Cauliflower in disguise . . .

Cauliflower – one of those vegetables that you either love or hate – mostly thanks to the soggy offerings at school lunches. However, cauliflower is a member of the cancer-fighting cruciferous family of vegetable, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich, and may boost both your heart and brain health!  Eating cauliflower will provide your body with impressive amounts of vitamin C, vitamin k, beta-carotene, and much more while supporting healthy digestion – so perhaps worth looking at again? 

The weekly supermarket sweep finds that they are all selling at about £1.00 each (72p if you have a wonky one from Morrisons!).  I am going to cut one in half for 2 recipes – so at 50p a meal (plus a few pennies for the extras), surely a winner!

Cauliflower and Blue Cheese soup

• 1/2 cauliflower, florets separated
• 1/2 litre of water with a vegetable stock cube
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dessertspoon of butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery (did you know that if you keep celery in the fridge wrapped in tin foil it lasts for ages?)
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 -2 tablespoons crème fraiche or cream
• 1 – 2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (buy some and keep in the freezer and just grate straight from it)  – you can use a strong cheddar if you prefer.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add onion, celery and potato and sweat for about 10 minutes. Add the florets (leaves, too, if you want) and the stock and simmer gently for 20 – 25 minutes till the cauliflower is cooked. Remove the bay leaf and blend until smooth and return to the heat, adding the cheese and crème fraiche.

Roasted Cauliflower with Punjabi Seasonings

• 1/2 cauliflower, florets separated
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice    1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric   1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt            1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper           1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander         1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

Put the cauliflower florets in a large bowl.  Combine the lemon juice, turmeric and ginger and pour over the cauliflower.  Add salt, cayenne, ground spices and coriander and mix well.  Set aside for 2 hours or more tossing now and then.

Preheat the oven to 220oC.  Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over a medium heat.  When hot, add the cumin seed and let them sizzle for a few seconds.  Pour the spiced oil over the cauliflower and toss well.  Spread out the florets in a roasting tin and put in the oven for 25 minutes, turning half way through.  Serve alongside any meat of your choice, any curry – or just on its own with some chutneys to dip into!