Cauliflower on the side

Cauliflower

I am a big fan of cauliflower; there are such diverse ways of preparing it that it is definitely one of my favorite veggies…now don’t start thinking that you don’t like the smell, I have several recipe’s where you won’t smell “that” smell at all, so don’t worry. Added to the fact that I love the taste of it, it is also extremely healthy (lots of vitamins) and very good for people who feel the need to watch their carb intake...cauliflower is often considered a potato replacement.

The recipe I’m going to put down is fast (about fifteen minutes of actual baking time) yummy, and it will serve well with boiled or baked potatoes, rice (boiled or fried) or even pasta if you opt to make it with a cheese sauce.

Fresh garden herbs today. If you don’t have them, go with a dried basic Italian or Sicilian herbal mix, or use the individual dried herbs (amounts of the herbs need to be quartered in that case).

Green herb Cauliflower

Serves 3-4 as a side dish. 2 as the main course.

Cauliflower: 1 mid-size. Small parts.

Onion/Leek: ½. Chopped

Tomato: (optional) 2. Quartered

Bell pepper (optional) ½. Chopped

Garlic:  (optional) 1 clove. Minced

Butter/Olive oil: 1-2 tablesp.

Cream/Milk: ½-1 mug

Sweet chili sauce: (optional) 1 tablesp.

Salt: 1 teasp. To taste.

Sugar: 1 teasp.

Pepper: 1-2 turns. (1 knifepoint)

Basil: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Oregano: 1-2 tablesp. Chopped

Parsley: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Chives: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Thyme: (optional) 1 small branch. Just the leaves. Chopped

Rosemary: (optional) 1 small branch. Just the leaves. Chopped

Heat your butter or olive oil in a skilled, or better yet, a wok…if you opted for garlic, bake it for a minute prior to the cauliflower. Throw in your cauliflower and keep the heat high, stirring frequently. Add your onion and herbs and salt. Keep stirring. When the cauliflower start to soften and crust a little add your cream or milk and the pepper and chili sauce. Then, if you opted for either the bell pepper or tomato, add that now, too.

Keep baking until you can easily “spear” the vegetable with a fork…al dente (hot and barely softened…so just a little baked so it isn’t raw anymore) is nicest.

Serve with the staple food of choice and add a salad and/or meat for a full meal.

Enjoy.

Broccoli on the side

Broccoli

Broccoli delish.

I’m a big fan of Broccoli, not because I’ve always been a Broccoli fanatic…in fact I used to hate the stuff because I just didn’t like the taste…but because I’ve found a way to prepare it that I actually love the darn stuff that has changed drastically.

Added to that I’ve discovered that it is ridiculously healthy, and so easy…well, it just deserve a spot or two in this cooking blog. Forget simple steaming, or cooking…seriously, there is a reason why kids usually hate broccoli, guys. Get out your frying pan and give this a whirl. Should take you about fifteen to twenty minutes and if you’re feeling lazy you can just eat it as the main course and leave out the rest. Hah

Usually I serve this on the side of a pasta fungi or baked potatoes, though, but it’ll do fine with another veggie side dish with some rice, or other staple food of choice.

Tender Broccoli

2-3 persons

Broccoli: (preferably fresh, frozen optional) 1-2 trunks (700gr). Small. Similar to the picture.

Onion:  1 mid-size. Chopped.

Leek: (optional) 3-4 inches. Chopped.

Butter: 1 tablesp. (Olive oil, margarine or coconut butter will work, too)

Cream (or milk): 1/3 mug (150 ml)

Basil: 2 big tablesp. Chopped.

Parsley: 1 big tablesp. Chopped.

Salt: 1-2 teasp. To taste.

Sugar: 1 teasp. (honey if you don’t like sugar)

Pepper: 1 pinch (1 knife point).

Heat your butter or oil in a wok or skillet. Toss in the broccoli, keep the fire medium to high, stir occasionally. Add the onion and leek, your herbs and salt and sugar. The broccoli should become a brighter green within just a few minutes. Once they’re shiny and green, turn the heat a little lower. Keep stirring. Add the cream or milk and keep baking until the liquid is almost completely gone. Your Broccoli should be slightly beyond al dente and delicious with your main dish. Enjoy.

Asia with a twist

Take your pick

Stir-fry for two.

