♥︎Roasted cauliflower salad with pancetta & baby potatoes

For ➍ 

50 g pancetta♥︎

1 cauliflower 

400 g baby potatoes 

2 cloves garlic 

½ lemon, juice 

10 g flat-leaf parsley

400 g chickpeas 

200 g hummus 

5 Medjool dates 

5 cl tahini 

1 tbs za'atar 

4 tbs olive oil 

salt & pepper 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Rinse the baby potatoes and cut them into wedges. 

Cut the cauliflower into florets and the slices of pancetta in half. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and drain. 

Stir the za'atar through the olive oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the cauliflower, chickpeas, baby potatoes and pancetta and mix thoroughly. 

Peel and halve the garlic and mix with the vegetables. 

Roast the vegetables and pancetta in the oven for 25 m until cooked and crispy. 

Stir the tahini into the hummus and spoon a generous amount of the mixture onto each plate. 

Spoon the roasted vegetables and bacon on top and finish with a generous amount of finely chopped parsley and pieces of date.

♥︎Replace with heart-friendly alternative like turkey.

Cauliflower steaks

For ➍ 

1 large cauliflower 

5 tbs olive oil 

¼ lemon + lemon zest, grated 

½ lime + lime zest, grated 

1 garlic clove 

pinch paprika powder s

alt to taste 

fresh coriander, chopped 

Mix the olive oil with the juice of the lemon and lime together with the crushed garlic clove. Set aside. Remove the leaves from around the cauliflower, leaving the stem intact. Cut the cauliflower into 4 slices about 2 cm thick. Work from the center, the core section will help hold it together. Brush the slices with the olive oil/lemon-lime mix and sprinkle both sides with paprika, salt and grated lemon and lime zest. Heat a griddle pan or barbecue and cook the slices for 6m on one side until grill marks appear. Turn the slices over and cook the other side for another 5 m. Place the cauliflower steaks on a baking tray and cover the tray with aluminum foil. Place the baking tray ± 25 m in the oven at 190°C.  

Serve the cauliflower steaks on a plate and sprinkle with some extra lemon juice and fresh coriander.  Serve if necessary. with grilled haloumi slices.

Couscous sebha godaar (7 vegetables' couscous)

For ➍

500 g couscous

1 kg lamb (preferably with bones)* 

2 big onions 

1 tomato 

½ ts saffron 

a handful of coriander 

olive oil 

1.5 l vegetable broth 

200 g turnips 

200 g young carrots 

100 g peas 

1 zucchini 

¼ cauliflower 

100 g cooked chickpeas 

a dash of butter 

a few mint leaves

 

Heat the oil and brown the meat. Add the ringed onions. Cover.

Peel the tomato, cut into chunks and, as soon as the onions are glazed, add to the mixture.

Add some of the broth, add the coriander and saffron. Bring to a boil and cook the meat*. (For 500 g, this will take 10-15 m for the meat to heat, and another 10 m to cook).

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables in large chunks and add to the mixture, firm vegetables first.

Steam the couscous on top of the meat and vegetables. When ready, remove the couscous and mix some butter through it.

Serve the couscous on a large plate. Put the meat in the middle, and decorate with some of the vegetables, some sauce and a few leaves of mint of fresh coriander. Serve the vegetables and sauce separately.

*You might prefer to roast the meat separately, with some onions, until done and add it to the vegetables and sauce a few m before serving. While not authentic, it preserves the taste and the structure of the meat very well. Nevertheless, there should be onions to start the vegetables' and sauce preparation.

