Every working kitchen has a supply of staple vegetables that the whole family loves. If you want variety in your kitchen and more varied meals, adding cauliflower to your daily kitchen stock is the way to do it. Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetable—right up there with potatoes and onions.
This wonderful vegetable is originally from Italy, and now that it’s in your home, cauliflower will influence you to try out new meals. It can even change your eating preferences.
Here are some recipes that incorporate cauliflower in many creative ways. Maybe you will see them in the menu of one of the restaurants in Chesterton. Check them out and find your new favorite!
Vegetable Rice
Vegetable rice may be unfamiliar, and you might be cynical at first. But don’t write it off until you’ve tried it! This meal is both tasty and healthy and can be enjoyed with any viand.
Procedure:
- Chop cauliflower into florets.
- Blend to a rice-like consistency.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add chopped onion, garlic, and pepper.
- Add the cauliflower and ½ cup of parmesan cheese.
- Sauté for five to seven minutes, then serve.
Cheesy Vegetable Bake
This cheesy vegetable bake contains broccoli, cauliflower, and leek. It’s utterly delicious and has a fast preparation!
Procedure:
- Boil 250g of cauliflower and broccoli florets as well as two sliced leeks in salted water.
- Drain and place into an oven-proof dish.
(For the sauce)
- Melt 50g butter; add 50g of plain flour and 600ml of milk.
- Stir over low heat until all ingredients are combined.
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika and Italian herbs.
- Add 2 tsp of truffle or English mustard and a handful of cheddar cheese.
(Completing the meal)
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top.
- Add garlic and herb breadcrumbs.
- Grill for 10 minutes.
Veggie Burger Patties
Cauliflower burger patties are perfect for BBQ parties. You can eat these as a snack with dip or put them in burgers served with salad and tomato or hummus sauce.
Procedure:
- Slice the cauliflower vertically into 1.5-inch slices.
- Brush with olive oil and lemon.
- Place on a grill for approximately five minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spicy Vegetable Soup
This Italian-style soup features cauliflower, broccoli, onion, tomato, carrots and garlic cloves.
Ingredients:
- One cauliflower
- One broccoli
- One onion
- One tomato
- Three carrots
- Three garlic cloves
Procedure:
- Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into florets.
- Separate the two and chop the carrots and boil until soft.
- Afterward, cook the onion, garlic, half of the carrots, and the tomato in olive oil.
- Add four cups of vegetable stock into the mix.
- After a few minutes, add in the remaining carrots and half of the cauliflower and broccoli.
- Blend all the ingredients together.
- Put in the remaining florets to the soup and simmer
To achieve maximum flavor, top the soup with grated or parmesan cheese and season it with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and paprika.
Healthy Mac and Cheese
For a healthier option, this mac and cheese recipe replaces the pasta with cauliflower.
Procedure:
(For the sauce)
- Add 50g of butter to a saucepan on low heat.
- Add two cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, and two tablespoons of plain flour to thicken the sauce.
- Add 500ml of milk and whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Simmer for 20 minutes then blend.
(Completing the meal)
- Add florets from one cauliflower in a baking dish.
- Pour the sauce over, then top with 70g of cheddar cheese.
- Cover with foil.
- Let the saucepan bake at 180 degrees celsius for 45 minutes.
If you want more color and crunch, remove the foil and bake until the top is golden.
Conclusion
Cauliflower is an often underrated vegetable, but you will be amazed at the meals you can make using this vegetable. It can be roasted, boiled, grilled, fried, steamed, pickled, eaten raw—you name it! It has an unmistakable crunchy texture that can provide depth and texture to meals.
Discover more exciting food at George’s Gyros Spot! We are one of the best gyros restaurants in Chesterton, Indiana, and we offer good food with exceptional service. Order today!