You get home from work, you’re tired as a dog, and yet you want something to fill your stomach that won’t make you feel like you’re living on fast food. This is a really easy one that’ll see you through a meal with mostly left over veg that you find in your fridge (hopefully anyway). If you don’t have one or two of these ingredients, leave it out, or see if you can substitute it with something of a similar substance. I.e. you don’t have carrot, try some parsnip, or cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potato…or if you’re very adventurous, red beet. (Careful with Broccoli, it has a very dominant taste. Same goes for Brussels sprouts.)

Opted for dried herbs again. It’s winter and my herb garden is more than struggling…It’s dead. *sigh* Need to get some new ones. Remember that if you use fresh ones, double, or triple the amount indicated below. All these veggie ingredients are fresh, if you don’t have them, aim for frozen and only in extreme emergencies resort to canned.

Sweet & Salty potato-veg stir fry

Potatoes: 6-8 small ones. Cubed to half an inch. Unpeeled

Onion: 1 small. Chopped

Leek: 3-4 inches. Chopped

Carrot: 1 small. Quartered and sliced

Bell Pepper: ¼. Chopped

Green beans: 4-6. Chopped

Zucchini: 3 inches. Chopped

White Cabbage: Thin strips. Handful

Olive oil: 3-4 tablesp.

Milk: ¼ mug

Peach jam: 1 Tablesp.

Sweet chili sauce: 1 teasp.

Oregano: ½ teasp.

Basil: ½ teasp.

Parsley: ½ teasp.

Italian mix: 1 pinch

Salt: ½ teasp. (to taste)

Cayenne pepper: 1-2 pinch (1-2 knife points)

Use a big skillet or wok. Heat the olive oil for about thirty seconds and throw in your chopped potatoes. The beauty of this recipe is that if you get the sequence right, you can basically cut your veggies above the pan, saving loads of time. Stir frequently and turn the fire to medium when you notice that your potatoes begin to crust a bit. Add onion and leek. Keep stirring. Add your herbs, salt and cayenne. When onions begin to become transparent a bit, add carrot slices. Make sure they’re thin. About three minutes on medium fire needs to pass before you add the sweet chili, milk, and the jam, keeping a steady stir going. If you don’t think the mix is baking properly turn the fire higher again. If you look at your veggie list, that is basically the sequence in which you should gradually stir the remainder of the veg through your potatoes, leaving the cabbage strips to last. Once your cabbage begins to turn soft, glassy almost, you’re done.

This recipe can be served as a full meal, or a side dish to noodles or rice. If you need to stretch it for more people, you can add half a kilo (2-3 mugs) of boiled lentils to the mix. Or serve just the stir fry with French bread, pita, naan or a meat of choice…cubed chicken filet will go well with this. Make sure to bake the chicken crispy in olive oil with pepper and salt and a pinch of rosemary. If anyone dares to make it with fish (baked in olive oil with some sage), I’d love to hear how that worked out.

Zucchini on the side

Zucchini

Another easy one for the lazy cook who wants to make a stab at healthy regardless. I tried it just the other day and it worked like a charm. I served it with pasta, which was very good, but I think it would go well with baked potatoes (normal or sweet) as well. As usual, cheese of choice, but I used the salty Edam. The flour can be white, whole wheat, or Maizena. Normally I would prefer fresh green garden herbs, but in this case I used a basic dried Italian mix with extra Basil.

Creamy Zucchini

Zucchini: 3-4 mid-size. Cubed or sliced

Onion: 1 mid size/big. Chopped

Red Bell Pepper: (optional) ½. Chopped

Cream/Milk: 100 ml (1/4 mug)

Cheese: 100 gr (1/2 mug). Grated

Olive oil: 2-3 tablesp.

Peach jam: 2 tablesp.

Flour: 1 big tablesp.

Sweet chili sauce: 2-3 tablesp.

Salt: 1 teasp. Or to taste. (Or herbal salt)

Pepper: 1 knife point

Paprika: 1 knife point

Italian herb mix: (dried) 2 teasp.

Thyme: (dried) 1 knife point

Basil: (dried) 1 teasp.

Take a nice big skillet or wok, and heat the olive oil for about thirty seconds on medium fire. Throw in your onion and zucchini. Add the herbs, salt and pepper, stirring well. By the time liquid begins to gather in your pan, add the jam and cream (or milk). Keep stirring, keep the medium fire the same if possible. Your zucchini pieces should be turning glassy and soft when you add the bell pepper pieces and all the remaining ingredients except for your flour. Wait a few minutes then push the solids in your pan to the side, allowing some space for the excess liquid to gather. Carefully mix your flour through the liquid with a fork or small whisk and then stir it through the pan. After a few minutes you should have a soft creamy substance between your veggies, which is when it is ready serve.

Enjoy.