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"Diets" Grains & Seeds Three
Bites II
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October 31, 2008 I stopped off at Bayview, my favorite local farm stand, to buy Halloween cookies for my nephews. As usual, I exited with more than I went in for. It's impossible not to- Bayview is to food what Target is to toiletries: you go in for one thing and walk out having spent over $50. In as much as the hubs would complain about that amount of money spent on hair gel and shampoo, I doubt he would complain about any amount spent on vegetables. And how could I resist cauliflower that came in different colors? As soon as I saw the yellow and purple heads (the yellow aptly named "cheddar cauliflower") I knew it would have to be my vegetable of the week. I absolutely love cauliflower raw but steamed- not so much. I do, however, love creamed cauliflower which I eat once a year at Thanksgiving. I wanted to try something different this time. I couldn't think of anything to do with Mexican ingredients but there's nothing that wouldn't benefit from the addition of pasta and cheese. I recently saw an episode of Lidia's Italy where she made a garlic and oil pasta with toasted bread crumbs and parmesan. I tried to copy the recipe but wasn't crazy about it (there wasn't enough going on with the dish to be interesting- it seemed to be missing something). When I thought about putting the cauliflower with pasta, I knew I needed to add a little texture to it and decided the toasted breadcrumbs would be just the thing. I cooked it for my mother who lives alone and almost never cooks for herself (she's the Queen of Lean Cuisine thanks to it's ease). Unless my brother has her over for dinner, she rarely cooks any vegetables for herself. I was excited for her eat this because cauliflower, as with all cruciferous vegetables, are great cancer fighters. She enjoyed it thoroughly. Ken liked the leftovers too. If you can't find purple or cheddar cauliflower don't fret- any variety will do.
These photos have not been "touched up". This is the actual color of the cauliflower!!
Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Bread Crumbs & Cheese 1 large head cauliflower (I
used 2 small heads, one purple and one cheddar cauliflower) Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Cut the cauliflower into 1/2 inch florets. Cook in boiling water for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Remove from water using a strainer or slotted spoon- do not discard the water- you will use it to boil the pasta. In a deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast, stirring often, until golden but not dark brown. Transfer to a bowl and wipe pan. Meanwhile, add salt to boiling water and cook pasta until al dente. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the pancetta that has been diced into small pieces. Cook until crispy and golden. Add the strained cauliflower and garlic and saute until golden. Add salt & pepper to taste if needed (keeping in mind both pancetta and parmesan are salty). Sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs and some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
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Recipes:******************* Appetizers
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