
There isn’t a time that I make cauliflower anymore, that I don’t think about our friends Lynn and Sue who are frequent dinner guests at our home (and we at theirs). Lynn, who professes to be somewhat neutral about cauliflower, has never quite forgiven me because twice I’ve served him masqueraded cauliflower. The first time I served him a salad that I said was tabbouleh. But it was made with cauliflower, not bulgur wheat. He loved it. The second time I served cauliflower masquerading as mashed potatoes, containing all the trimmings of baked potatoes – like butter, sour cream, green onions and the like, with cauliflower that’s completely mashed up like potatoes. He loved that one too. So now he’s always on the lookout for what kind of innocent vegetable I might serve him. He wants to know if I’ve got cauliflower hiding somewhere. He’s onto my game!
This dish, though, is straight, up front and definitely cauliflower. No masquerade here! But it’s certainly prepared in a different way. Using my new resource I wrote up yesterday, Eat Your Books, I found a recipe in my cookbook collection from Deborah Madison’s book, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It was just right to serve with the Swordfish Souvlaki I made to go with it.
Veering off from the cooking method in the book, I made it mostly in a skillet, choosing not to bake or broil the finished dish. I microwave steamed the cauliflower and added it to the already prepared sauce (well, not exactly a sauce) of onions, fresh tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, a speck of honey, capers, lemon juice, and a bunch of crumbled feta cheese. The combo of the sweet and sour (honey and sweet onions vs. capers and lemon juice) was very noticeable. Prominent, actually, But the texture of the cauliflower kept it as cauliflower. We both liked it a lot. Really a lot. Not exactly a five star recipe, but it was good. Different. I always like different. I’ll have to call our friend Lynn and tell him all about it!
Cauliflower Gratin with Tomatoes and Feta
Recipe By: Adapted from Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Serving Size: 4
2 tablespoons olive oil — (2 to 3)
1 onion — thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves — chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 fresh tomatoes — peeled, seeded, and diced or 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon capers — rinsed
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 large cauliflower — about 11/2 pounds, broken into florets
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 ounces feta cheese — crumbled
Finely chopped parsley
1. Cut up the cauliflower and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a tablespoon of water, cover and cook the cauliflower until it’s almost cooked through, but still just slightly firm.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon and cook until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cook for 7 minutes more, then add the honey and capers and season with salt and pepper. Add the drained cauliflower then add the lemon juice and feta cheese.
3.Simmer the cauliflower for 3-5 minutes until it’s heated through, the cauliflower is cooked and the feta has softened. Garnish with the parsley and serve.
Per Serving: 174 Calories; 12g Fat (58.1% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 279mg Sodium.
A year ago: Cauliflower and Green Onion Mash
Two years ago: An earthquake
Three years ago: Marinated Brussels Sprouts




















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