Tag Archives: cauliflower

Food, Vegan

Charred Cauliflower and Broccolini with avocado walnut sauce

8 Comments

Summer brings inspiration and love, it brings the abundance of fresh vegetables in your garden or the farmers market. Veggies like broccolini and cauliflower are so rich for your mind and soul that they need the simplest of preparation.

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So what I have here is a simple roasted and charred presentation that is a sensory gift to the taste buds. The fact that it is plant based and has plenty of protein is something wonderful. I have roasted the beets separately wrapped in a foil for 30 mins in a 375-degree oven. These stay in the fridge for multiple uses throughout the week.

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The sauce is a kicker…soaked walnuts, wasabi powder, garlic and garden herbs. This can showcase just about anything you put on a plate.

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So here goes

  • Slice I head of organic cauliflower in steaks.
  • Take a bunch of broccolini
  • Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and some olive oil
  • Mix well with your hands and lay it out on a baking tray

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Roast at 425 degrees for 20 mins. The idea is to char it and still keep it somewhat crunchy

For the sauce

  • 1 cup soaked walnuts ( 1 hr)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tsp wasabi powder
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 2 sprigs of basil
  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt

Blend together and adjust the oil and salt to taste.

Plate with roasted beets and fresh radishes.

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Linking to Fiesta Friday and to  Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons.

Food, Meat Dishes, Meat Dishes

Za’atar Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

25 Comments

We are waiting for spring on the east coast so patiently but it keeps testing our patience. The first day of spring has come and gone bringing beautiful snow with it…..cold days, blossoms annoyed to be out in this cold and leaves struggling to show their faces.. I am trying to brighten up the “almost spring” spirit with some amazing fresh ingredients and flavorful spices like Za’atar.

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Za’atar is a blend of herbs and seeds often used in the Middle Eastern cooking. I bought my Za’atar mix from a local middle eastern store but you can always make it at home and use your variations of this herb and spice blend. Typically, za’atar is a blend of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. Mine also included roasted flour.IMG_8849-1

The lemon zest is a key ingredient enhancing the flavors so beautifully so don’t skip that.

The chicken comes out tender and juicy, and you can prep this recipe a day or 2 ahead on time, keeping it in the fridge until you are ready to roast

 

IMG_8845-1The cauliflower steak is also as simple as it can be, sliced, sprinkled with the spice blend and roasted until brown. It is a delicious, healthy and gluten-free side for any occasion.

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I do tend to make and store a lot of fermented foods so served it with a side of grated Daikon radish pickle.  You can find some of my pickle recipes on my blog

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Za’atar Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A spice and lemon roasted chicken, tender and juicy accompanied by roasted cauliflower .

Credit: Food for the Soul

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • I whole chicken skin on cut up in pieces
  • 2 tablespoon Za’atar spice blend
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 tablespoon crushed fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Pink Himalayan salt – to taste
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed oil

Cauliflower:

  • 1 head of organic cauliflower
  • 1 tablespoon Za’atar
  • 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
  • Pink salt to taste

Directions

  • Make some knife incisions or cuts in the chicken pieces for the marinade to get in. Pat dry.
  • Mix all the ingredient together for the chicken and rub it in the chicken pieces thoroughly.
  • Store overnight or longer
  • Roast at 400 degrees for 45 -55 minutes until golden brown
  • Slice the cauliflower like large steak pieces
  • Sprinkle with the Zataar spice and some grapeseed oil on both sides.
  • Roast at 400 degrees for 30 mins or until browned  slightly
  • Serve beautifully

You can serve this with a salad or pickles. I have here some Diakon Pickle with fresh radishes and an arugula walnut pesto ( will post the recipe soon).

This is a fun week for another reason. There is a fab party at Angie’s Fiesta Friday and I am co-hosting with Petra. Petra’s blog has one of the most creative recipes with fresh ingredients that I have seen and so do check it out!

Food, Lunch, side dishes, Snack

Cauliflower Pizza with Asparagus, Kale and Mushrooms

16 Comments

Ok…. so this is not much of a recipe but more of the art of putting it all together…but I just had to post. Such an amazing crunch and taste that it leaves you craving for more. And it is healthy, nutritious and scrumptious. If Gluten bothers you, this is GF.

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My cauliflower pizza base is Cauliflower and Corn flour from Trader Joes or Moms Organic market. On my trip to MOMs, I brought back beautiful garlic, asparagus, fresh Kale, Jalapeño, and mushrooms.  I had some Parmesan and Halloumi in the fridge so putting this together was a breeze.

Note this is not a typical pizza smothering in tomato sauce and cheese. This one showcases the beautiful vegetables so adjust if you need more of the cheeses or add some tomato sauce.

