Potato Cauliflower Cheese Casserole

Cooking spray
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded, more for sprinkling on top
2 c. sour cream (I used lite)
6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

 Grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain. At the same time, boil the cauliflower for 7-10 minutes. Drain. Mix the potatoes and cauliflower together in the greased baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cook the onion for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Add to the baking dish. Toss.

Combine the cheese and sour cream in a dish. Spoon over the potato and cauliflower mixture. Stir to combine it all together.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle a layer of cheddar over the top. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes. When it's done, sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top. Serve hot.

I made it with the bacon in the casserole and baked it, but I was sorely disappointed. Nice crispy bacon on the top would have been much better. That is how I will make it in the future.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://12tomatoes.com/2014/03/dinner-recipe-baked-potato-casserole.html

BBQ Casserole with Cauliflower Crust

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 c. chicken, shredded
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. BBQ sauce
1 egg

1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1 Tbsp. Parmesan
Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to taste
3/4 c. mozzarella, shredded
1 Tbsp. Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Boil the cauliflower florets in water for 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower is boiling, cook your chicken and onion in the oil. When they are fully cooked, pour in the BBQ sauce, and turn heat to low.

Drain the cauliflower when it is done cooking. Using a ricer, rice the cauliflower into a large bowl. When you first start ricing, hold the ricer over the sink because lots of water will come out, and you don't want your crust to be too watery. If you don't have a ricer, you could use an electric hand mixer. After draining it, put the cauliflower in a bowl with about 1 Tbsp. cornstarch; beat for a few minutes until it's all broken up into tiny pieces.

Mix in the egg, 1/2 c. mozzarella, parmesan, and spices into the riced cauliflower.  Flatten out into a greased baking dish.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

When the crust is ready, take it out, then layer the BBQ chicken and onion mix over the top. Cover with the mozzarella and parmesan. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

As a casserole instead of pizza

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/02/cauliflower-pizza-crust-with-bbq.html

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

olive oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded

Riced cauliflower

1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (maybe a bit more)

Topping:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c. Parmesan, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Before baking

On a baking stone or sheet, spread a small amount of olive oil to coat, then lay parchment paper on top.

Boil the cauliflower for about 15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain. Add the cauliflower to a ricer, and press gently over the sink to get rid of the excess water. Then rice into a large bowl. Continue until you have 1 (or 1 1/2) cup cauliflower.

Add the mozzarella, parmesan, egg, oregano, and garlic powder to the riced cauliflower. Mix it all together. Transfer to the baking stone/sheet, and spread it out using your hands.

Bake for 15 minutes.

To make the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter and the garlic powder. When the cauliflower is done baking, spread the garlic butter over the top. Add the cheeses. Bake 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Ready to eat!

Give it a minute to cool before cutting and serving.

Pretty simple recipe. Will definitely be making it again!

Here's a link to the original recipe: http://whatsfordinner-momwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2012/06/cheesy-garlic-cauliflower-bread-sticks.html

Recipe link courtesy of Angel Lee

Cauliflower Gratin

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
8 baby bell peppers, diced

Cauliflower, bell peppers, and cilantro

1 Tbsp. cilantro
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder (however much you want)
1/2 c. bread crumbs


Sauce:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour 
1 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 c. cheese (I used some Dubliner cheddar, a little Asiago, and Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Cauliflower Gratin ready to bake

Toss the cauliflower, bell peppers, and cilantro with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Arrange in a baking dish. Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes until a golden brown.

When the cauliflower and peppers come out of the oven, reduce the heat to 350 F. Set aside the dish with the vegetables.

Ready to eat

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the flour, and stir. Add the milk, and turn up the heat. When it is starting to come to a boil, stir for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the roasted vegetables. Toss to coat. Layer the bread crumbs over the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling in the corners and brown on the top. Serve warm.

Here's a link to the original recipe I adapted: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/10/roasted-cauliflower-and-aged-white.html

Bang Bang Cauliflower

Florets frying

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
3-4 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
2 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
pepper (lots!)
3 Tbsp. garlic powder
coconut oil (if you don't have this on hand, vegetable or canola work just fine)

Breaded cauliflower

Sauce:
1/4 c. mayo
2 Tbsp. sriracha
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar

Add the florets to a large bowl, then coat them in the cornstarch. Toss to coat. Add more cornstarch if you need to.

