Tasty Cauliflower - Sicilian Style with Pecorino Cheese and Black Olives

Once again, always thinking of food the kids would like to eat
This IS a Cauliflower Cheese, without the usual Cheese Sauce
BUT as you will see, using the leftovers, I did make the Cheese Sauce and it was yummy

I found this recipe in the NY Times Cooking Column. Martha Rose Shulman is the author in fact
My Grandchildren love vegetables, so it's good to find different ways, to serve food to develop their palate 
I did like the idea of using Green Cauliflower, a very pretty vegetable

1 generous head green or white cauliflower (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
Sea Salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 imported oil-cured black olives, pitted and cut in half
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan, or a combination

Break up the cauliflower into small florets while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Salt the water generously and drop in the cauliflower.
Boil 5 minutes while you fill a bowl with ice and water.
Transfer the cauliflower to the ice water, let sit for a couple of minutes, 
This stops the cooking process and keeps the Cauliflower nice and firm
then drain and place on paper towels.
   
Preheat the oven to 175C
Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. 
Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and the garlic.
Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and translucent.
Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.
Place the cauliflower in the baking dish and 
Add the onion and olive mixture, the remaining olive oil, the parsley and half the cheese. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir together well.
Spread out in the dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned.

Serve hot or warm.
I served this with Roast Chicken

The next day
I looked at the leftovers and of course "a bake" came to mind

Very simple
Just make a simple Bechamel Sauce
Flavour it with some grated cheese
Voila...another dish has been created

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Handful of extra grated cheese

Melt butter in a small pot
Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, to get rid of the raw flour taste
Season with S & P
Add milk gradually
Stir vigorously and keep on the heat
A wooden spoon is best or a wire whisk
Keep on stirring till the sauce begins to thicken
When it is bubbling
Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes
Stir every so often to stop lumps forming and make sure it doesn't stick
Add grated cheese

In a gratin dish, layer the chicken and cauliflower
Cover with sauce

Top with extra grated cheese

This is good to freeze at this stage
I have excellent Pyrex dishes, just big enough for 1 person

Into the freezer for another night

But if you are working with the unfrozen dish
Heat oven to 180C

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until it bubbles and turns lovely and golden

Absolutely Fabulous

Vegetable Fritters - More Ways to Use Leftovers

Cooking for one, frequently means you have too much food. I am from a family that never had the same meal every night. So when I have leftover food, I find another to present it.

So last night, some potatoes, some asparagus.
What to do?
Fritters for lunch.
Yes

So I grabbed a courgette, a spring onion, some cherry tomatoes, couple of eggs  from the fridge.

There is no absolute rule for the amounts...but the rule of thumb is... enough flour to coat the vege
and enough egg to bind them all together

So for these fritters
This is what I had in hand

2 small cooked potatoes grated
4 stalks cooked asparagus sliced into disc
1 spring onion finely chopped
1 courgette grated
3 cherry tomatoes quartered, seeds removed and chopped

1/4 cup flour
2 eggs

Oil for frying

Sea salt and  freshly ground black pepper

Place the vegetables into a bowl
Add flour and salt and pepper
Toss to coat the vegetables 

Meanwhile in another bowl beat eggs with some salt and pepper
Add the seeds from the tomatoes and beat together

Add egg mix to vegetables

Heat oil in a pan, over medium heat, till it is hot
Add the mixture in spoonfuls

Cook on one side 2-3 minutes
Turn and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes
If they cooking too quickly turn the heat down

Drain on a wire rack

Serve
I think room temperature is best for the flavour

You could squeeze a little lemon over the top
or serve with a chutney
I like them just with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Your choice

Moussaka you say? Not Quite, But Close… Layer up Carrots, Potatoes, Meat Sauce and Béchamel

After making lasagne yesterday I had Leftover Meat Sauce and Leftover Béchamel
I wanted to make something different with them, rifled through my fridge and pantry and found Carrots, Potatoes and some spinach
I haven't specified quantities
I think you just use what you have, I had a couple of cups of meat sauce and about a cup of Bechamel
if you want to see how to make the Meat Sauce and Bechamel have a look here

Peel and slice carrots and potatoes into rings
Cook in microwave till just tender 2-3 minutes
Drain

Toss in a slosh of olive oil Shake of oregano, salt and pepper
Onto baking sheet and into 200 C
roast for about 15 minutes till turning golden

Spinach

Place 2 cloves of garlic smashed with sea salt into a pan
Saute gently till garlic just starting to soften
Add washed spinach and toss well and wilt it right down

Remove from pan and chop
Back into a bowl and add 2 tbs béchamel sauce
Mix well
Season with freshly ground black pepper and some finely grated Parmesan cheese

