Cauliflower in cheese sauce

When I was a kid, pretty much the only way to get me to eat vegetables was to bury them in some sort of high-fat dairy product. Even our salads had a mound of cheddar cheese on top, which I then covered in Marie's Creamy Italian dressing, which tasted like Ranch but was nearly as thick as mayonnaise. So it's no surprise that smothering cauliflower in cheese sauce was, and still is, one of my favorite ways to get my five a day.

This is a pretty simple recipe which goes very nicely with steak, and is so tasty that even kids will eat it.

Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce

1 cauliflower

1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1 heaping tablespoon flour (about 1½ tablespoons)

1/4 cup milk (or more, depending on creamy you want your sauce)

Pinch of dry mustard (like Colman's)

about ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

splash of ketchup (about 2 teaspoons)

Put about ½ inch of water into a large saucepan over high heat. Toss in ½ teaspoon of salt.  Turn heat to high.

 Cut the leaves off the cauliflower and scoop out the stalk.  Put this stuff into the saucepan.  When it boils, put on the lid and turn the heat down to a simmer. (I often skip this step). 

  

15 minutes before you want to serve dinner, put the cauliflower into the pan, put on the lid, and turn up the heat to medium so it boils a little faster.

 Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and stir to make a nice creamy roux. Cook without browning for at least 1 minute.

 Test the cauliflower by puncturing it with a knife. When it is the softness you want, take off the heat and drain enough of the cauliflower water into the roux to make a thick sauce.  Whisk the sauce quickly over high heat until thickened. Add the milk gradually until the sauce is a nice smooth consistency.

 Turn the heat under the sauce to low. Add the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup to taste.

  

To serve, put the cauliflower in a bowl and pour the cheese sauce over the top.

Brandied Carrots

In our family, we like to either totally nullify the nutritional value of our vegetables by adding plenty of dairy fat (for example, Continental Vegetables), or spice them up by adding a bunch of booze. And sometimes we do both (dad's recipe for creamed mushrooms with sherry is coming, just as soon as I can take a photo of it that doesn't look totally disgusting. Mushrooms are not very photogenic). This recipe falls in the middle category, and it is a wonderful way to kick up the flavor of plain old steamed carrots.

Brandied Carrots

1/4 cup water

4 cupes sliced carrots

juice of 1/2 lemon

brandy

salt

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Bring the water to a boil. Add the carrots, then cover and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes or so. Drain the carrots, then return the pan to the heat, and add the lemon juice, parsley, and a jigger or so of brandy. Toss together, letting a bit of the liquid evaporate. Add salt to taste and serve.

From "The Master in the Kitchen"

Continental Vegetables

This recipe is probably the single-most requested dish that our friends ask for when they have dinner at my dad's house. It's a great way to get kids to eat their veggies, too. all the chopping can be a bit time-consuming, so lately, I've begun making a really big pot, up to the point when the sour cream is mixed in, then I freeze in meal-size portions for cooking another day. Just defrost, top with bread-crumbs, and bake.



This stuff goes so fast I had to get in there quick to get a photo before it was all gone!



Continental Vegetables

2 cups Zucchini, sliced thinly     

1 Green Pepper, diced  

1 cup carrots, shredded

¼ cup sliced shallots (or 1 chopped green onion and 1 clove garlic)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying

salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup sour cream or yogurt

½ cup grated parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

½ teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350o.  In large skillet, sauté vegetables in oil for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix sour cream or yogurt with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, parsley, and thyme.  Stir into vegetables and spoon into buttered casserole.  Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and  2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Serves 4. 

From the Zucchini Cookbook, discovered by Dad.