I often work quite late on weekdays and like to do some bulk cooking on the weekend so I have delicious home cooked vegetarian food to look forward to. I realise that there has been rather a preponderance of the humble cauliflower in my recent recipe posts but this is such a versatile vegetable that it’s often my ‘go to’ when I’m trying to decide what to make for the week, not least because you can produce two completely different dishes at the same time! Today I made a very ‘English’ cauliflower cheese but with a Gorgonzola and mushroom twist and a spicy ‘Moroccan-Indian’ cauliflower dish with red onions, harissa (chilli paste) and pomegranate jewels, both from a single roasted cauliflower.
Ingredients
A large cauliflower Salt and pepper Garlic powder Olive or vegetable oil for roasting For the sauce: 1oz butter 2tbsp plain flower 1/2 litre milk 6oz mushrooms A piece of Gorgonnzola cheese Parsley For the spice: 1tbsp olice or vegetable oil A red onion 1tbsp garam masala 1tsp cumin 1tsp harissa paste 1tbsp pomegranate molasses (or honey) Half a pomegranate
Method
First chop the caulifower into florets and place on a baking tray with oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix well. Divide into two, mixing the cumin and garam masala into one half and leaving the other half plain. Roast in a hot oven for 20 mins or until the cauliflower starts to brown.
Make the sauce by chopping the mushrooms and frying off in the butter before adding the flour. Cook through for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time then add the milk and mix until smooth. Bring to the boil to thicken before adding the Gorgonzola cheese and parsley and season well. Then add the roasted cauliflower without spices. Turn into an ovenproof dish and finish off in the oven for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.
For the spicy cauliflower dish, finely slice a red onion and fry off in the oil. Add the roasted spicy cauliflower together with the harissa paste and pomegranate molasses. Season well before turning into a bowl. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley. This dish can be served hot with flatbread or pitta, or cold as a salad.
So there you have it. One roasted cauliflower, two delicious but completely different dishes. Enjoy!