'Couscous' got its name from the Berber 'k'seksu'. It became the dish we know today in North Africa, with some regional differences in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The latter was adopted by French colonialists and introduced in France as staple food. This recipe can claim to be authentically Moroccan, and refers to the magic power of the number 7. It can be made with 7 other vegetables that taste well together. Couscous can be served with other Moroccan food like Moroccan chicken and Moroccan spiced fish, or even with wokked tilapia. Read more couscous recipes. Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Chicken curry with cauliflower

For ➍ 

25 g old ginger (peeled & diced, about thumb size) 

3 cloves garlic (peeled & crushed) 

120 g red onion (peeled & diced, about 1 large) 

½ tbs chili flakes (or 1 to 2 fresh red chilis, sliced) 

4 tbs curry powder 

4 tbs water 

600 g chicken drumsticks (4 pieces) or thigh meat, cut in bite-size cubes 

3 tbs oil 15-25 cl water** 

20 g coconut cream or coconut milk 

1 cauliflower, cleaned, washed & portioned in florets 

1 carrot, sliced 

salt 

Peel and roughly chop onion, garlic and ginger. Blend in a food processor into a fine paste. Add water to curry powder. Stir to form a paste. Add in the onion-garlic-ginger and mix into the curry paste. Rinse and drain the chicken parts. Add in ⅔ of the curry paste. Mix well and marinate for at least 2 h.* 

Fry the remaining curry paste in oil until fragrant and colour has darkened.* Fry the chicken for another 5 m, flipping the chicken frequently.
  Add water**, followed by coconut cream and bring to a boil.  

Add cauliflower florets and carrot.
 Simmer for 25-35 m..

*Omit the marinate fase. Brown the chicken and set apart. Add all of the paste to the pan and cook a few m until fragrant. Add the chicken. 

**Add some more water when curry tends to dry out.

Indian spiced cauliflower

For ➍
2 tbs ghee*

2 ts chilli powder 

2 ts ground cumin 

2 ts ground coriander 

2 ts turmeric 

2 ts ground black pepper 

1 cauliflower, broken into small florets 

25 g tamarind paste (optional)** 

25 cl boiling water 

1 tbs vinegar 

salt 

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the ghee (or oil if using). Add the spices and fry for 2-3 ms, or until fragrant. 

Add the cauliflower and stir to coat the florets with the spice mixture. 

Stir the tamarind paste (if using) into the boiling water. Add the tamarind-water mixture to the pan with the cauliflower and stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Bring the pan to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 m, or until the cauliflower is tender. 

Serve as a vegan dish or as a side-dish for chicken curry, or braised chicken legs.

*Or use vegetable oil

**Or mix 15 g dates syrup with 5-10 cl lemon juice as substitute

Grilled cauliflower with ras-el-hanout & halloumi

For ➋
1 (500 g) cauliflower
200 g halloumi
100 g pumpkin seeds
3 cloves garlic
2 tbs ras-el-hanout
olive oil

Bring water to a boil and preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Cut the cauliflower into large florets. Boil it in water for about 5 m. Drain and add a generous dash of olive oil to the cauliflower. Season with 2 tbs ras-el-hanout.* Stir thoroughly but gently, so that the cauliflower florets are completely covered with the yellow spice mixture.
Spoon the cauliflower into an oven dish and place in the oven for 20 m. Do not wash the cooking pot yet.
Finely chop the garlic and dice the halloumi. Take the cooking pot with some fat and ras el hanout and fry the garlic and the pumpkin seeds about 2 m. Add the halloumi. Bake for a few m until warm inside.
Spoon the cheese mixture between the cauliflower florets and serve.

* Mix 3 tbs oil with 2 tbs ras-el-hanout, and spread over the cauliflower. Or mix ras-el-hanout with some yogurt.

Varkenshaasje met bloemkool (Pork tenderloin with cauliflower)

For ➍
700 g pork tenderloin
butter
salt & black pepper
Blackwell sauce
10 potatoes
1 cauliflower*

Season the tenderloin with salt and black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Heat a frying pan with a lump of butter in it. Once the butter is foaming, place the meat in the hot pan. Sear the meat to form a crust, so the juice of the meat does not escape. To avoid burning the butter, turn the heat to medium, or put in a lump of fresh butter. Make sure the meat gets get a golden brown on all sides.

Put meat in an ovenproof dish and cook further in the oven for 8 to 10 m at 160°C.**

Pour off excess drippings from the meat. Use the same skillet to prepare the sauce. The burnt leftovers will provide extra flavour.

