Aloo Gobhi

Indian food always seems so mysterious, with its complex flavors and rich mixtures of spices. And some of it can be complex - I have yet to mess around with making my own curry pastes, which has always seemed beyond my expertise (although now that I have an actual spice grinder and won't have to struggle with a mortar and pestle, I might change my tune).

This dish, however, is not complex at all. It's extremely simple and low stress. Just chop a few things, toss your ingredients in the pot and let them go. Minimal watching is involved to make sure the liquid doesn't boil off too soon. Other than that, sit back and wait for your house to fill with lovely spicy smells. (I haven't made this recipe in a while, so I forgot how easy it actually was. I had assumed I was going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen and, instead, got to spend some extra time on the couch with a book!)

Aloo Gobhi
From Jamie's Food Revolution.

3 tbsp canola oil
small bunch cilantro
1 onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, minced
1" fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric (it might be interesting to try fresh turmeric in here some time - I've seen it at Whole Foods, looking just like ginger except yellow-orange under the skin)
1 tsp ground cumin
3 c cauliflower, chopped into florets (I used about half of a medium-sized one - you can include chunks of the stem in this dish, too, if you'd like)
1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Pour the oil into a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Separate the cilantro leaves from the stems and set aside. Mince the stems finely. When the oil is hot, add the onion, chiles, ginger, cilantro stems, mustard seeds, turmeric, and cumin and stir to combine.

Cook 7-10 minutes until the onions are softened. Stir in the cauliflower, potatoes, coconut, salt and pepper.

Add 1 2/3 c water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot (you can also add a bit of water here, if you think it needs it). Cover the pot and stick it in the oven for another 20 minutes. Check seasonings and add more if necessary.

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Serve over rice.

Cauliflower, Kale and White Bean Soup

With the holidays so near, everything is starting to get busy. Between our normal activities, trips to the gym, and holiday baking and other preparations, we seem to be occupied every evening. This is not the time for complicated, time-consuming recipes (though I still love them, and have a good one to post some time soon!). This is the time for simple goodness simmering in a pot.

This soup is really easy to throw together, using some of my favorite winter vegetables. I can never get enough cauliflower. It's good in soup, roasted, pureed in pasta sauce, in curries, and sometimes even raw. Roasted cauliflower, in particular, doesn't last very long in our house. Leftovers are a rare occurrence. This soup didn't last long, either, since it combined the wonder of cauliflower with delicious, nutritious kale. I don't know about you guys, but when I eat kale, I feel so much more energetic and alert. Those vitamins must be doing something good!

What made our batch of soup extra special is that we made it with some of our Thanksgiving turkey stock. That stock turned out so thick and rich that it gelled in the fridge. There was definitely some extra protein floating around in there. If you have homemade poultry stock, it will make this soup more delicious. If you don't, it'll still turn out pretty good, and good for you!

Cauliflower, Kale and White Bean Soup
Adapted from What Would Cathy Eat?

2 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts sliced and soaked
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 c kale, chopped
2-3 c cannellini beans, cooked
1 small head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
6 c turkey stock
2 c water
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dried parsley (fresh would be better, if you have it)
salt and black pepper to taste (my stock is unsalted, so I had to add a lot of salt to the soup)
4 tbsp grated Parmesan

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook about 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add kale and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the beans, cauliflower, stock, water, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender. Stir in Parmesan and serve. (Remember to remove your bay leaf!)

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Tomatoes

Have I mentioned that I love cauliflower? I think I have. Roasted cauliflower is the best - the roasting brings out an almost nutty flavor. The only negative might be that the cauliflower can dry out a bit with roasting.

This recipe fixes that - the juice from the tomatoes soaks into the cauliflower and adds moisture, as well as flavor. On top of that, the Indian spices, cilantro and lemon juice provide a huge flavor kick. It's a tremendously tasty side dish, and incredibly simple - just toss everything in a bowl and roast. This is quickly becoming my favorite way to eat cauliflower - and, for that matter, tomatoes, which I do not normally eat. I'm not a fan of their squishy texture, but the roasting takes some of that away. The other thing I like about this recipe is that I can really taste every one of the flavors - it seems to have a lot of ingredients, but all of them make a difference. And who doesn't mind cranking up the stove on a chilly April evening?

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Tomatoes
From Food Network.

7 c cauliflower, cut into florets (I just chose the biggest head I could find at the store)

3 plum tomatoes, chopped (I didn't use plum tomatoes, but I have a hunch they would work better - less pulp and seeds to deal with)

1/4 c olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp turmeric

pinch cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

lemon juice

cilantro

Toss all ingredients except lemon juice and cilantro together in a bowl. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast at 450° F for 25 minutes (didn't I say this was easy?). Garnish with a squirt of lemon juice and some cilantro and serve.

Brussels Sprout and Cauliflower Gratin

Brussels sprouts and cauliflower - possibly my two favorite vegetables united as one in this creamy, crispy baking dish of goodness. And believe it or not, it's fairly light!

Winter vegetables are my favorite, hands down. I love butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. I have lots of delicious ways to prepare them. But by this time of the year, I'm ready for something different. I've been really trying to eat seasonally, but this is a pretty lean season (nothing local left except moldy potatoes) and the warm weather has me craving asparagus, snap peas and salads, which are not even close to ready. I even caved and purchased a few imported veggies - there are vine-ripened tomatoes from Maine in my refrigerator right now (I shudder at the thought of the fossil fuels they need to heat those greenhouses).

The only way to win here - to tide myself over until the spring harvest actually begins - is to use this time to say goodbye to my winter favorites. Goodbye, Brussels sprouts, with your mustardy kick. Goodbye, cauliflower, with your firm tenderness. Goodbye, creamy, cheesy baked dishes. Your time is nearly at an end. But don't worry - come October I'll once again be craving your goodness.

