CAULIFLOWER WITH BROCCOLI CHEESE SAUCE

Tasty and nutritious.

This is a good make ahead side if you are having company.  You can make it the day before and just pop it in the oven while cooking the remainder of the meal.  These measurements come with the recipe, but really, if you have made a white sauce before, you can just eyeball the ingredients to suit the amount of people that will be served. This recipe could read as follows:

Put cauliflower florets into a buttered baking dish

Make white sauce and add cooked broccoli.  Blend broccoli into sauce with blender.

Add cheese to sauce.  Stir to melt.

Pour sauce over cauliflower.

Prepare buttered bread crumbs and toss with cheese and almonds.

Top cauliflower with bread crumb mixture.

Bake.

INGREDIENTS

3-1/2    TBSP Butter (unsalted) (50 g)

6-1/2    TBSP Flour  (50 g)

2-1/2     Cups Milk   (600 ml)

1           Lb. Broccoli (500 g) Cut into small pieces

2-1/2    Oz. Old Cheddar Cheese (75 g) Shredded

2           Lb. Cauliflower (1 Kg) cut into florets

1/4        Cup Bread Crumbs 

1/8 to 1/4  Sliced Almonds (optional)

1           TBSP Butter

METHOD

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter baking dish large enough to hold cauliflower.

2.  Put cut up broccoli into a bowl with a bit of water and microwave till soft (about 2 minutes)

     Remove water and set aside.

3.  Melt butter in medium pot on medium heat on stove.

4.  Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute.  Gradually add milk whisking until smooth.

5.  Add broccoli incorporating it into sauce with a stick blender.  Stir in 1/2 of shredded cheese.  

6.  Arrange cauliflower in baking dish and top with the broccoli white sauce.

7.  Melt butter in microwave.  Toss in breadcrumbs, remaining cheese and almonds (if using).  

8.  Top cauliflower and sauce with this mixture.

9.  You can cover and refrigerate at this point and bake it the next day.  

10. Bake for 1 hour until golden and cooked through.

Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

These potatoes are easy to make and if you are a fan of parmesan cheese like I am, they are very tasty.  I just "about" the recipe as I usually just cook for one.  If you do it this way just make sure you have enough of the cheese mixture covering the bottom of the pan.  This works well in a glass baking dish as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 750 g / 1.5 lb baby potatoes , halved (about 3.5cm / 1.75", 20 - 24 potatoes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil , plus more for drizzling

Parmesan Mixture:

• 1/2 cup / 50 g grated parmesan , the sand-like type (use ONLY finely grated, NOT shredded)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt (leave out to lower sodium)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Mix Parmesan Mixture in a bowl.

Drizzle oil in 22 x 33cm / 9 x 13" glass baking dish (Note 2). Tilt pan to spread all over the base.

Use a spoon to scatter the Parmesan Mixture over the base. Spread as evenly as you can. Once sprinkled, do not touch - don't try to spread it.

Place potatoes cut side down, pressing firmly.

Drizzle top of potatoes with a touch of oil or spray with oil, then sprinkle with salt.

  
Bake potatoes for 35 - 40 minutes or until they are soft and the parmesan crust is deep golden.

REST for 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to cut between every 4 or so potatoes (i.e. cutting through the parmesan crust which bonds between each potato then scoop up 4 or so potatoes and flip them upside down so the cheese side is up on a serving platter. 

Serve as is or with sour cream, yoghurt, tzatziki, of whatever else you wish to dip them into.

This is (sort of) how they look.  I skimped on the cheese this time so some didn't come out as crusty as they should have, but they tasted good anyway.  

Here is a Youtube video that quickly shows you how to make these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1lUQiIsCdE

You can try this recipe with cauliflower as well, although I haven't done that yet.  Cut the florets so there is a large flat surface to push into parmesan mixture and bake for 20 minutes in a 390°F oven.