Cauliflower Two Ways

Cauliflower happens to be one of those vegetables where, when we eat it, we say "Why don't we eat this more often?! It's so good!" We love it. It tastes great raw on salads and crudite plates, and makes a great take-along snack because (unlike a banana!) it won't get smooshed in your work bag. Just chop it up, throw it in a baggie, and grab it the next morning. Yum. (Dip it in some light ranch dressing. Double yum.) Lately it's been touted as a great ingredient to chop finely and "hide" in mashed potatoes and lasagnas. Cauliflower provides a good dose of fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.

In breaking down a huge head of cauliflower the other day, it ended up being more than 10 cups of florets, perfect for two recipes. Let me know how these dishes turn out, if you try them. Enjoy!

White Cheddar Macaroni with Cauliflower and Spinach

This one works on so many "comfort" levels: cauliflower and cheese, pasta and cheese, baked cauliflower with crunchy gratin top. Mix it all together, add some greens, and you get the following delish dish.

Ingredients:
1 box White Cheddar Spirals (pasta with cheese sauce pouch; I used Annie's)
1/2 large head cauliflower, broken down into florets
4 oz. (ish) Swiss/Cheddar/Jack/cook's choice, shredded
2 to 3 Tbs. stone-ground or brown mustard
1 bag fresh spinach, washed and dried
Bread crumbs to cover the casserole (~large palmful)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring 2 qts. salted water to the boil, add entire box of pasta, cook for 3 minutes.
Add raw cauliflower to pot; cook pasta and veg until tender.
Drain, then return pasta and veg to the hot pot.
Stir in cheese packet, shredded cheese, and mustard. Season to taste.
(Cayenne pepper is optional for a hint of heat.)
Toss spinach into hot pasta mixture; spinach will start to wilt, which is exactly what you want.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Spread pasta into dish and top with bread crumbs.
(Shredded Parmesan is optional as a topper.)
Bake for 15 minutes until top turns lightly golden.

Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Quick-Stew

Cauliflower and chickpeas are firm friends from way back. This dish is a really good use for leftover rice, and it's visually appealing, with white, yellow, red, and green. This is a really good "pantry" dish---and if you use a bag of frozen cauliflower, you won't need hardly anything fresh.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 Tbs. olive oil or veg oil
1/2 large head cauliflower, broken down into florets
2 c. chicken or veg stock (~1/2 carton)
Curry powder: 2 tsp. or more, to taste
Garlic: if fresh, few cloves, diced; if jarred, few spoonfuls
Ginger: if fresh, 1 or 2 inches, grated; if powdered, 1 or 2 tsp.
1 can diced tomatoes, opened but not drained
1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
2 c. frozen peas

Directions:
Prepare white or brown rice to accompany.
Heat oil in medium or large stockpot, over medium heat, then add onion.
Season with salt and pepper to layer the flavor.
Stir onion to avoid sticking and encourage sweating.
After a few minutes, add cauliflower and broth. Cover and bring to a boil; steam-cook for 5 mins., checking often, until tender.
Add spices, stir to combine; add tomatoes and beans; return to a simmer.
Stew is nearly done at this point.
---Add more liquid if you prefer it "soupier."
---Season to taste: add more salt, pepper, curry powder, etc., to your taste.

---Add frozen peas. (There is no need to defrost peas; in fact, the splash of cold helps bring the stew down to an "eatable" temp sooner.) Serves 4 to 6.