1 head of broccoli, broken into small florets
1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 lemons, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper, to season
What to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 220°C
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until coated in the oil
3. Tip them out onto a baking tray – you may need two
4. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through cooking time
5. Remove from the oven once they are brown and tender
In the early days of spring, when there is still a chill in the air, this is the ultimate comfort dish. Buy the very best quality cheddar you can find, and by adding a generous amount of mustard, you can really accentuate the cheesy flavour. Nutmeg and black pepper add a note of spiciness and warmth, whilst the finely chopped Italian flat leaved parsley adds freshness and colour.
Preparation time:
20 minutes
Cooking time:
5-10 minutes under a hot grill
Serves:
4
What You’ll need:
1 cauliflower
50g of unsalted butter, plus a bit extra for the ovenproof dish
50g plain flour
300ml milk
A generous grating of nutmeg
Freshly grated black pepper
1 tbsp French grainy mustard, like Dijon
125g Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
A handful of flat leaved parsley, finely chopped
What to do:
1. Firstly prepare the cauliflower by washing it and cutting it into individual little florets, with all the hard woody stems cut off. Place the florets in a double boiler and steam until they are soft and yielding when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the cauliflower florets from the heat and place in a buttered, ovenproof serving dish.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute. Remove the butter and flour from the heat and stir in the milk, very gradually. Bring the milky mixture to the boil, and then continue cooking and stirring on a medium heat, until the sauce thickens.
3. Pre-heat the grill to its hottest setting.
4. Stir the nutmeg, freshly grated black pepper and the mustard into the sauce, along with half the grated cheese. Pour the sauce over the hot cauliflower, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and brown under the hot grill.
5. Serve with freshly chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
This is such a simple recipe for making a thoroughly warming, comforting soup. On a hot summer’s day, however, you can serve it at room temperature and it is equally delicious. The sesame toasts take literally a couple of minutes to make, and they add crunchiness to the soup.
1 small cauliflower
1 large potato
2 garlic cloves
850ml milk
25g butter
175g mature cheddar cheese
4 slices of French bread
100g sesame seeds
A small amount of olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
What to do:
1. Trim, wash and finely chop the cauliflower, discarding any rough stalks. Peel and finely chop the potato into very small, 2 cm pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
2. Put the cauliflower, potato and garlic in a large pan, cover with the milk and put on a low heat. Simmer until the potato is very soft, which should take approximately 10-12 minutes.
3. When the vegetables are cooked, add the butter and the cheese and, using a stick blender, blend until the soup is totally smooth. Set the soup aside somewhere warm.
4. Toast the bread slices, then drizzle some olive oil all over them, and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Slice the bread into small croutons.
5. Serve the soup in warm platters with the sesame croutons.
Cauliflowers make wonderful, year-round salads, and with this recipe you could use white, purple, or the beautiful green Romanesco variety of cauliflowers. The brightness of the apples and the crunch of the nuts make this a delicious lunch party starter or even as a side salad to accompany a roast chicken. There are lots of lovely British blue cheeses to choose from, many of which are not strong tasting.
Preparation time:
20 minutes
Serves:
4 as a side salad
What You’ll need:
1 cauliflower
1 apple
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
100g soft blue cheese
50g walnut pieces
A handful of basil leaves
150g crème fraiche
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
What to do:
1. Break the cauliflower into small florets, removing and discarding the tough stalks. Slice the florets into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Core and slice the apple, and place in a bowl. Mix in the lemon juice, to ensure the apple slices do not go brown. Set aside.
3. Slice the blue cheese, chop the walnuts and tear the basil all into small pieces.
4. In a small bowl mix the crème fraiche with olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper. Taste the dressing for seasoning, adding extra if need be.
5. Place the cauliflower, apple, blue cheese and walnut pieces and the crème fraiche dressing in a large salad bowl. Toss the salad well, so that all the ingredients are covered with dressing and serve.
Plain flour
1 pack readymade shortcrust pastry
Greaseproof paper
Dried beans or ceramic beans to weigh down the pastry
1 small cauliflower broken into small florets
4 rashers smoked bacon roughly chopped
1 onion diced
3 eggs beaten
500ml crème fraiche
Small bunch chives chopped
100g grated strong cheddar
Salt and pepper
What to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°c, 325°f or gas mark 3.
2. On a floured surface roll the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin and line a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin gently pushing the pastry into the corners and trimming off the excess.
3. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and weight it down with dried beans or ceramic beans, cook for 15 minutes then remove the beans and greaseproof and cook for a further 8 mins or until the pastry is pale golden.
4. In a pan of boiling water simmer the cauliflower for 5 minutes until it starts to soften then drain and set aside.
5. In a frying pan cook the bacon until brown, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn the heat down and gently cook the onion in the same pan for 3-4 minutes until soft.
6. Tip the cauliflower, bacon and onions into the pastry shell so they are fairly evenly distributed.
7. In a bowl combine the eggs, crème fraiche, chives and half the cheese and season to taste.
8. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case and top with the remaining cheese. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and it’s cooked through with just a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm or cold.
Why not try:
To make this a vegetarian option, miss out the bacon and add half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the egg mixture at the start of step 5. Cauliflower also makes a great soup, just cook it in vegetable stock with a chopped onion and a stick of chopped celery then blend till smooth and add a cheesy crouton to serve.
1 tbsp oil
6 large chicken thighs (skinless & boneless)
1 onion finely diced
2 green chillies finely diced
2 cm of ginger finely grated
3 cloves garlic pureed
Half tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 cauliflower broken into florets
Salt and pepper
2 large handful spinach
What to do:
1. Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, brown the chicken pieces on all sides then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion to the pan (add a little more oil if necessary) and cook until the onions are soft.
3. Add the green chilli, ginger and garlic and continue to cook, stirring for a further minute. Next add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and sugar and cook, stirring for a minute to release the spices.
4. Tip in the tomatoes and coconut milk into the pan, then add the chicken and cauliflower. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes until the cauliflower and chicken are cooked through. Add a little stock or water if the sauce gets too thick.
5. Taste to check the seasoning then stir through the spinach until it just starts to wilt.
Why not try:
Serve with rice or flat breads. If you prefer you can use 3 tablespoons of masala curry paste rather than the separate elements in step 2.
For vegetarians miss out the chicken and add a drained tin of chick peas at the same time as the tomatoes.