Add egg whites and coconut extract to a different small bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a shallow bowl or plate.

Take one floret at a time, and dip in the egg wash, then coat with the bread crumb mixture.

Amazing sweet and spicy sauce

Heat up the coconut oil in a large skillet to about medium/medium-high heat. Make sure you use enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Leave the oil handy as you will need to keep adding more while you're frying the florets.

Add about 10 florets to the skillet. Turn with tongs until all sides are browned. Remove to a plate with a paper towel. Continue this process until all the florets are cooked.*

Dinner is ready!

To make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients. Coat the breaded florets with the sauce. Serve immediately. This dish is amazing!

*If you have a deep fryer, you can also use that to cook your cauliflower. 

This recipe is based on a shrimp dish from a restaurant in Florida called Bone Fish Grill. I'll be trying the recipe with shrimp soon enough! Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.thatssomichelle.com/2012/02/bang-bang-cauliflower.html

Cauliflower, Tomatoes, and Gruyere Oh My!

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil, if you insist), melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Steam the cauliflower pieces, about 4 minutes. Distribute evenly in a baking dish or pie plate. Pour the tomatoes around the circumference of the dish.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese. Mix it up a little. Top the cauliflower and tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Pour the melted butter over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Laura Turner

Cauliflower and Cheese

Basically macaroni and cheese, but with cauliflower instead of pasta.

Cooking spray
1 lb. cauliflower, cut into pieces

Cauliflower with sauce

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. dry mustard
Dash of chipotle tabasco
1/2 c. Cheddar, grated
1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
Salt and white pepper
2 Tbsp. breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. Cheddar, grated, extra

Spray a 1.5 litre baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the cauliflower in lightly salted boiling water until just tender. Drain. Place in the dish and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, or until golden and bubbling. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, mustard, and chipotle. Return to heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cheeses and stir until melted. Season with salt and white pepper, and pour over the cauliflower.

Ready to eat!

Mix together the breadcrumbs and extra cheddar cheese, and sprinkle over the sauce. Bake at 350 F. for about 15-20 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Adapted from The 1000 Best Recipes

*Update - I've also made this with cauliflower and broccoli mixed. I also added black pepper and garlic that time. =)

*Another update - last time I added Polish sausage. I cooked it separately, then added it to the cauliflower before pouring the sauce over it. I added black pepper and garlic powder to the sausage while it was cooking. This was an excellent addition. 

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
2/3 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. half and half cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
basil to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a saucepan, cook cauliflower in enough water to cover until tender. Drain and reserve 1 c. liquid; set aside.

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and stir in 1 c. reserved cooking liquid, cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in cauliflower and seasonings.

Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. Makes 6-8 servings.

From Taste of Home Big Book of Soup

Cauliflower Manchurian

Purple cauliflower

One of my favorite recipes!

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

pinch of msg

oil for deep frying

Batter:

1 c. refined flour

1/2 c. cornflour

1/2 tsp. chili powder

salt to taste

water as needed

(May need to double this depending on how much cauliflower you have)

Sauce makings

Sauce:

2 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic (sometimes I use more)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. white pepper

black pepper (a lot!)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. cornflour mixed with 1/2 c. water

1 c. vegetable stock or water

salt to taste

Wash the cauliflower florets, sprinkle with a little salt and msg, and set aside for 5 minutes. Combine all the ingredients mentioned under batter. Beat well and prepare a thick coating batter.

Heat the oil in a deep pot or deep fryer. Dip the florets one by one in the batter and deep fry. Drain when golden brown. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the ginger and garlic. Fry for 1/2 minute. Add the stock, pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Simmer uncovered for 1 minute. Add the cornflour mixed with water and stir continuously, so that the sauce becomes thick. 

Sauce, ready for drizzling

Ready to eat!

You can either drizzle the sauce over the fried florets or use it as a dipping sauce. You can either just have the fried florets or you can serve them over cooked white rice. Either way it is delicious!