Crispy-Topped Brussels Sprout and Cauliflower Gratin
From Cooking Light, March 2011.

4 c cauliflower florets

4 c Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1/4 c flour

1 1/2 c 1% milk (I generally only have skim on hand, but I bought a special carton of 1% for this - I don't think you can make a proper bechemel sauce with skim milk)

2/3 c half-and-half (although, since there is half-and-half here, perhaps it could make up for using skim milk - if you try it, let me know!)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

4 slices bacon, chopped (since we're going meatless, we left this out)

2 c sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c grated Parmesan

1/4 c panko

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Parcook the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for ~ 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine flour, milk, half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl and whisk well.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook 3 minutes, until it begins to brown (we skipped the bacon, so we melted 1 1/2 tbsp butter in the skillet instead). Add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk mixture, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in vegetables.

Spoon the mixture into an 11x7 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil coated in cooking spray. Bake at 375° F for 20 minutes, until bubbly (I'd suggest putting a baking sheet under your dish in case it bubbles over). Remove from oven and remove foil.

Preheat broiler to high. Combine cheese and panko and sprinkle evenly over vegetables. Broil 5" from heat for 4 minutes until browned. (My gratin was positioned the right distance from the heat and it was about to burn after 2 minutes, so you might want to keep it a bit further from the heat or take it out sooner - either way, keep an eye on it. Parmesan cheese is awesome, but burnt Parmesan is not.) Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart

I love cauliflower.

This is a recent discovery. I had set myself the task of exploring new vegetables and finding preparations that would be acceptable, and even delicious, to my picky palate. The first time we roasted cauliflower, I fell deeply in love.

Since I am also in love with onions, I felt this tart had the potential to be my soul mate. It is spectacular. Roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions, three kinds of cheese and a flaky crust. A cardiologist's nightmare, perhaps, but worth every bite.

Or is it? As delicious as the tart was (well, is, really - we're taking this one sliver by sliver so it should be around for a while), I didn't long for the finished product the way I longed for the roasted cauliflower itself. When I took the tray of cauliflower out of the oven, I took a little taste. And another and another and another. I find that one is never enough - once I break the seal, I start gobbling it up like a kid digging into some Halloween candy. Except this is good for me. I have always loved picking at food during the cooking process, but in this case it was so bad that I had to have Jeff take over chopping it lest I leave too little for the tart. Then we put the bowl in a high place where I couldn't reach. For once, out of sight was out of mind, and the rest of the cooking went off without a hitch.

So the verdict is . . . absolutely delicious. But the work is not really worth it for an everyday dinner with just the two of us. I will save the tart for special occasions, and leave the roasted cauliflower for everyday.

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

1 small head cauliflower (~1 lb), cut into 1" florets

3 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard  (I think I used a bit more than this)

2 large eggs

1 8 oz container mascarpone cheese

1/2 c whipping cream

1/4 tsp black pepper

pinch ground nutmeg  (I forgot to put this in)

1 c grated Gruyère cheese

1/3 c Parmesan cheese

1 savory tart shell (recipe below)

Roast the cauliflower:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil in large bowl. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet (I always cover mine with foil when roasting to reduce the mess), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast 30 minutes, turning florets halfway through. Cool cauliflower, then thinly slice. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

(This is where you would parbake a storebought tart shell. I prefer homemade - the recipe below does not need parbaking.)

Caramelize the onions:

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is caramelized, stirring occasionally. This will take 30-40 minutes (so, for maximum efficiency, it should be done while the cauliflower is roasting). Cool slightly.

Prepare the tart:

Spread Dijon mustard over the bottom and sides of the pie crust (I used the back of a spoon, as if spreading pizza sauce). (Since I used a 10" tart pan, rather than the 9" recommended in the original recipe, I used a fair bit more than 1 tbsp. And since I couldn't taste the Dijon in every bite, I might put even more next time. I would keep it to a relatively thin layer, though, to avoid getting the crust too soggy.) Spread the onion over the mustard and the cauliflower over the onion. Set the tart on a rimmed baking sheet to protect against leaks (I missed this step and the tart did leak a little, but only between the layers of the pan. Lucky for me.) Whisk eggs, mascarpone, cream and pepper in a medium bowl (if the mascarpone is cold, like mine, a whisk might get messy. A wooden spoon worked better). Stir in Gruyère. Pour the mixture over the filling in the tart pan, and sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake until tart is golden and center is set - about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 15 minutes before serving.

I found that more than one slice of this per day could be deadly, but it does stay well. I just reheated the slices in the toaster oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes.

Savory Tart Shell

Also from Smitten Kitchen.

1 1/4 c flour

1 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, diced

1 egg

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender until the butter is well-blended(generally, no larger than pea-sized chunks). Add egg and mix with a fork until dough comes together. If this does not happen easily(it didn't for me), knead it a bit in the bowl or on the counter, depending on how well it has blended(I still had about a cup's worth of powder in the bowl, so I kneaded it there until it all came together, then did some more kneading on the counter).

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12" circle. (Yeah, right. Mine was a horrible, torn, free-form shape. I found this dough difficult to roll out nicely. However, it was easy to take ripped pieces and use them to patch holes later. This worked fine for me.) Place the dough in a 9" pie or tart pan and press to remove any air bubbles. (Ha! Easier said than done. I started to lift the dough and it immediately ripped. I ended up sliding the tart pan bottom under the dough, lifting it on that and carefully putting it back in the pan. This worked pretty well, and it did fit my 10" pan well enough. I then fixed any extra rips or thin places with the excess dough. It looked like a wreck, but once the filling was in, you'd never notice.) Refrigerate crust for 30 minutes, then proceed with filling of your choice. It does not need to be parbaked.