Older Bolder Life

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cauliflower

the Older Bolder Life Tuesday Veg 5 March: Ginger Pecan Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

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Our friend Chef Libby down in Austin has been playing around with cauliflower rice pilaf recipes over the past few weeks, working on something with a bit of Texas flair for some events on her spring calendar coming up.

In Texas, that means of course incorporating pecans instead of the classic pilaf sliced almonds, and to her palate ginger seems to play very well with the butter (or ghee) toasted pecans.

Her team has been using the organic pre-riced cauliflower in 5-cup bags from Costco for some of their experiments in her kitchen, and I’ve sized the following recipe down to fit that or a medium-sized cauliflower head you rice yourself.

Libby notes the fresh ginger really makes this recipe pop, though I made a recipe yesterday with powdered ginger (no fresh ginger in the house!) and it was delicious. You’ll want to try this one; it’s tasty, spot on in terms of macros, and presents very well for impressing the family or guests at the table.

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and riced, see notes above
5-6 green onions, green and white parts separated
3-4 tbsp butter or ghee
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
1-2 tbsp finely chopped ginger (or 1/2 to 1 tsp ground ginger)
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Good salt to taste

Optional
Alternative spices: Garlic, cinnamon, your call
3-4 tbsp chopped golden raisins OR
1-2 chopped medjool dates

Rice your cauliflower if using fresh. Prep the green onions: trim and clean, chop the white parts, then thinly slice the green stems on a steep angle and set aside.

Melt 2 tbsp of the butter/ghee over medium heat, and sauté (toast) the pecans until fragrant and golden brown. Remove from the heat, stir in the ginger and red pepper flakes, sprinkle with salt, then scrape into a large bowl.

Into the same skillet goes the remainder of the butter/ghee over medium-high heat, then the white parts of the onions; sauté for several minutes until just beginning to caramelize around the edges. Add the cauliflower, and raisins or dates if using, drop the heat down a notch, and cook for 4-5 minutes (longer if using frozen) until the cauliflower is just beginning to get tender.

Now scrape the cauliflower onion mixture into the bowl with the nuts, stir to mix, and adjust the salt to taste. Top artfully with the sliced onion greens and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Green Chile Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

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Having spent a fair amount of our respective childhoods and later married life wandering around the Southwest, particularly New Mexico and Colorado early on, my wife and I developed a genuine love for green chiles, particularly those grown in abundance in New Mexico.

We’ve accumulated a host of recipes over the years featuring those chiles, and often work them into other recipes where you might not expect to find them, like this Green Chile Cauliflower Mac and Cheese inspired casserole.

There are host of similar recipes floating around, and we’ve come to appreciate this one in particular for several reasons. Roasting the cauliflower (instead of microwaving as is commonly done) adds a layer of caramelized flavor (we opt for shorter roasting times to give the cauliflower a bit more tooth), the coconut milk adds just a hint of tropical undertones and a load of healthy fats, and the green chiles bring their magic to the dish.

You can of course vary the cheese to suit you, add bacon (we almost always do), and we’ll even caramelize onions to throw on top too. Try a batch with the chopped pickled jalapenos sprinkled on as well…

8 cups cauliflower, chopped to uniform size (mid-sized head)
2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

1 cup full-fat coconut milk
6 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temp
1-2 tbsp hot sauce of choice
1-2 tsp Dijon or Creole mustard
1 tsp salt
4-5 ounces mozzarella, grated/shredded
4-5 ounces Monterrey jack, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese, grated/shredded
4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
1-2 ounces cheese of choice, grated/shredded, for topping

Optional
Caramelized onions
2-4 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
1-2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Chopped pickled jalapenos

Fire the oven to 425.

Prep the cauliflower, sprinkle with the oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 15-25 minutes (see above, we like ours with a bit more tooth). Set aside to cool and turn the oven down to 350.

Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk, cream cheese, hot sauce, mustard, and tsp of salt in a medium saucepan; heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in the green chiles, and set aside.

Once the components have cooled sufficiently to not melt the cheese immediately, combine the roasted cauliflower, the coconut milk mixture, and the 2 larger piles of cheese. Add the bacon if using, and stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into a glass baking dish (we use and 8×8), cover with foil, and bake for 45-50 minutes until bubbling. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 2 ounces of cheese and the caramelized onions if using, then back into the oven for 10-15 minutes more. You can certainly fire the broiler to melt and brown the additional cheese as well (4-5 minutes).

Let rest for a few minutes before topping with the chives and chopped pickled jalapenos just before serving.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 28 November: Cajun Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese

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A friend asked me a few weeks ago to suggest some Primally-oriented foods he and his wife could serve at a football party they were hosting. He’s a child of the South, and like many of his brethren, exhibits a crazy devotion to college football rivaling any we’ve ever seen. (For matter of record, he’s from Alabama, and I’m sure has a Roll Tide tattoo somewhere out of everyday sight so as to not impact his law practice…)

One of the foods I suggested was this Cajun Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Crumbles. It’s certainly not a new concept in the Primal/Paleo world, though you don’t see many recipes with the Cajun spice twist. I happen to like this recipe as it’s a great introduction to those who don’t typically think about eating healthier snacks and sides, and packs the same great spice and flavor that classic buffalo wings do.