Remove the meat from the oven. Put on an inverted plate, cover with foil and let meat rest 10 m.

Peel the potatoes and cut into large pieces. Cook them in the steam or boil them in lightly salted water (18 to 20 m).

Cut the cauliflower into florets, rinse the vegetables well and steam them until tender.

Cut the meat into 2.5 cm slices. On each plate, put a few cauliflower florets few and a few potatoes. Arrange a few slices of pork and spoon over some sauce.

*Or use green beans. or replace with mustard braised Brussels sprouts.
**Or lower the heat. Cover the pan and cook further for 10-15 m.

Haddock with cauliflower & romanesco

For ➋
2 mini romanescos*
2 mini cauliflowers*
400 g haddock fillets
2-3 tbs goat cheese
1 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric

Wash the vegetables. Cut a cross in the base. Bring water to boil in a steamer. Steam uncut vegetables for 3-4 m.
Meanwhile, steam the fish in microwave (about 1 m per 100 g). When ready, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Mix 2-3 tbs of cheese with the curry and turmeric. After removing the vegetables rom the steamer, put a suitable cup with the cheese in in the steamer for 1 m.
Serve the fish alongside with the vegetables and the curry mix on 2 plates.

*Use larger cabbages and cut them in florets.

Vegetables terrine

For ➋
1 big black or white radish or daikon
600 g vegetables (leek, carrot, radish, okra, cauliflower, yellow pepper, green asparagus)
salt
15 g agaragar flakes

Cut large slices of the radish with a peeler. Cut the rest of the vegetables into thick strips.
Bring 2 liters of salted water to the boil. Blanch the vegetables type by species briefly in the boiling water. Let them cool on a piece of kitchen paper. Keep approximately 24 cl of the cooking water apart.
Line a terrine (or several smaller shapes) with the slices of radish ash and keep a few slices on the side. Arrange the vegetables in the terrine.
Heat the stored water to the boiling point and stir in agar agar flakes until they are completely dissolved. Simmer for 10 m. Allow to cool slightly and pour the water into the vegetables. Close the terrine with the remaining slices of radish and press everything. Allow the whole to set for at least 6 h in the refrigerator.
Remove the terrine from the mold and cut into thick slices, if the smaller molds are just in two bite-sized pieces.

Thai vegetables curry @ wok

For ➍
350 g broccoli & cauliflower
250 g green beans, broken
2 ts Thai curry powder (or curry paste)
40 cl coconut milk
180 g tofu, cubed
300 g rice
2 onions, diced

Boil rice.
Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a wok. Bake tou for 1 m on high heat. Discard from wok.
Add 1 tbs of olive oil. Fry onions for 1 m.
Stir-fry broccoli,cauliflower and green beans for 2 m.
Add curry powder and coconut milk.
Lowerheat and cook vegetables for 6 m.
Add tofu.
Season. Serve with rice.

Guinea fowl salad

For➍
1 guinea fowl
1 focaccia
⅛ cauliflower
1 beetroot
1 jar green asparagus
150 g bacon
4 eggs
1 bunch watercress
1 scallion
3 tbs green peas
8 small potatoes
2 dl corn oil
2 egg yolks
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs mustard
sugar
olive oil

Cut the bacon into strips. Fry until crispy.
Cut fillets of the guinea fowl and cut it into strips, season with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown in olive oil.
Cut cubes from the focaccia, season with salt and pepper and fry in oil.
Peel and wash the beets, cut into cubes and cook until al dente.
Clean the cauliflower, pull them into florets and cook until al dente.
Poach the eggs in water with salt and vinegar.
Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel and halve them. Cut the vegetables finely and mix them with the potatoes.
Make a dressing with the corn oil, egg yolks, white wine vinegar, mustard and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the vegetable salad on a plate. Top with a poached egg and a few strips of guinea fowl. Finish with the focaccia cubes, the dressing and some chopped chives.

