Tag Archives: Cauliflower

Tri-tip with Chimichurri

14 Friday Jul 2017

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We made a new discovery this week.  We tried it one weekend, and then decided we liked it so much that we made it again the second weekend.  So, if you noticed tri-tip in my grocery purchases twice in the same week, that’s why.

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I didn’t invent, or even much alter, these recipes.  I just put them all together.  The first time through we tried sugar snap peas as the side.  We all agreed that while we liked sugar snap peas (and I had them already needing to be eaten with something), they weren’t right for this dish.  The cauliflower was a much better option, but we may continue trying other sides.

First the tri-tip with chimichurri.  This was a nice, simple recipe from Bon Appetit.  There were a few modifications:

  • We omitted the sesame seeds.
  • I substituted 1 Tbsp sugar for the agave nectar.
  • Next time I’m going to try making the chimichurri in a food processor or blender because we’d prefer the greens a bit more broken down.

Next, the bread.  This is King Arthur Flour’s French-Style Country Bread.  I’d never made it before pairing it here, but it is very good and will definitely enter the rotation with other meals also.  Note, the first time I made this I used 2 hours for the starter and the full times for the rises.  This produced a very soft bread with larger holes.  The second time I was in a bit of a hurry so I shortened all the times a bit.  Both were tasty, but I’d recommend going for the longer times for truly light, airy bread.

Not pictured, but with the bread, we had guacamole.  Definitely recommend putting this on the bread.

The cauliflower held its own much better than the peas.  It’s a recipe we make a few times a year.  The kids prefer it without the cheese sauce which is easy enough to accommodate.

Cheesy Cauliflower

27 Friday May 2016

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This recipe is a variation of Alton Brown’s Cauliflower Say Cheese recipe.  The flavors are the same, but the cooking times and general process are rather different.  Note this can be adjusted to fit your needs/taste, from the amount of cauliflower or sauce to the level of heat.

1 head of cauliflower
4½ ounces grated Cheddar cheese
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (personally I don’t prefer heat so I go a little light here)
½ cup heavy cream

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Trim the curds from the cauliflower, leaving them in 1 or 2 bite sized pieces.  Place in a glass bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high until it is just starting to soften (4-10 minutes depending on your microwave).  Rest, still covered in plastic, for another 4-10 minutes.  At this point you should be happy with the consistency as it will barely soften any further.
  3. Combine all the other ingredients except the cream.
  4. When one minute remains on the cauliflower rest period, microwave the cream on high for 30 sec – 1 minute (Again, it depends on your microwave.  You want it just hot enough to melt the cheese.)
  5. Add the cream to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
  6. Carefully remove the plastic from the cauliflower.  Spread the cauliflower in a shallow glass baking dish.
  7. Spread the cheese mixture over the cauliflower.  This can be tricky, but try not to leave giant chunks of cheese mix.  You can also leave some cauliflower plain if some members of your family would prefer.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes.
  9. If desired, sprinkle some extra cheese over the top and broil for an additional 6-8 minutes.
  10. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

We quite like this with ham, raisin sauce, and egg bread.