You certainly can serve this one as finger food, but we always seem to serve it up in a bowl…

One medium (2 to 3 lb) head cauliflower, leaves and stem trimmed
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tsp of your favorite Cajun spice mix

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of your favorite Cajun hot sauce (Zatarain’s or Crystal for us)
1/4 cup of your favorite Sriracha
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room-temp, in 1 tbsp pieces

1/2 cup (or more!) crumbled blue cheese

Fire the oven and preheat to 450.

Foil line a baking sheet, place the cauliflower in the center stem down, drizzle with the oil, then rub in the Cajun spice mix. Now roast for 30-35 minutes; it should become tender and begin to brown a bit. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

When cool enough to comfortably handle, trim the florets off the head; some suggest aiming for chicken-wing sized pieces, we tend to make pieces of all sizes and shapes. Don’t forget to trim the stem into thin-ish slices.

Now into a large saucepan over medium-high go the two sauces; when bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan, whisk in the butter 2 tbsp at a time until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cauliflower pieces, and stirring often, heat for 4-5 minutes until the cauliflower is heated through.

We like to serve immediately in bowls and sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 5 September: Grilled Southwestern Cauliflower Steaks

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Even thought the calendar has turned to September, it’s still prime time grilling season for most of us around the country; if you’ve not tried grilling cauliflower, give these Grilled Southwestern Cauliflower Steaks a spin.

I know, I know, there are probably hundreds of recipes for grilled cauliflower floating around out there, but this is one of our favorites given the southwestern spice flavors.

This is another of those recipes that’s so ridiculously easy it’s almost child’s play (don’t tell anyone that) yet unique and tasty enough to serve when entertaining.

Don’t forget to save the cauliflower florets you trim away as you carve the “steaks”, the trim is perfect for a salad or stir fry. Some recipes out there call for microwaving the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes before grilling it, but we’ve never added that step and it turns out perfectly every time.

Inspired by several different recipes, include one from Serious Eats.

2 medium heads cauliflower, trimmed, cut as per below
3 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil

Spice rub
1 generous tbsp ground turmeric
2 tsp mild chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp good salt
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder

Garnish
2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
Pickled red onions

Mix the spice rub ingredients well, set aside.

Remove the green leaves from the cauliflower and slice off the root/base so the cauliflower can sit flat on your cutting board.

Slicing vertically, trim several inches off one side of a cauliflower head, then slice as many 3/4-inch thick slices as you can obtain from each head. You want the slices to more or less remain intact, with the peripheral florets still “connected” to the core/stalk so they’ll stay together on the grill. (Save the trimmed florets for a salad or stir fry…)

Brush the “steaks” with your oil of choice, dust/coat well with the spice mixture, and set aside at room temp while you fire the grill. (Alternatively, shake the oiled steaks one at a time in a large resealable bag with the spice mix.)

Grill over direct head for 3-4 minutes per side; you’re looking to develop a bit of char here without burning the spices. Then move to an indirect heat zone and cook until as tender as you’d like, we like these will a bit of residual crunch (somewhere between 13-15 minutes typically).

Best served hot/warm, and garnish with the chopped cilantro or parsley and maybe those pickled red onions…

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 20 June: ME’s Cauliflower Salad

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I’m not sure where it was that we first enjoyed this simple but delicious raw cauliflower “salad”, though you could just as easily call it a slaw.

Cauliflower is such a versatile workhorse in the kitchen and has been popping up everywhere in all sorts of forms these days; we happen to think it’s under-appreciated “just as it is” raw, as in serving it on your hummus tray, as crudite with your favorite dips or dressings, or in salads such as this.

This is one of those recipes to throw together, adding ingredients “until it looks right”, adjusting for your palate as you go, and you can use whatever olives and cheese float your boat. Try it and I’ll bet it ends up in your summer rotation over the next few months.

1 large head cauliflower florets, trimmed (the tender, small stems are good too)
1/2 to 1 cup good olives (pimento stuffed), chopped roughly
2-3 ounces cheese of your choice, great with a medium or sharp cheddar, or MJ
Approx. 1/2 cup homemade avocado or olive oil mayo (may need more)
1-2 tbsp olive brine
Optional: Jar of chopped pimentos, drained and chopped
Optional: 1-2 tbsp of fresh, coarse-ground black pepper

This one is a piece of cake to pull together – the most time consuming task is cutting up the cauliflower head; be sure to wash the florets well, then let them drain for several minutes before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

The beauty of this recipe, as with just about all salads and slaws, is that you can easily adjust the final amounts of the key ingredients to suit your (family’s) tastes. We never measure the ingredients for this one, and just add olives, cheese, and homemade avocado oil mayo until “it looks right”. (Try it as written to get an idea what it should look and taste like the first time around.)

Hold in the fridge until ready to serve, best made within 2-3 hours of serving.

Enjoy.