Hollandse groentensoep (Dutch vegetable soup with fish balls)

For ➍
300 g fillets plaice
1 tbs green pesto
1 tbs cornstarch
30 g tomato croutons
1.5 l water
3 chicken stock tablets
150 g vermicelli
1 small cauliflower
350 g peasant soup vegetables (leek, celery, carrot, celery, cauliflower & peppers)

Cut the fish into pieces. Put the fish with the pesto in a food processor and grind finely. Put the fish with pesto in a bowl and mix the cornstarch and croutonmix through. Rotate it with wet hands soup balls.
Bring water and broth tablets to the boil. Add the vermicelli and cook 2 m.
Meanwhile Divide the cauliflower into small florets. Merge with fish balls and soup vegetables to the broth. Let 6 m. Simmer until the meatballs cooked and the vegetables are just tender.
Serve with hearty bread floor.

Cauliflower couscous

For ➍
½ cauliflower
1 broccoli
1 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
4 tbs pistachios , finely chopped
2 ts Ras el hanout
salt & pepper
4 tbs raisins
zest of 1 lemon or preserved lemon, in fine strips
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
olive oil

Chop the cauliflower, broccoli, onion and garlic in a food processor. Season with Ras el hanout, salt and pepper. Toast the pistachios in a non-stick pan . Mix the broccoli cauliflower couscous, raisins, pistachios , lemon zest and parsley in a bowl.
Finish with a dash of olive oil.

*Or toast the couscous briefly in a pan with a little olive oil.
Serve as a side-dish with lamb or pork tenderloin.

Kalafior (Polish cauliflower)

For ➍
1 laurel leave
3+1 tbs butter
1 cauliflower (about 500 g)
salt & pepper
4 eggs*
4 tbs chopped dill
4 tbs bread crumbs

Boil eggs hard, peel and set apart. Fill a casserole with enough water to cover the cauliflower. Add salt and a laurel leave. Boil for 10 m. Drain the cauliflower and separate into florets.
Melt butter in a frying pan. Lightly brown cauliflower florets. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, melt some butter and brown bread crumbs. Spread over paper towel to drain excess fat.
Arrange cauliflower florets on a serving dish.
Sprinkle with chopped boiled eggs, dill and buttered bread crumbs.
Serve with salted boiled potatoes and veal or as a starter.

*Make this a vegetarian dish by adding sour cream instead of eggs.

Cauliflower is one of the main agricultural products of Poland, with more than 250,000 tonnes a year. It was introduced by a duchess of Bari turned queen of Poland in 1517, Bona Sforza. Bored by the Polish diet, she imported cauliflower, celery, leeks, asparagus, lettuce and artichokes into cultivation.

tip: steaming vegetables

spinach, arugula: 3 m
peas: 3 m
broccoli & cauliflower florets, green beans: 5 to 7 m
carrots, potatoes, turnips, squash: 8 to 20 m
kale, collard: 10 m

tip: cooking vegetables @ microwave

Add 2 to 3 tbs of water to the vegetables.  Cover the vegetables.  Stir or turn the vegetables halfway through the cooking time.  Check for doneness and let it stand. Adjust the cooking time according to your preference (timing for 700W microwave).

• asparagus (250 g): 3-4 m
• Brussels sprouts (250 g): 3-4 m
• cabbage, sliced: 3-4 m
• carrots (250 g): 3-4 m
• cauliflower florets (500 g): 5-8 m 
• corn colb 1: 2 -3 m
• endives, cut (500): 5-6 m
• leek, thin rings (250 g): 2-3 m
• mushrooms, sliced (250 g) 2-3 m
• potato, 1 piece (175 g): 2-3 m
• potatoes, chopped (500 g): 8 m