Now time to assemble
Oil a suitable dish
First layer potatoes and carrots

 Add layer of 1/2 the meat sauce

 Then the spinach mix
 Top with the remainder of the meat sauce

Layer with the remainder of the potatoes and carrots
cover with Béchamel Sauce

 Lightly Cover with foil

Bake for about 20 minutes
Take foil off and place back in the oven and bake till top is golden
and bubbling
Approx another 20 minutes

Serve...by the way, you don't need anything to go with it!!!
All food groups covered

Celery and Blue Cheese Toasts - Substantial Nibbles to have with Drinks

Celery goes so well with Blue Cheese
So let’s take advantage of this pairing, to make some little delights to have with drinks

So so simple…I got the idea from The New York Times Cooking Web site
and of course as usual have adapted it to my taste buds

Generally most people have the ingredients in the fridge or pantry
Their recipe called for buttered toast
Cover with a slice of Blue Cheese and top with a celery salad

If you use Castello Blue Cheese, as I did, I don't think there is any need for butter
It is quite a mild, creamy blue cheese,
That's enough
Ingredients I haven't put quantities, I think you can work that out

Bread for Toasting
Castello Blue Cheese mashed for spreading
Celery Stalks
Spring onions
French Dressing
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Then just finely slice a stalk of celery
Plus a spring onion finely sliced
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black pepper
a tablespoon of French Dressing
Don't dress the salad till you are nearly ready
Want the vegetables to remain crisp
I used Vogel’s Bread… the thin sliced

Toast the bread and let cool in a toast rack so that it stays crisp
Or lean it up against something while it cools, to let the steam out
When you are ready to serve
Spread the toast with a thick layer of blue cheese
Spoon over the Celery Salad

Cut into portions
And watch them disappear

Bell Peppers with Chicken and Coconut Rice

This recipe from the Epicurious Site  by Larraine Perri was originally for Prawns but my Grandson is not so wrapped in Prawns so I substituted Chicken
I decided to poach the chicken in coconut milk and water, flavoured with basil and peppercorns and a shallot. These added extras, made a flavoursome stock to cook the rice
Always love extra flavour
There was enough of the cooked rice to fill 5 peppers plus some leftover.

Ingredients
1/ 400 gm can coconut milk
Fill the empty can with water 
Couple of stalks of basil with the leaves intact 
1 shallot peeled and rough chop
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 skinless chicken breasts      

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 and 1/2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
3 cups Coconut chicken stock
 
1 large red or yellow bell pepper per person

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted, unsalted cashews

First poach the chicken
Place the coconut milk, water, basil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, lime zest, sugar
and shallot into a pot and slowly bring to the boil
Add the chicken breasts, make sure the chicken is covered
Bring back up to a simmer and let gently simmer for about 5 minutes
Turn off the heat cover and let cool in the pot for a couple of hours
The chicken will be perfectly cooked
Remove from the pot
Strain the liquor, there should be approx 3 cups enough to cook the rice
Shred the chicken
Meanwhile
In a large pot, bring 8 inches of water to a low boil.
Cut off top third of each bell pepper and reserve;
remove ribs and seeds.
Boil peppers and tops until slightly soft, 5 minutes;

Remove peppers and drain

Then start on the rice
In a medium pan over medium heat,
Heat oil.
Cook ginger and garlic, 1 minute. 
Add the rice

Add chicken liquid, about 3 cups
Season with more salt and pepper
It does need to be well seasoned then bring to a low boil till it bubbles away
When it looks like boiling mud pools
Take off heat
Cover and leave for about 10 minutes
Add shredded chicken. basil and cashews nuts and lime juice 

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
Stuff the pepper with the mixture
Well oil a baking dish
Add stuffed peppers
Heat oven to 170C
Pour an inch of water in bottom of dish.
Cover with foil and bake until warm, 15 -25 minutes

Here they are...very pretty. Just pop a basil leaf on top to serve

The verdict
Excellent

In fact the Chicken and Coconut Rice is worth making on it's own

Cinnamon Rolls - Thank you Paula Deen

When my husband was in hospital, I was always thinking of treats to take up to him
Everyone was talking about Cinnabons
Those wonderful rich Cinnamon Rolls
I had a look through the Food Network Site for a recipe
The Americans do these kind of rolls, so well
Paula Deen the Queen of Rich and Over the Top food, had this recipe
So I made them
It was so so popular
He loved them

Dough:
1/4 -ounce package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 6 tablespoons hot water.

Heat oven to 175 degrees C

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.

In food processor  Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. 
Mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. 
Add yeast mixture.
Mix in remaining flour
Blitz until dough is easy to handle.

Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes.
Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough.
Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle.

Spread melted butter all over dough.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. 

Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired.
Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal.

Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and

Let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency.
Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Pull apart and devour