Lifestyles: Cauliflower is now the star

{Stock photography}

It’s interesting to me how different items gain and lose popularity.

Cauliflower for instance, which in the past was often considered an unusual and undesired vegetable is now en vogue.

Regarded today as a superfood, cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that is taking a starring role in many recipes.

I remember grimacing as a child at the sight or thought of cauliflower.

 Now, I create new and inventive recipes to get more cauliflower into my diet in delicious ways.

I have lots of friends and family members that have changed their eating habits and adopted vegan and plant based lifestyles. Many of them often hit a wall when it comes to options to replace meat. 

Cauliflower is a wonderful replacement and can serve as the main dish or a side.

 The first time that I served my buffalo cauliflower nuggets the reaction was much better than I had anticipated. They went over so well!

 The golden brown coating and the crunch combined with the texture of the cauliflower and flavor of the spicy sauce made everyone dive in.  

Cauliflower steaks are also simple to make and are great on the grill or roasted on top of the stove in a large skillet. They can be treated as you would grilled or pan seared meat by marinating the cauliflower in your favorite oil and steak seasoning  then cooking it to your desired texture and brownness. To prepare, place the cauliflower on a kitchen towel so that it will not roll. Then, with a sharp knife, slice the whole cauliflower into four or six long diagonal steaks.  

Another recipe that you will certainly enjoy is cauliflower rice.

This is a recipe that can be served hot or as a chilled salad. 

To rice the cauliflower, use a box grater or a food processor with a grating blade. 

Grate the entire cauliflower and place in a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

This will draw out the excess liquid from the cauliflower, press out all of the liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the riced cauliflower and sautee on medium high for about seven minutes. Stir often and allow to brown slightly, then add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. 

To make into cauliflower fried rice add ½ cup each grated carrots and thinly chopped cabbage, 2 chopped scallions, 1 clove of chopped garlic and  1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or powdered ginger to the riced cauliflower 4 minutes into cooking it in the skillet and sauteed all ingredients for 4 minutes more. Do not add salt but stir in 3 tablespoons of soy sauce to the fried cauliflower rice and serve hot.

I hope that these recipes have you rethinking your views on cauliflower.

Surprise someone and make your next game day or party more interesting by serving my  cauliflower nuggets. You may get a few odd looks initially but I guarantee you that they will disappear. Especially when accompanied by the traditional sides of celery stick a creamy dressing.

Crispy Cauliflower Nuggets

(You have two options here and both have worked well for me. You can use fresh cauliflower and cut it into florets yourself or buy them from your frozen food section.)

Ingredients 

• 1 large Cauliflower or  1-16 ounce bag of frozen Cauliflower

• 1 cup of Plain Yogurt or Mayonnaise 

• 3 cups Cornstarch

• ¾ cup Yellow Corn Meal

• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt

• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

• 3 cups Fresh Oil for frying

• Place the fresh or frozen cauliflower florets in a large bowl. 

• Cover the cauliflower by gently stirring with Yogurt or Mayonnaise & ¼ cup Hot Sauce.

•   Allow the mixture to completely coat the cauliflower and sit for 5 minutes.

• Add the Cornstarch, Corn Meal, Seasoned Salt & Black Pepper to the cauliflower and mix gently with a large spoon to coat all of the cauliflower.

• Remove each coated floret from the bowl and allow it to sit separately on a cookie sheet to absorb the coating for 5 minutes.

• Heat 2 cups of frying oil to 400 degrees F in a large skillet or pot on medium heat.

• Slowly add about 8 or 10  florets to the hot oil separately so they do not stick together. Turn as needed and fry for 3 ½ minutes until they float and are golden brown.

• Place on a paper towel lined platter or a wire rack to drain.

• Allow oil to reach 400 degrees F again and drop the next batch, continuing until all are cooked.

• Eat plain or toss in a bowl with the Buffalo Sauce and serve immediately.

Buffalo Sauce 

• ¼ cup Olive Oil

• ¾ cup Hot Sauce

• 1 teaspoon Brown or White Sugar

• 2 tablespoons Vinegar  

• Pinch of Oregano (about ¼)

In a small saucepan, heat all ingredients and bring to a simmer. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Toss on Cauliflower Nuggets

Enjoy!