Grilled Cauliflower

I am one of those people who love cauliflower, and always have done ever since I was a child. I will eat it cooked, I will eat it raw, and I will eat it crumbled into a salad. Whatever way that you would like to serve it to me, I will happily consume it. (Unless, of course, cauliflower is used in a way in which nature did not intend. Cauliflower, for example, is not rice, nor is it pizza crust. I’m just saying.) One way that I had not tried, however, was on the grill.

After two years of sitting idle, this year I decided to clean and fire up my grill, and on days when it isn’t so blisteringly hot (UGH!), I am having a marvelous time! Yesterday I grilled a couple of burgers (beefy perfection!), and decided that I would do a cauliflower steak at the same time. There is absolutely nothing to making these, and I found it to be a wonderfully enjoyable way to eat cauliflower.

 Grilled Cauliflower
As seen on allrecipes.com

1 head cauliflower, cut into thick slices*
1 T. olive oil
1 T. brown sugar
2 t. seasoned salt

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat and spray the grate with PAM olive oil cooking spray (or the grill spray of your choice).

Sprinkle cauliflower slices on both sides with olive oil, brown sugar, and seasoned salt.

Cook cauliflower steaks on the grill until char marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a grill safe pan with a lid (I covered mine with foil), cover, and continue cooking on the grill until tender, about 20 minutes.

 

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Brussels Sprouts with Brandy Garlic Sauce

My number two son is as big of a foodie as I am, and loves to regale me with stories of various dinners out (good, bad, and often hysterical) while he’s on the road with his job. He recently had the opportunity to dine at a restaurant called The Pepper Sprout. He was describing a Brussels sprouts dish that sounded phenomenal. He located a copy of the menu online, and sent it to me. One of their small plates was Brussels sprouts; they were described like this: “Sautéed Brussels sprouts, red onions, cranberries, in a cast iron skillet with a brandy garlic sauce. Finished with toasted walnuts and blue cheese. ” Does that sound delicious, or what? They also offer a dip with spinach and “carnalized” onions. I’m not kidding. Somebody needs to proofread that menu. Or if not, I do not want to know what those onions are doing, but I digress. I decided to give recreating this dish a try (subbing on hand dried cherries for the cranberries), and was very pleased with the results. Having never tried the offering of this restaurant, I can’t tell you how authentic this is to theirs, but I can tell you that they are elegant, delicious, with a lovely presentation. 

Brussels Sprouts with Brandy Garlic Sauce

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
1/3 c. chopped red onion
¼ c. Melissa’s dried tart cherries
2 T. butter, divided
1 t. chopped garlic
2 T. brandy
2 T. water
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
½ t. beef soup base
½ c. heavy cream
2 T. chopped walnuts, toasted
1 T. Bleu cheese crumbles

Hydrate cherries in ½ cup warm water; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium/high heat. Add Brussels sprouts and onion, and sauté until sprouts are cooked through and onion is transparent, 4-5 minutes. Drain cherries, and stir into mix. Cook for one additional minute. Pour into warm serving bowl. Return pan to heat and melt 2nd tablespoon of butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add brandy, and cook until nearly evaporated. Add water, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and soup base. Cook until slightly thickened. Add heavy cream, reduce heat to medium, and cook until heated through. Pour over Brussels sprout/onion mixture, top with walnuts and bleu cheese crumbles, and serve immediately.

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Fried Green Tomatoes

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I came to realize something over the weekend when I sacrificed one of my beautiful tomatoes before it turned red in order to make fried green tomatoes. I had never eaten nor made a fried green tomato in my life, and somehow, I felt I was missing something. I have been told, by someone who loves them, that this is a wonderful recipe. Indeed, the breading is crisp and crunchy, the tomato is tender, the sauce is phenomenal (and I love to toss baked shrimp in with it and serve it over rice), and yet, the love for these is lost on me. If, unlike me, you are a fan, you might want to give these a try. Set up a dipping station, and it goes very quickly. Let me know what you think.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2 green tomatoes, cut into ¼” slices
½ c. self-rising flour
½ t. seasoned salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. buttermilk

½ c. cornmeal
½ t. dried parsley
½ t. paprika
½ t. Creole seasoning
¼ t. garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Season tomato slices with salt and pepper.

Set up a “dipping station.” In the first bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl pour in buttermilk. In the third bowl combine cornmeal, parsley, paprika, Creole seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper.