tip: steaming vegetables

approximate steaming times

• Artichokes Steam whole artichokes 25-40 m Season with extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest
• Asparagus Whole spears, thick spears peeled lightly 7-13 m Serve with quince jam, cranberry jam, olive oil combined with lemon zest, or olive oil combined with sesame seeds
• Asparagus Cut into 2-inch pieces 4-7 m Season with olive oil combined with lemon zest or sesame seeds
• Green beans, Whole beans 6-10 m Season with garlic
• Wax beans, wax Whole beans 6-10 m Season with garlic
• Beetroot, small or medium-sized Whole, unpeeled beets scrubbed clean; peel off the skins after steaming 35-50 m Season with fresh thyme
• Beet greens Cleaned and coarsely chopped 7-9 m Drizzle with olive oil
• Broccoli Trimmed stalks 8-12 m Season with olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lemon juice, lime juice, or balsamic vinegar
• Broccoli Trimmed stalks split in half or florets 5-7 m Extra-virgin olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lemon juice, lime juice, or balsamic vinegar
• Brussels sprouts Whole, trimmed 8-15 m Season with fresh thyme
• Brussels sprouts Trimmed and halved 6-8 m Season with fresh thyme
• Cabbage Cut in wedges 6-10 m Lemon or lime juice
• Carrots Cut into 0.5 cm thick slices 7-10 m Season with honey combined with cinnamon or ginger
• Carrots, baby Whole baby carrots 10-12 m Season with honey combined with cinnamon or ginger
• Cauliflower Florets 5-10 m Lemon or lime juice
• Celeriac Cut into 0.5 cm thick matchsticks 5-7 m
• Celery stalks Cut into 1,2 cm thick slices 4-9 m Season with seeds
• Corn on the cob Whole, husks removed 7-10 m Homemade chicken or vegetable stock
• Daikon radishes Peeled and cut into chunks 8-12 m Season with fresh herbs
• Endives Cut in half lengthwise 5-10 m Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice
• Fennel bulbs Cut crosswise into 1,2 cm slices 8-10 m Season with olive oil and basil (or lemon)
• Jerusalem artichokes Peeled or scrubbed; sliced 5-8 m Serve with arugula or fresh herbs such as chives or parsley
• Jerusalem artichokes Whole tubers, peeled or scrubbed 20-25 m Serve with arugula or fresh herbs such as chives or parsley
• Kale Trimmed 4-7 m Drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic
• Kohlrabi Peeled and cut into 1,2 cm cubes 5-8 m Toss with parsley and olive oil
• Leeks Trimmed, cut in half 5-8 m Season with your favorite vinaigrette
• Okra Fresh whole okra, trimmed 6-8 m Season with lemon/lime juice and parsley, or with sauteed scallions
• Onions, pearl Whole onions, peeled 8-12 m
• Parsnips Peeled and cut into 1,2 cm slices 7-10 m Season with fresh herbs such as oregano or parsley
• Peas, green Fresh, shelled peas 2-4 m Season with fresh herbs (such as mt) or lemon juice
• Peas, sugar snap Whole pea pods, trimmed 5-6 m Season with fresh herbs (such as mt) or lemon juice
• Potatoes, all Peeled or scrubbed clean, cut into 1,2 cm slices 8-12 m Toss with fresh parsley, rosemary or dill
• Potatoes, new Whole, scrubbed clean 15-20 m Toss with fresh parsley, rosemary or dill, or with chopped red onions
• Radishes Whole radishes, trimmed 7-14 m Season with chopped scallions or chives
• Scallions Cut into ½-inch slices 3-5 m
• Spinach Cleaned, whole leaves 3-5 m Season with olive oil and garlic, or sesame seeds
• Squash, butternut Peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 7-10 m Season with honey, lemon juice, and rosemary
• Turnips Cut into 1/2-inch cubes 8-12 m Season with olive oil and fresh herbs
• Turnip greens Cleaned and coarsely chopped 4-6 m Season with olive oil and garlic
• Sweet potatoes Cut into large chunks 8-12 m Season with honey and lemon juice
• Swiss chard Coarsely chopped leaves 3-5 m Serve with chopped fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, olive oil and pepper
• Zucchini Cut into 2.5 cm slices 5-8 m Season with olive oil, lemon/lime juice, and fresh herbs (such as thyme or rosemary)

It is also possible to steam bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic; however, other cooking methods, such as roasting, may be better suited to retain their texture and/or bring out their flavor.