Mock Macaroni & Cheese Made with Cauliflower

You don't miss the macaroni at all!

Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into small chunks and boiled just until tender, drain
6 T butter
6 T flour
4 c milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350*.  Lightly grease a 2-qt. casserole dish.  Set aside.
In a large pot melt butter, add flour.  Whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes whisking continually. Slowly add milk and whisk until smooth.  Add salt and pepper.  Continue to cook until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and add all but 3/4 c cheese.  Stir until cheese is completely melted. Add cooked cauliflower, stir well and pour into prepared casserole dish.  Top with remaining 3/4 c cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese on top is melted.  Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Yum!

Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Bacon

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, fine diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cauliflower head, cored and roughly chopped
2 T finely minced fresh parsley
8 c low-sodium vegetable stock
6 T all-purpose flour
2 c whole milk
1 c half-and-half
1-2 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 container of fresh, small brussel sprouts, cleaned and roasted with a little evoo & salt
3 strips of thick bacon, cooked crisp and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Toss in the cauliflower, stir well, and cook with lid on over very low heat for 15 minutes.

Add parsley and vegetable broth and simmer for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1/2 stock butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour.  Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Whisk in the milk until smooth. Remove from heat and add half-in-half.  Pour this mixture into the pot.  Add salt and pepper.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Taste and and add more salt if needed.

Puree soup with an immersion blender for a smoother, thicker consistency.  Simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the roasted brussel sprouts and bacon.  YUM!

(Recipe adapted from Ree Drummond of the Food Network.)

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart

You can make the caramelized onions and the roasted cauliflower a day ahead if you'd like.  I served this tart with a Quinoa, Cannellini Bean and Tomato Salad.  Get recipe here.

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust or homemade tart shell 
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 1 large yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced 
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Gruyère (or substitute Swiss OR fontina/Parmesan combo) 
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower with a generous amount of olive oil to coat, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, making sure to flip once or twice along the way. The florets should just be getting golden. Remove the florets from the oven and set aside. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. While the florets are roasting, you’ll caramelize the onion. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice it, then add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion as well as a dash of salt and pepper to the pan.
3. Cook the onion for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until it gets tender and translucent -- then reduce the heat to low. (Add a pinch of sugar once you reduce the heat for a little sweetness.) Then, let the onion slices cook on low until they become a deep golden or brown color – it takes about 20 minutes for them to caramelize. Stir them often enough so they don’t burn the bottom of the pan, but make sure they have enough time to sit in the oil and caramelize. Add a little water to the pan if they start to stick too much to the bottom. 
4. Once the cauliflower is cool, thinly slice the florets so they are about 1/4-inch thick. 
5. Mix together the eggs, sour cream, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Then, add the Gruyere (or substitute) to the mixture.
6. Press your crust into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming any excess from the edges with a knife. If the crust didn't come refrigerated, you’ll want to refrigerate it for 30 minutes after pressing into the pan and before assembling the tart.  
7. Place the pastry shell on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drips) and coat the bottom of the pastry shell with Dijon mustard (the mustard layer should only be 1/8-inch thick). Then, spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the pastry shell, followed by the roasted cauliflower.
8. Pour the cheese and cream mixture over the onions and cauliflower, and then top the tart with the grated Parmesan cheese. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes – you’ll want the top to be golden brown and the center to be set.
9. Let the tart cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
10. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from 12 Tomatoes.com