Dredge each tomato slice in the flour mixture to coat, then into the buttermilk, and finish by pressing each side of the tomato into the cornmeal mixture to coat. Place tomato slices on a baking sheet and allow to rest to absorb the flavor of the coating, 10 to 15 minutes, while you heat up the oil.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or saucepan, or, as I did, a 9-inch sauté pan. Heat to 350°F.

Gently place tomato slices into the hot oil and cook until golden brown (floating if you’re using a deep fryer), 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve with remoulade. (Recipe follows)

This recipe yields eight slices. It can be doubled to serve more. 

Spicy Remoulade
 Feel free to cut back on the cayenne to tame this tangy sauce.

½ c. mayonnaise
2 T. coarse-grained mustard
2 T. drained prepared horseradish
2 T. chopped scallions
½ t. paprika
½ t. cayenne pepper (or less)
½ t. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Bang Bang Cauliflower

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It is a real challenge, isn’t it, to walk that fine line between treating yourself and eating healthy. Sometimes it seems impossible to do both. Not so with this recipe that your entire family will enjoy. Set up a dipping station, and the process goes fairly quickly. While the cauliflower is roasting, make your Bang Bang Sauce. If there’s any sauce left over, use it for dipping vegetables, tater tots, french fries, or on a burger for Bang Bang Burgers.

Bang Bang Cauliflower

2 large eggs, beaten with 1 T. water

½ c. flour

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Separate head of cauliflower into bite-size, but large-ish florettes.

In a medium shallow bowl, combine panko with paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Coat cauliflower first in flour, then egg, and then the panko mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes, carefully turn them over, and bake 10-12 minutes more, until tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

While cauliflower is baking, make Bang Bang Sauce (recipe below).

Serve cauliflower with drizzled with Bang Bang Sauce (or as a dipping sauce on the side).

Bang Bang Sauce

½ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. sweet chili sauce

1 t. sriracha

Whisk above ingredients together in a small bowl. Will keep in the refrigerator 3-5 days.

Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Tart Cherries, and Pine Nuts

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The other day I was talking to a friend about cauliflower. Don’t ask me why. Truthfully, I have been having a lot of weird conversations with people lately. I think it has a lot to do with being stuck in. At any rate, she told me that one of her favorite recipes for cauliflower came from a book by Melissa Clark. She sent me a copy of the recipe, and it did look good. But, as I’m wont to do, I thought I could make it a little bit better. I haven’t tried the original recipe, mind you, but anytime I can swap raisins for tart cherries you’d better know that I’m going to do it. I also added a pinch of dry mustard that wasn’t in the original recipe and that gives it that little extra something that makes it ever so good.

Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Tart Cherries & Pine Nuts
Adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark

1 medium head cauliflower (about 1 ¾ lb.),

cut into bite-size pieces
2 T. olive oil
½ t. fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s pine nuts
4 T. butter
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried tart cherries
Few gratings fresh nutmeg
Pinch dry mustard
2 T. capers
2 T. chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower, oil, salt, and pepper together on a rimmed baking sheet until coated. Roast until the cauliflower is caramelized, 30 to 45 minutes, tossing it halfway through.

Meanwhile, heat a 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about five minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate.

Return skillet to medium heat and melt butter. Continue cooking and swirling the butter until it is brown and nutty, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and continue to swirl as the butter will continue to cook as it cools.

Bring one cup of water to a boil in the microwave. Add the cherries and let them soak for 5 minutes. Drain through a fine mesh sieve. Pat the cherries dry and add them to the butter along with the nutmeg and dry mustard. Stir well.

When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, toss it with the brown butter mixture, toasted pine nuts, and capers. Serve immediately topped with parsley and more salt.

Asparagus with Bacon and Hard-Boiled Eggs

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Fresh asparagus really says “spring” to me, and this is a lovely way to enjoy it. All of the components can be made ahead of time, from cooking the asparagus, to hard boiling the eggs, even making this fabulous dressing one or two days prior, so it assembles in a flash. I had it for breakfast, but if you want to have it for lunch and make it a bit heartier, consider serving it over toast points. It is crisp, fresh, tangy, and delicious. It’s a wonderful addition to a brunch buffet (consider this for Easter), a light lunch, served along with a crusty rolls (think about Mother’s Day), or makes a wonderful first course for dinner. The dressing can also be heated, and tossed with spinach, to make a wonderful wilted spinach salad. 

