Cauliflower And Macaroni Food

CAULIFLOWER AND MACARONI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium flame in pot with low sides.
• Add garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper.
• Add 1 cup of reserved liquid from cauliflower and 1 cup water.
• Add cauliflower, cover, and bring water to a boil.
• Add salt and pasta and stir well. Lower heat to simmer and cover.
• Cook and stir until done, about 20 minutes.
• Consistency will be thick and soupy. Can add more cauliflower water if too dry during cooking.
• Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

CAULIFLOWER MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter.
• Trim, halve, wash and slice the leek and add to the pan. Stir regularly while you trim, slice and add the celery, then trim, chop and add the fennel, if using.
• Break the cauliflower into florets, then cut into 2cm-thick slices and finely slice the stalk and any nice leaves. Add the stalk and leaves to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured, stirring regularly.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes (5 if using macaroni). Reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and pour into a 25cm x 35cm baking dish (or divide between smaller ones), along with the cauliflower florets.
• Stir the flour into the veg pan for 30 seconds, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time, followed by 500ml of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the mustard and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Let the sauce blip away until thickened while you coarsely grate the cheese.
• Stir the cheese into the sauce, then blitz until smooth with a hand blender, or in batches in a food processor.
• Pour over the pasta and cauliflower florets then, if you need to loosen it, add a little reserved pasta water - the sauce will thicken up as it bakes.
• Blitz your stale bread into crumbs in the processor (or smash up in a clean tea towel). Peel and grate the garlic. Pick the herb leaves, if using, and mix it all together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Scatter the crumbs over the pasta, grating over more cheese, if you've got it, then bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

CAULIFLOWER "MAC" AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
• Spray the baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
• Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside.
• Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes. Serve.

CAULIFLOWER "MAC" AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, spread in an even layer and roast until browned and cooked through but retaining some bite, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the cauliflower to an 8-inch or other 2-quart baking dish. (You could also bake this in individual ramekins; just mix the cauliflower with the other ingredients in a medium bowl before dividing.) Reserve 1/4 cup Cheddar. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups Cheddar, heavy cream, garlic and cayenne to the cauliflower and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then top with the reserved 1/4 cup Cheddar.
• Roast until the cream has thickened, the cheese has melted, and some of the cauliflower is browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.