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The Kale and chopped mushrooms need to be sautéed in chopped garlic with a pinch of salt and set aside.

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Slice or chop some Asparagus, Jalapeño, Roma tomato and set aside

Slice the cheeses.

Cook the crust according to instruction until it is firm and slightly crisp. The TJ version had me cook at 450 degrees and flip the crust to cook 12 mins on each side. That was perfect

Top the crust with veggies and cheese and put under a broiler for 3-4 mins.

Douse with some good avocado or olive oil and red chili flakes.

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Enjoy

Sharing at Fiesta Friday featuring Laurena @ Life Diet Health and Alex @ Turks Who Eat as co-hosts this week.

 

Food, side dishes

Cauliflower and Peas Curry – Matar Gobi

8 Comments

Cauliflower has become a staple in the house and is an ingredient in a variety of dishes spanning cuisines. I used riced cauliflower as a substitute for rice which has been a phenomenal adjustment of carbs in our diet.

When you combine cauliflower with a nice tomato curry you just can’t go wrong. My local Traders Joes store has made it even easier for me by selling already riced cauliflower which saves me a ton of time and the mess on my counter with grains of the vegetable flying around 🙂

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This is really easy to make and just perfect for a cold winter day. Serve with some flatbread or rice with a side of pickles.

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If you love cauliflower do check out my other recipes:

 

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Riced Cauliflower and Peas Curry - Matar Gobi

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

a savory tomato curry with peas and riced cauliflower

Credit: https://foodforthesoul00.com/ 

Ingredients

  • 1 head of Cauliflower – grated
  • 1 cup of frozen organic peas
  • 1 cup of peeled tomatoes
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch fresh ginger – grated
  • 1tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2-3 green chilies – chopped
  • 1 tsp kasoori methi
  • 2 tbsp yoghurt
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida or hing(optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of half lemon
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Mustard oil ( or oil of your choice)

Directions

  1. Puree the tomatoes in a blender
  2. You can cut the cauliflower in florets and grate them or buy a riced cauliflower bag
  3. In a large pan add 2 tbsp oil and cumin seeds, once crackling add cauliflower and cook for 3-4 mins until slightly brown. Set aside.
  4. In a pan warm up another 3 tbsp of oil, add green chilies, cloves, grated ginger, and asafoetida, and .
  5. Add pureed tomatoes and let the mixture cook for a few minutes.
  6. Add  turmeric, chilies powder and kasoori methi and let the mixture cook until the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes
  7. Add the yoghurt and mix well
  8. Add frozen peas, cook for a minute and add the cauliflower.
  9. Do not cover the pan and use a dash of water as needed. This will only take a couple of minutes
  10. Top with lemon juice and fresh cilantro.

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Taking this to Fiesta Friday with the fab  cohosts  Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

Food

Dum Gobi Paneer ( Cauliflower and Cheese)

6 Comments

Kashmiri cuisine traces back to centuries of tradition, spices and methods of cooking. While predominantly a meat centric cuisine, the vegetarian dishes hold their own and are unparalleled. History has documented well known saints of Kashmir to have been vegetarian for spiritual reasons.

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The cuisine has evolved over the centuries absorbing influences from settlements and migrations. The flavors and spices of Kashmiri cuisine include dry ginger, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and saffron to name a few.

Dum Gobi Paneer

This particular dish is my version, not very common but most people are familiar with Kashmiri Dum Aloo ( potatoes). “Dum” is a technique that is essentially slow sealed cooking. The cooking vessels can be sealed by using a flour dough between the pot and the lid and placed on hot coals which are also added on the top on the lid. Of course this can also be accomplished in the oven ( just giving you alternatives in case you want to make this while camping :)). I used a even simpler route and used a heavy cast iron pot with strong sealed lid and used low heat on my stove.

 

A little about the spices I have used.

  • Cloves: Dried flower buds that contain antiseptic properties and help in preserving food
  • Fennel Powder: Ground fennel commonly used to flavor sauces and stocks
  • Dry Ginger Powder: Fresh ginger is dried and then ground and has a distinct flavor aside from its healing properties
  • Garam Masala: A mix of dry roasted spices that varies from household to household
  • Asafoetida: a spice derived from the plant Ferula assa-foetida – a very distinct flavor and a pinch is all you need.
  • Turmeric powder: Dried and ground root like ginger. Add the beautiful orange color.

The dish is served with rice ( I have used brown) and a side of Kashmiri Onion Chutney.

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Enough about the history so let’s get to the recipe:

 

Dum Gobi Paneer - Kashmiri

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cauliflower head, cut in big florets
  • 1 slab of indian cottage cheese (paneer) about 6-8 pieces
  • 2 red onions finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fennel powder (Saunf)
  • 1 tsp turmeric ( Haldi)
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder ( Sonth)
  • 1/2 red chili powder
  • One pinch of Asafoetida ( optional)
  • 6 cloves
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for frying and cooking ( I used Avocado oil for frying and then Mustard oil for cooking) Please use a mild flavored oil of your choice.

