Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

-

No matter how much your family claims to hate cauliflower and broccoli, they'll be eating great florets of the stuff with this easy recipe for cauliflower and broccoli cheese


Dad's Cuisine - Cauliflower cheese
Cauliflower cheese


Cauliflower cheese - also known as cauliflower gratin - is possibly the most comforting dish known to mankind. I exaggerate, perhaps. But there's something so homely and reassuring about cauliflower cheese. It's a wonderful winter warmer, is great a side dish to a roast dinner and is a tasty choice for a quick lunch. I don't know many (any) people who would stand up and claim cauliflower as their favourite vegetable. Yet, as the main ingredient in this dish, it's a winner.

I've combined it here with broccoli because you can never have too much leafy veg, and I think the splash of green is appealing and breaks up the visual blandness of an otherwise monochrome dish.

Dad's Cuisine - Cauliflower and broccoli cheese
Cauliflower and broccoli cheese
 
And as they say, the secret is in the sauce. This easy recipe for cheese sauce is pretty much foolproof. It's the same one I use when I make Bechamel sauce for lasagna (also known as white sauce) - and if I want something a little less cheesy, I make it without the cheddar. Whichever version you choose, it's a creamy, unctuous delight! 

Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

For the cheese sauce (Bechamel)

55g salted butter

55g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

570 ml milk

80g cheddar cheese, grated

1) Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and whisk together, then add the salt and Dijon mustard and gently whisk the mixture for about 2 minutes. This is called the roux; it should have the consistency of a paste.  

2) Turn the heat up to medium, add a quarter of the milk to the roux and whisk. The slowly add the rest of the milk and whisk furiously until the sauce is smooth.

3) Stir continuously with a spoon for about five minutes.

4) Remove from the heat, add the cheddar cheese and continue to stir until it has melted. You will know when the sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of the spoon. 

For the cauliflower and broccoli cheese

1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into small florets (I set the leaves aside to make pesto)

1 medium head of broccoli, broken into florets

1) Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan

2) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and broccoli, and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still retain a bit of bite.

3) Drain the cauliflower and broccoli, and transfer them to an ovenproof dish.

4) Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and broccoli. At this point, you can sprinkle some breadcrumbs or Parmesan over the top for added texture.

5) Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts

Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf

-
Image
Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf Sweet and savoury come together in this chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf. A delicious, seasonal cake that's perfect for those chilly autumn days. Chestnut, bacon and cranberry loaf Autumn has crept up on us. It's hard to explain why we are constantly surprised by the changing of the seasons, but every year we exclaim and complain how chilly and dark it's getting, as if this is the first time it's happened and the universe is pranking us.  But this year, we aren't complaining. In a time where everything is uncertain and we're all having to adapt to a new way of living, it can be comforting to honour the season's rituals and welcome a change that is familiar.  In our family, autumn heralds a period of long walks and foraging in the forest for mushrooms and chestnuts.  After all, eating seasonal foods is good for your health and great for your wallet.  Now, I'm not overly confident when it comes to mushrooms; I can't...
See more

CELERY PESTO

-
Image
CELERY PESTO  Celery pesto is a fantastic alternative to traditional pesto. Using cheaper, readily available ingredients, this is a cost-effective and healthy twist on a classic recipe.  Pesto is one of those recipes that I have always found particularly intimidating, and to be honest, a bit posh. Its ingredients - parmesan, pine nuts, fresh basil and olive oil - are on the expensive side. As a busy working Mum, most of those items are not a part of my staple diet (which generally includes pasta, rice, chocolate and wine. Lots of wine.) But I came to discover the joys of making pesto because I was making tomato soup for Dad. The recipe called for a single stick of celery. Now, we are not big celery eaters in my house, but Dad really wanted tomato soup and I really wanted him to eat some vegetables, so I dutifully bought a bunch of celery. Having detached the single stick required and chucking it into the pan to make the soup, I started munching m...
See more

PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

-
Image
PASTA WITH SARDINES, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS A grown-up pasta dish that's perfect for a midweek supper and a great way to sneak some green onto kids' plates! Like most people, I usually have a tin of sardines lurking somewhere in my kitchen, which I always use as a topping for toast when I need to eat and run. Sardines are a great source of protein, those all-important omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12. I've had fresh sardines on the barbecue, but I've never thought of using tinned sardines for cooking.  However, after coming back from holiday following an exhausting ten-hour drive from one end of the country to the other, I stared despondently at the bare cupboards, hoping to be inspired by the few ingredients gracing the shelves.  These included pasta (of course), a single tin of sardines and, bewilderingly, some pine nuts that I didn't remember buying. I also had half a bag of spinach in the freezer, and hey presto, all the makings of a delicious d...
See more

Chestnut and feta cheese burgers

-
Image
Chestnut and feta cheese burgers Quick and easy to make and with a grown-up twist, chestnut and feta cheese burgers are a hearty, healthy vegetarian alternative to burgers.  Chestnut and feta cheese burger My favourite way to eat fresh chestnuts is roasted - ideally over an open fire, as Perry Como crooned. They take me straight back to those colder autumn days - in fact, one of our favourite weekend activities when the temperatures drop is to forage for mushrooms and chestnuts. But you don't need to wait until it gets colder outside to enjoy this recipe. Although I opt for fresh vegetables whenever I can, I always have tins of pulses and veg available to prepare something quickly. Lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, tomatoes, peas, corn and chestnuts are store cupboard essentials for me.   Chestnuts have a lovely meaty texture, so they're ideal for recipes where you want a bit of bulk. They're also sweet, making them versatile enough to use in both s...
See more