Category Archives: Cauliflower

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Green Chiles*

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cauli Comfort food today. Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? How about lightening up that carb total a bit, and spicin’ it up at the same time?

A winner for sure.

So get up and get busy in that kitchen.

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • About 1/3-1/2 of a large head of cauliflower, broken up into fairly small flowerets.
  • 1 c elbow macaroni (or other such as small shells)
  • 1 1/2 c of milk
  • either a roux of butter and flour (1:1 ratio) generally 2 tbsp of each, or 1 tsp xantham gum.
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tsp dried mustard
  • 1 large Poblano or other chile of your choice, charred, seeded, peeled and chopped.
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-3 tbsp hot sauce of your choice
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is great)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Salt a large saucepan  of water and either place pasta in cold or bring to a boil first. It really doesn’t make any difference. Cook until about half way done and then add the cauliflower and continue cooking until macaroni is al dente and cauliflower is firm but pierceable with a knife fairly easily. Drain.
  2. Add the roux and milk, or add the milk to the empty saucepan, sprinkle the xantham gum on the surface and whisk, while heating until it gets bubbly and thickens.
  3. Cut up the cream cheese into bits and drop in and continue whisking until it has melted in.
  4. Add the mustard and salt and pepper and hot sauce.
  5. Add 2 c of cheese, cheddar.
  6. Add the pasta and cauliflower back in and stir until fully coated.
  7. Serve.

SERVES: 4

NOTES: you can add whatever chiles you wish and also vary the cheeses as you desire

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

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Mashed up Cauliflower with Cheese

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mashed cauliflower with cheddar chives 600x watermarkThis is just a great little side dish. It’s wonderful on those days that you are just potatoed out, when you have mashed and baked and fried them to death and are looking for something different.

It’s a simple recipe and requires no special ingredients (though you could probably add all kinds of spices to alter it to a specific meal).

So do consider doing something with that sad little cauliflower that sits on the shelf in the grocery story begging to be adopted by somebody.

It should be kid friendly in case that matters.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped.
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 c cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 scallion in thin, thin slices

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place the cauliflower in salted water and cook until just fork tender.
  2. Drain and return to the pot over the turned off burner to further dry.
  3. Pour the cauliflower into a food processor and add the rest of the ingredients except the scallion.
  4. Puree
  5. Adjust seasonings.
  6. Scatter the scallions across the top.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: You can do this with a potato masher for a more rustic dish. Also consider using other cheeses and perhaps nutmeg or other fresh herbs.

SOURCE: Adapted from Griffin’s Grub

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