Cauliflower & Romanesco: Cooking Creatively with Brassicas
The cauliflower craze is real, folks. And it’s just the same with their cousin Romanesco (don’t let the name or perfect shape scare you. You can use them both the same!) These hearty vegetables are so versatile and healthy that every diet plan seems to pick it up as a top commodity. Low in both calories and carbs, our favorite brassicas soak up just about any flavor you add to it- cheese, curries, lemon, garlic sauces, you name it! There’s no kitchen that doesn’t have the right tool for preparation. You can roast ‘em, steam ‘em, stir fry ‘em, mash ‘em, puree ‘em, grate ‘em, bake with ‘em…. you get the picture.
Because of its adaptability, cauliflower has rightfully taken a creative center stage as a healthy substitute for many of our favorite go-to meals. Below, we’re giving you 3 popular ways to experiment with your cauliflower & romanesco (and there are SO many more). Feel free to liberally substitute romanesco wherever it says cauliflower below (or just mix both!) Don’t be shy- if you mess up while trying, you may discover a new use for these amazing veggies!
*All photos below are from minimalistbaker.com
CAULIFLOWER RICE
Originally invented by a Californian Chef, this used to be referred to as ‘cauliflower couscous.’ It’s internet popularity exploded around 2012, and now it’s a common base at many restaurants. To make it, you can use either a box grater or food processor. Don’t worry about making too much because you can always freeze it! Once the cauliflower is grated or processed, squeeze out any excess water by pressing it between paper towels. This will ensure that your dish isn’t soggy. After that, toss your cauli in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Cover and stir occasionally for 5-8 minutes, depending on how soft you like your ‘rice.’
CREAMY MASHED CAULIFLOWER
Tired of mashed potatoes? You can still get that same beloved buttery, comforting taste using cauliflower. The key to getting a tasty flavor is to use all the ingredients you would typically use in mashed potatoes (butter, garlic, herbs, salt, parmesan, sour cream or cream cheese). Steam your Cauliflower head for 15 minutes and then let it sit for a few minutes before putting in the blender. If you blend it right away, you may have a watery mash. To blend, you can use a food processor, blender, or old school potato masher (if you want a work out!). Just add your cauliflower, butter, cheeses, and whatever herbs you’d like to flavor your mash with, then hit ‘go!’
CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST
Consider changing your Friday night pizza tradition to a make-your-own-cauliflower-crust-pizza night! The kids will be amazed that this bold vegetable can take the place of their usual bread crust. A little more time intensive, cauliflower crust needs both eggs and cheese to stick together, so unfortunately cannot easily be made vegan. Preheat your oven to 400 and line a pan with parchment paper. Similar to the cauliflower rice, you can use a food processor to break up your cauliflower head (don’t blend stalks). Once the head is blended extra fine, steam it in a steamer basket then let cool. You’ll want to make sure you’ve pressed all the moisture out between towels before mixing with the other ingredients. Once cooled, mix it with these ingredients in a large bowl: ½ cup shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon each of any and all herbs, garlic, salt, and seasonings you’d like on your pizza crust! Once everything is combined, you can gently spread your dough on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. After that, add any additional pizza toppings and bake for another 10!