Hero Veg: Cauliflower

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A member of the cabbage family, cauliflower may have been cultivated in Italy as early as the Roman Empire, but in the Middle Ages, was generally believed to have originated in Cyprus. By the 17th century it was a popular vegetable in Italian and French cuisine. It is a rich source of vitamin C and other micronutrients.

With its mild taste and soft texture, it’s a versatile vegetable that can be eaten in a wide variety of ways including raw, steamed, boiled, stir fried and baked. Recently, it has become popular to shred cauliflower to make cauliflower rice, a light and low-carb alternative to rice. Cauliflower rice is easy to make but is also available in supermarkets in fresh or frozen form.

While a whole head of cauliflower may be more than you need, it’s usually available in halves and quarters. Frozen cauliflower is also available and can be used in all the following recipes. In its frozen form it’s a handy vegetable to have on hand and as such it’s included among the Standby Vegetables. You’ll find more suitable recipes in the entry Standby Veg: Frozen Broccoli and/or Cauliflower. 

Cauliflower is closely related to broccoli, so broccoli can be substituted for some cauliflower in some of the following recipes. Cauliflower can also be substituted for some or all of the broccoli in the recipes in the entry Hero Veg: Broccoli.

Cauliflower can be combined with other vegetables as seen in the entry Vegetable Medleys from the Pantry. 

Cauliflower also features in the Cooking in Bulk recipes: White Vegetable Soup and Chickpea and Vegetable Stew.

 

Recipes:

Cauliflower Salad

Cauliflower Cheese

Baked Cauliflower

Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower

Cauliflower Fried ‘Rice’

Chilli Fried Cauliflower

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

 

Cauliflower Salad

  • 1½ cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Garlic granules and oregano
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

 

  1. Boil or steam cauliflower until tender (10–15 minutes) and drain
  2. Stir lemon juice, garlic and oregano into olive oil
  3. Toss cauliflower in oil while still warm
  4. Refrigerate for approx. 1 hour

 

Cauliflower Cheese

  • 1½ cups cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • 2 tsp. cornflour
  • Dried onion, garlic granules, pepper and oregano
  • 2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. butter or margarine

 

  1. Boil or steam cauliflower until tender (10–15 minutes), drain and set aside
  2. In a small saucepan, melt butter with onion, garlic and pepper
  3. Dissolve cornflour in cold milk
  4. Add to pan and gently bring to the boil, stirring often
  5. Add oregano and Parmesan cheese and continue to simmer and stir until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened
  6. Add cauliflower and stir into sauce until heated through

 

Baked Cauliflower

  • 1½ cups cauliflower florets
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive or canola oil
  • Pepper and oregano

 

  1. Boil or steam cauliflower until tender (5–10 minutes), drain and set aside
  2. Toss cauliflower in oil and arrange in oven proof pie dish
  3. Stir through mozzarella (optional)
  4. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and spices and spread over cauliflower
  5. Bake in a moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes

Tip: to make breadcrumbs, break a toasted slice of wholemeal bread into small pieces, then process in a bullet blender to break the pieces down into crumbs.


Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower

  • ¾ cup cauliflower (florets and stem)
  • ½ cup pasta
  • 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 tbsp. (plus) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. skim milk powder (optional)
  • Garlic granules, pepper and oregano

 

  1. Fill a small saucepan ¾ full of water and bring to the boil
  2. Add cauliflower, return to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until just tender
  3. Using a slotted spoon, remove cauliflower from pan and rinse to cool
  4. Bring the water back to the boil, add pasta, boil until al dente and drain
  5. Meanwhile, place cauliflower in the cup of a bullet blender with Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, spices and skim milk powder (optional) and process until smooth, adding a little pasta water if needed
  6. Pour cauliflower sauce into a small saucepan and stir until heated through
  7. Stir in pasta to heat through
  8. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese (optional) and oregano

 

Cauliflower Fried ‘Rice’

  • 1½ cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
  • 1 mushroom, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. capsicum, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. frozen peas
  • Garlic granules and Chinese 5-Spice
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • Canola oil

 

  1. Finely chop cauliflower until it resembles rice
  2. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry bacon (optional)
  3. Add mushrooms, capsicum, carrot and peas and stir fry until wilted
  4. Add cauliflower and stir fry to heat through
  5. Sprinkle with stock powder, soy sauce and spices
  6. Continue to stir fry until cooked through

Variation: substitute ½ cup frozen mixed (stir fry) vegetables for capsicum, carrot and peas

 

Chilli Fried Cauliflower

  • 1½ cups cauliflower, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Chilli and garlic
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with chilli and garlic
  2. Add cauliflower and sauté to heat through
  3. Add ¼ cup hot water
  4. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender
  5. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)

Tip: if using frozen cauliflower, douse in boiling water for 1–2 minutes and drain before slicing and frying

 

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1 small potato, peeled and cubed
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic, chilli, mild curry powder, ginger and coriander
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with garlic, chilli and spices
  2. Add diced tomatoes and sauté
  3. Add potato and sauté to heat through
  4. Stir in cauliflower
  5. Simmer for 30–40 minutes or until vegetables are tender, adding a little water as required
  6. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)

Variation: substitute 1 x 125gm can chickpeas, drained, for the potato

 

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

  • 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
  • ¼ cup low-fat milk
  • 2 tsp. cornflour
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • Dried onion, pepper, garlic granules and oregano
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)

 

  1. Place stock in a small saucepan with dried onion, oregano and spices and bring to the boil
  2. Add cauliflower, and simmer for 15 minutes until tender and allow to cool
  3. Empty saucepan into large cup of bullet blender and liquidise thoroughly
  4. Return mixture to saucepan
  5. Add milk, oregano, cornflour and Parmesan to bullet blender cup and liquidise
  6. Stir into saucepan and slowly bring to boil
  7. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until soup thickens
  8. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)

Tip: this is a good opportunity to use the cauliflower stalk

 

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

  • 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 x 165ml can light coconut milk (or see How to Make Coconut Milk for One)
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Dried onion, garlic granules, mild curry powder and ginger
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)

 

  1. Place cauliflower in a small saucepan with coconut milk, stock powder, dried onion, garlic granules and spices
  2. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender
  3. Allow to cool, empty mixture into large cup of a bullet blender and liquidise
  4. Return to saucepan with an additional ¼ cup water and gently reheat
  5. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)


Tip: this is a good opportunity to use the cauliflower stalk

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