Cooking with Tammy Kelly: The Very Versatile Cauliflower!
Cauliflower is known as the culinary chameleon, making its way into your menu as cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and even pizza crust. Cauliflower picks ups flavors from savory to sweet, and is super versatile for main dish, side or dessert. Here are some basic ways to use cauliflower in your recipes. You can vary any of these recipes in several ways.
Shrimp and Cauliflower Fried Rice
¼ cup sesame oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups riced cauliflower (see Tip)
1 pound large shrimp (31-35 count), peeled and deveined
3 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon ground pepper
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large flat-bottomed carbon-steel wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add eggs and cook, without stirring, until fully cooked on one side, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook until just cooked through, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan; heat over high heat. Add cauliflower in an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan; heat over high heat. Add shrimp; cook, stirring often, until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the cauliflower.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan; heat over high heat. Add broccoli, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce (or tamari), water, vinegar and pepper. Bring to a boil; boil for 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the reserved eggs, cauliflower and shrimp
Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks
4 cups cauliflower, riced, about 1 large head of cauliflower
4 large eggs
2 cups mozzarella cheese, hand shredded is best
3 teaspoons oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 additional cup of mozzarella cheese for topping, shredded
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 2 pizza pans or a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make sure your cauliflower is roughly chopped into florets. Add the florets to your food processor and pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice.
Place the cauliflower in a microwavable container and cover with lid. Microwave for 10 minutes. Let the cauliflower cool just until there’s no more steam coming from it. Place the microwaved cauliflower in a large bowl and add the eggs, 2 cups of mozzarella, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix together.
Separate the mixture in two and place each half onto the prepared baking sheets and shape into either a pizza crust, or a rectangular shape for the breadsticks.
Bake the crust, no topping yet, for about 25 minutes or until nice and golden. Once golden, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Slice and serve.
Serves 8, each serving contains: Calories 178, Carbohydrates 5g., Protein 14g., Fat 12g., Fiber 1g.
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
8 cups bite size cauliflower florets
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
½ teaspoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with ¼ cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper, pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Riced Cauliflower Burrito Bowl
For the Cauliflower Rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower grated
1 lime juiced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Guacamole
2 ripe avocadoes
2 cloves garlic minced
1 lime juiced
2 tablespoons red onion chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 Roma tomato seeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
Salt to taste
For the Burrito Bowls
1 14-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 cup corn
For Serving
Guacamole
Cauliflower Rice
Pico de Gallo
Cilantro for serving
To make the cauliflower rice, remove the green stems off the cauliflower and chop the head of cauliflower in half.
Grate the whole head (one half at a time) on the box grater. It’s okay if you leave some small florets.
In a large skillet, heat oil to medium-high heat.
Add the cauliflower, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir everything together and cover the skillet.
Cook the cauliflower, stirring consistently, until it is softened and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
To make the guacamole, peel and pit the avocados and place them in a bowl.
Add the lime juice, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and mash with a fork or chop with a knife (to leave the guacamole chunky, use a knife to chop everything together).
Add the chopped tomato and cilantro and fold into the guacamole.
To make the bowls, heat the garbanzo beans and corn on the stove top or in the microwave until hot.
Dish desired amount of cauliflower rice, beans, and corn into a bowl. Add pico de gallo and guacamole and enjoy!
Serves 3, each serving contains; Calories 452, Carbohydrates 43g., Protein 14g., Fat 31g., Fiber 13g., Sugar 13g.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
1 medium cauliflower, about 2 pounds, tough outer leaves removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for squeezing
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
For the Sauce
¾ cup mild harissa
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oils
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
Heaping ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the harissa, olive oil, cumin, paprika, thyme, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Slice the bottom of the core off the cauliflower so that it sits flat. Place the cauliflower in a cast iron skillet and brush the cauliflower with ⅓ of the sauce. Cover the skillet with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover and roast for 30 more minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork-tender in the middle.
Remove from the oven and brush with half the remaining sauce. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze with lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro, slice into quarters, and serve with the remaining sauce on the side. Serves 4.
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