Christmas Cauliflower Mcmahon Food

CHRISTMAS CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Place 1 in. of water in a large saucepan; add cauliflower. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute green pepper and mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add flour; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add pimientos and salt. , Place half of the cauliflower in a greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with half of the sauce. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.

STICKY CRISPY CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Liberally grease 2 parchment-lined baking sheets with olive oil.
• In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic, ginger, and salt. Make a well in the middle and stir in the sparkling water, whisking with a fork to form a smooth batter.
• Add the cauliflower florets and gently toss to coat them evenly in the batter.
• Place the florets onto the baking sheets, allowing a space between each piece to help them crisp up in the oven (if they are too close, they will steam each other). Bake, turning once, until crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Place the brown sugar, ketchup, tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha and garlic in a small saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, mix well and bring to a gentle, bubbling simmer. Cook, stirring often, until it reduces into a glossy consistency that coats the back of the wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the cauliflower from the oven and tip into a bowl. Drizzle over the sweet and sour sauce, add most of the cilantro and scallions, leaving some behind for garnish, and gently toss to coat each floret.
• Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining cilantro and scallions before serving. Enjoy.

MASHED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the cauliflower, milk, garlic, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt; heat over medium-high. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges (you don't want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place a colander over a bowl, then drain the cauliflower, catching the milk in the bowl. Discard the thyme sprigs. Return the cauliflower and garlic to the pot. Mash the cauliflower using a potato masher, or use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. Add the reserved milk 1 tablespoon at a time, mashing or blending in between, until the cauliflower reaches desired consistency. (You'll use about about 1/4 cup of milk.)
• Stir in the sour cream, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional thyme leaves.

ROASTED STUFFED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Trim and discard the cauliflower leaves. Turn the cauliflower upside-down on a chopping board and use your knife to carefully cut out the stalk and core, leaving a cavity - the florets should still be holding together.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Submerge the cauliflower and cook for 7 mins, then remove with two slotted spoons and set aside to steam dry. Add the kale to the pan and cook for a min or so until wilted. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Squeeze out the excess liquid and roughly chop.
• To make a linseed 'egg' (this will bind the stuffing together), mix the ground linseed with 3 tbsp water and set aside for 5-10 mins until gluey. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, then stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients, including the kale, and cook for a min or so more. Remove from the heat and season, then put in a blender with 150ml water and the linseed egg and blitz to a thick purée. Transfer to a piping bag.
• Pipe the stuffing mixture into every nook and cranny of the cauliflower, getting in as much of the purée as you can - see our tip below. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment. Can be made up to this point in the morning and kept in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the remaining chestnuts with the breadcrumbs and some seasoning. Spoon the remaining oil all over the cauliflower, then pat on the breadcrumb chestnut mix. Roast for 45 mins until golden brown and tender (place under a hot grill for the last part of cooking time if it needs to crisp-up). Serve with any crisp bits that have fallen onto the baking tray.