Asparagus with Bacon and Hard-Boiled Eggs

Adapted from Bon Appétit July 2014

2 slices bacon

1 bunch Melissa’s white asparagus, trimmed, ends peeled if thick

Kosher salt

½ Melissa’s shallot, finely chopped

3 T. sherry vinegar

1 T. pure maple syrup

1 t. whole grain mustard 

2 T. olive oil

1 T. reserved bacon drippings

Freshly ground black pepper

2 hard-boiled lg. eggs, whites and yolks separated, chopped

2 T. chopped fresh chives

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, then crumble. Reserve 1 T. of the drippings.

Meanwhile, cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes, depending upon thickness. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.

Whisk shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil until emulsified, then whisk in vegetable oil; season with salt and pepper.

Serve asparagus drizzled with vinaigrette and topped with eggs, herbs, and bacon.

Do Ahead: Vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Asparagus can be cooked 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Makes 4 side servings or 2 main dish servings.

Malt & Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

You will doubtless find many people who don’t like vegetables, but few of that group who don’t like potatoes. I mean, what’s not to like about a potato? It’s inexpensive, nutritious, and so incredibly versatile, that you can use it to make all kinds of dishes from snacks and appetizers to breakfast dishes to main dishes, breads, and even desserts.

This is an easy way to deal with the buttery deliciousness of Melissa’s Dutch Baby Yellow Potatoes. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like these, and I have served them at brunch as well as at dinner. They also make a great finger food when you’re serving nothing but snacks. They pack a lot of flavor for such a small amount of work. I used this meat mallet to flatten the potatoes and it worked very well (Don't get overzealous or you'll mash them to bits.).

 Malt & Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

1 1.5-pound bag Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Malt & Vinegar Salt*
Freshly ground pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place potatoes and kosher salt in a large saucepan of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain potatoes and place on a foil-lined sheet pan. With a potato masher, press each potato until it's about ½" thick. Be careful, or you’ll make a right mess. Toss potatoes with the olive oil, Malt & Vinegar Salt, and lots of pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the skins are crispy. Sprinkle the potatoes with bit more salt and dust with Parmesan. Roast for another 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is hot.

Serve them with sour cream, ranch dressing, chopped chives, chopped scallions, applesauce, and extra salt, and a bottle of Malt Vinegar. These are so good that it’s hard to stop eating them, so you might want to make a double or triple batch.

*I got this from Williams-Sonoma. If you don’t have one near you, you can buy Malt & Vinegar Powder and add sea salt of your own.

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If you prefer potato chips, you can make your own. See the recipe here.

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The Versatility of Shallots

I like vegetables, I always have. I remember eating broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus when I was a little kid. I still like those today and many more, but some vegetables are more versatile than others, and I tend to use those the most. You would probably be surprised to learn that one of my favorite vegetables as far as versatility, is the shallot. My shallot of choice being those of wonderful freshness and perfection from Melissa’s Produce. Today’s blog post is a salute to that humble allium (essentially a type of onion, only milder, and growing in clusters like garlic), and all of the ways in which it can be used. The only thing I have yet to try is to pickle them, but that’s ahead!

To get to each recipe, click on the name of the dish below each picture. Every one of them is delicious. You cannot go wrong with shallots.

Spinach Soufflé with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Flounder with Champagne Grapes

Warm New Potato Salad with Vinegar and Mustard

Italian Goddess Pasta Salad

Wild Mushroom Sauce

Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots

Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Korean Pears & Brandy Cream Sauce

Cosmo Salad

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups

Ham with Parsley Sauce

Mrs. Plagemann’s Savory Pickled Grapes

Mustard Seed-Crusted Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce

Mustard-Roasted Salmon with Lingonberry Sauce

Jim's Steak Diane

Beef Gravy

Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli

The Best of Both Worlds Creamy Bacon Coleslaw

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Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

I’m sure that when I say the word cauliflower it doesn’t get you very excited. Honestly, I have been a cauliflower fan for as long as I can remember, so I don't quite get your lack of glee. Largely, I eat it raw in salads, or on a crudités tray with dip. Today, testing a number of side dishes for Thanksgiving, I roasted it and tossed with a lemon parsley sauce. Oh, my! It was so good that I ate it for lunch! I actually made yummy sounds while I was eating it. This is an easy, fool-proof, delicious dish that everyone is going to enjoy, whether they are a fan of this cruciferous vegetable or not.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

From epicurious.com

1 head Melissa's cauliflower, cut into florets

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½  teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Lemon-parsley mixture can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Yep, it was that good.

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If you prefer your cauliflower in a smoother form, My Mother’s Cauliflower Soup is "soup"er good!

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This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Full Plate Thursday

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