 

Fry the Cauliflower florets and Cheese separately in oil until lightly browned.

Let the florets drain on a paper towel. Soak the fried paneer in warm water until ready for use.

Use a heavy bottom pan, add a couple of tablespoons of oil, add cloves until they splutter and add the onions

Once the onions are light brown, add the spices, cauliflower and paneer. You can use a cup of the paneer water to add to the pot.

Mix the ingredients, seal the lid of the pot ready well and then leave it to simmer for about 15 mins.

Serve with rice, yoghurt and chutney.

https://foodforthesoul00.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/img_2413.jpg?w=474Linking to my favorite party at Angie’s Fiesta Friday co hosted this week by  Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Apppetizers, side dishes

Savory Cauliflower Cake

12 Comments

What a great addition to the vegetarian thanksgiving dinner… I was excited to see this recipe of a savory cauliflower cake when Johanne Lamarche of French Gardener Dishes posted it. Johanne in turn got the inspiration for this cake came from a recipe of Yotam Ottolenghi.

It’s wonderful how recipes transform as different people perceive them from their palates and senses. So my recipes is just another take at the cauliflower cake. I was looking for something to add to my vegetarian dishes for thanksgiving while the rest of the family enjoyed the turkey. I added some cumin and garlic to the dish along with lots of sage that I had fresh from my herb garden.

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Cauliflower Cake @food for the soul
CauliflowerCake
Cauliflower Cake @food for the soul

 

 

Cauliflower Cake

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

Ingredients

  • Small Cauliflower trimmed and cut into small florets
  • 1 leek chopped thinly
  • 2 tsp each of chopped rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan grated
  • 5 eggs – beaten
  • 1 heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds
  • Olive oil
  • I have used a round spring foam pan, lined with parchment and oiled.

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Cauliflower Cake @food for the soul

Putting it together:

  • Add the cauliflower  to boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain.
  • Add 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan, add leek and minced garlic and sauté gently until translucent and softened– . Stir in the herbs and saute a further couple of minutes.
  • Add cauliflower and stir until all the ingredients are well mixed. Set this aside.
  • Take a  mixing bowl, add the flour and baking powder, stir in the cheese and fold in the eggs, mustard and turmeric .
  • Mix very lightly and add the cauliflower
  • Mix lightly again using your hands or wooden spoons.
  • Pour the mixture into the baking pan and sprinkle the nigella seeds over it.
  • Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The party is at Fiesta Friday and I am happy to share this.

Food, side dishes

Aloo Gobi with Quinoa

12 Comments

In the wake of such disturbing news around the world I was looking for ways to calm the spirit and indulge in simplicity. Yes, simplicity is an indulgence these day with the hectic world we live in.

Fall continues to soothe this part of the world and the recipes have taken the hues of rust and gold. I find peace in nature, in  my abundant curry leaf plant and the magical herbs and vegetables still flourishing in my garden.

In the market I found a ready good head of cauliflower and some beautiful potatoes which are the crown of this simple dish.

Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower) is a staple in many households around India…accompanied with rice or chapati (bread).  With fragrant spices, fresh ginger, cilantro and garden chilis, it settles your heart and soul. The twist here is that I have served it with Quinoa to make is a little healthier.

Aloo Gobi with Quinoa
Aloo Gobi with Quinoa
Aloo Gobi with Quinoa
Aloo Gobi with Quinoa

Here is what you need:

  • Quinoa – 1 cup (thoroughly washed)
  • 1/2 head of Cauliflower cut in chucks
  • 2 potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 or 2 green chilis chopped
  • 1 red onion – slices
  • 2 inch ginger chopped or julienned finely
  • Curry leaves – a handful
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp nigella (caraway) seeds
  • 1/2 fennels seed
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/tsp cayenne powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 of lemon
  • Cilantro or parsley

Putting it together

  • I cooked the Quinoa in a rice cooker with the setting of white rice. Please use any method that works for you.
  • Par boil the potatoes – I put them in water and in the microwave for 10 mins
  • In a wok, add olive oil and the seeds
  • Sauté for a minute until they pop
  • Add curry leaves for a minutes
  • Add onions and ginger and sauce for 4- 5 minutes
  • Add the Cauliflower and fry until mixed
  • Add turmeric, cayenne, salt and let everything mix together for a couple of mix.
  • Add the par boiled potatoes and water.
  • Cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked but still firm.
  • Garnish with lemon juice, cilantro or parsley.
  • Serve with a side of Quinoa.

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