STORY BY CHRISTINE RICHMOND ✷ PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARMANDO RAFAEL ✷ FOOD STYLING BY EUGENE JHO ✷ PROP STYLING BY NIDIA CUEVA ✷ RECIPES BY OLIVIA ROSZKOWSKI
We’re often told by nutritionists to avoid “white” foods—but cauliflower is a major exception. It’s a cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale are, too), so it contains sulforaphane, a powerful plant compound that has shown cancer-fighting potential in numerous studies. A cup of chopped cauliflower has a whopping 85 percent of your daily vitamin C and 11 grams of protein. But, what we love most about this humble superfood is how cheap and versatile it is. A head of the stuff will usually cost you less than $4. (By the way, although it’s often white, you may also see it in hues like purple, orange, and green, especially at the farmers market.)
Cauliflower is also on the Environmental Working Group’s “Clean Fifteen” list of produce that’s least likely to have pesticide contamination. Look for cauliflower that’s firm (mushy florets and brown spots indicate it’s started to spoil). The leaves should be crisp, not slimy or wilted. The best way to store it is in the crisper in a perforated plastic bag, to keep condensation from building up.
Cauliflower’s sweet, nutty flavor works in a wide variety of recipes, and different cooking methods change the texture. Roasting cauliflower, for example, makes it delicate and creamy. “Think of cauliflower as a blank canvas. There are countless ways to incorporate it into savory and sweet dishes,” says our Chef Olivia Roszkowski, who developed these recipes. Here, she serves up creative new ways to use cauliflower in the kitchen. You can sear it like steak, grind it up into “rice,” and even sneak it into brownies to add creaminess and a dose of filling protein.
Good to Know About Cauliflower
✷ Cauliflower leaves are edible! They’re especially good roasted in the oven until they’re browned and crunchy, the way you’d make kale chips.
✷ Cauliflower doesn’t freeze well (it tends to emerge mushy), but you can do so if you’re going to make a puree with it. Before freezing, trim the head into florets and blanch them for 3 minutes.
✷ Orange cauliflower—sometimes called cheddar cauliflower—gets its color because it has extra beta-carotene. As a result, it has about 25 times more vitamin A than regular cauliflower. Orange cauliflower also has a milder, sweeter taste than white cauliflower.
✷ The head of the cauliflower is known as a “curd” and is made up of undeveloped white flower buds (which are technically called inflorescence meristems).
✷ There are just 25 calories and 5 grams of carbs in one cup of cauliflower
Saffron Cauliflower ‘Rice’ Paella
Serves 4
Gather
1 head cauliflower (about
4 cups florets)
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can whole tomatoes, crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
½ teaspoon saffron
½ pound shrimp
½ pound mussels
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
2 lemons, cut into wedges for serving
To Make
Remove stalks and pulse cauliflower florets in food processor.
Preheat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and salt; sauté for 5 minutes, or until golden.
Add the onion and cook for an additional few minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute.
Fold in the tomatoes, stock, and saffron and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and mussels, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until shellfish is cooked through.
Turn off heat. Fold in peas and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Creamy Cauliflower Caesar Dressing over Romaine Hearts
Serves 4
Gather
¼ pound cauliflower florets (approximately ½ cup florets)
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon capers
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup walnut oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine hearts, trimmed
1 sheet nori, toasted and crumbled
To Make
Combine cauliflower, lemon juice, miso, capers, garlic, and Dijon in a high-speed blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Stream in walnut oil, and fold in black pepper.
Toss with romaine hearts, and garnish with crumbled nori.
Miniature Jalapeno Cheddar Cauliflower Muffins
Serves 4
Gather
1 small head cauliflower (about 2 cups florets)
1 jalapeno, minced
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 ¼ cups sharp cheddar
1 ¼ cups white cheddar
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup cornmeal flour
To Make
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pulse the cauliflower until smooth.
In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower with all the remaining ingredients.
Scoop batter into small paper liners (or a greased small-muffin pan) and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm and golden.
Cauliflower Flatbread with Mint Pesto & Roasted Eggplant
Serves 4
Gather
FOR ROASTED EGGPLANT
2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into rounds
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
FOR MINT PESTO
1 bunch mint, stems removed, more for garnish
½ cup pumpkin seeds
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon of umeboshi paste
2 tablespoons white miso
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
FOR FLATBREAD
1 head cauliflower (3 cups florets)
1 cup smoked mozzarella, grated
2 free range eggs, beaten
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
Make It
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss the eggplant in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast for 15 minutes, or until golden.
To make the flatbread dough, pulse cauliflower in a food processor until consistency of breadcrumbs is achieved. Transfer to bowl and fold in additional ingredients.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and form dough into your desired flatbread shape, 1/8 inch thick.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, make the pesto: Add mint (reserving a few sprigs for garnish), pumpkin seeds, and garlic to food processor. Pulse. Add the umeboshi paste and miso. Slowly stream in the olive oil.
To assemble, spread pesto on cauliflower flatbread, layer on eggplant pieces, and garnish with mint sprigs.
Buffalo Glazed Cauliflower Nuggets with Cashew Cream
Serves 4
Gather
FOR CASHEW CREAM
½ cup cashews, soaked and drained
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼-½ cup water, for desired consistency
FOR NUGGETS
1 head cauliflower
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 free-range egg
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat panko bread-crumbs
FOR BUFFALO GLAZE
¼ cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Make It
To make the cream, add cashews, rice vinegar, sea salt, and water to a high-speed blender and process until smooth, adding more water if necessary.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Add cauliflower, garlic, olive oil, onion and egg to a food processor and pulse until fine. Transfer to bowl and add arrowroot, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Scoop into desired shapes and refrigerate briefly, until cool enough to handle. Season the breadcrumbs to taste (think lemon zest, spices, herbs) and then coat the nuggets with the breadcrumbs.
Bake on a parchment-lined tray for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.
Combine hot sauce with maple syrup and drizzle over nuggets. Serve with cashew cream.
Cast-Iron Seared Cauliflower Steak with Chimichurri
Serves 4
Gather
¼ cup avocado oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into ½ inch-thick vertical slices
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
FOR CHIMICHURRI
1 bunch parsley, destemmed
1 bunch cilantro, destemmed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
¾ cup olive oil
Make It
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat.
Add the oil, sprinkle the cauliflower slabs with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden and crispy.
Transfer pan to oven and cook for additional 10 minutes, or until cauliflower interior is tender.
For chimichurri, combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, and chili flakes in a food processor and pulse lightly. Stream in the olive oil and process until smooth. Spoon over cauliflower to serve.
