eat it first, after just one taste. So good, that when you spoon it into a bowl. it'll be impossible not to run your finger through the swirl and taste. Pure heaven. Gluten-free, grain free, low carb and vegetarian (with vegetable stock or water), even cauliflower haters will enjoy this creamy, mildly cheesy puree.

There are still nice cauliflowers in your local farm market, but if you are pressed for time, two 1-lb. bags of frozen cauliflower will work, too. We had a cross between the two: the last home-frozen cauliflower from last year's garden. Especially appreciated since the critters ate all but two of my cauliflower plants this year. It was really lovely beside our grilled pork chops and some fresh, steamed haricots verts.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan
3-6 servings

2 lb. of fresh or frozen cauliflower, cut into florets
1-1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
3T unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream or homemade crème fraîche
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper
Minced chives or parsley to garnish

Place the cauliflower in a medium covered saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the stock as even in a covered pan, it may be mostly gone towards the end of the cooking time. There should be just a few tablespoons of liquid left in the pan; if not, add a bit of water.

Spoon the cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, keeping the cooking liquid aside to use if needed. Puree until smooth, adding as little liquid as possible. Add the butter, cheese, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree again and scrape down the bowl. Serve hot. Garnish with chives or parsley if serving in a bowl instead of individual portions.

Bacon from the Boot: Cauliflower with Basil Pesto, Speck & Gorgonzola

Cauliflower with Basil Pesto, Speck and Gorgonzola in my new blue dish!

Bacon and cheese, geez. It's a go-to combo in so many ways. Atop burgers or nestled inside them,   mac & cheese with bacon, even in the ubiquitous drive-thru breakfast sandwich, it raises the deliciousness factor by at least 10. Not much that isn't improved by smoked meat and cheese. I often like to use speck, which is the Italians greatest gift to us smoked meat lovers, in pasta dishes and anywhere else I can get away with it. Technically, what it is, is smoked prosciutto, but it's meatier than our regular bacon, porkier, and well, a little smokier in my estimation. You can get it sliced to order in good delis, and already diced in many good supermarkets. Sometimes I just dice it up, crisp it up in a little good olive oil, and use that as the base for a good vinaigrette. Wonderful stuff from The Boot.

Yesterday, my local Whole Foods had a terrific Friday Deal on bone-in rib steaks, and I picked up a gorgeous 3" thick 2-pounder to butterfly and grill for our dinner. Also a lovely organic cauliflower that I originally intended to puree with cheese. We've had some carb-heavy meals lately and I wanted a good, low carbs side dish. The Gorgonzola and the speck caught my eye in the fridge drawer, and I thought they would make nice partners in a rustic baked casserole. I was right. It's a little homely, but it's a great accompaniment to grilled meat, and can bake unattended while the grill does it's magic on the rest of your dinner.

Cauliflower with Basil Pesto, Speck and Gorgonzola
6 servings

1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. diced speck or smoked bacon
1/2 cup of red bell pepper in 1/2" dice
6 cups of al dente cooked cauliflower, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
3 T Basil Pesto ( I like the Basil Pesto from Stonewall Kitchen if I don't have any homemade)
4 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola Dolce
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat the olive oil is a large nonstick skillet that has a cover and add the speck. Cook on medium, about 5 minutes until the speck is starting to crisp. Add the bell pepper, raise the heat and continue to cook about 2-3 minutes longer until the pepper is starting to soften.

Adds both color AND flavor.

Add the cauliflower, give it all a big stir, and add the white wine. cover and let steam-cook about 2 minutes until most of the wine is gone. Stir in the basil pesto, mixing thoroughly. Turn the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil or a lid. Bake for about 20 minutes, then remove the cover, sprinkle the Gorgonzola over the top, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, uncovered until the cheese begins to melt.

Remove, stir gently to mix in the cheese, sprinkle the basil or parsley over the top and serve.