Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic & Goat Cheese

I have come to the conclusion that many times when people claim they don't like to eat certain vegetables, it really means they probably have never had it prepared in a way that would appeal to them. With so many different options and recipes available on how to turn an otherwise boring vegetable into a showstopper, it makes it hard to believe that an aversion against a certain food couldn't be overturned.

I think Cauliflower is a great example. By simply steaming the vegetable you end up with a "blah" version that can be kind of tasteless, but because of its mild flavor it can also be extremely versatile and lend itself to a lot of different and tasty applications. Recently there has been a surge in popularity for cauliflower. The florets are low in fat and carbs, high in fiber, folic acid and vitamin C, which makes this vegetable a winner in my book. If you perform a quick search, you can find an amazing variety of recipes. They range from roasted cauliflower, gratins, soups, dips, faux alfredo sauces and even pizza crust. While I've tried quite a few of these different versions, cauliflower pizza crust is still one that eludes me, but I will never say never.

A few weeks ago I made Canadian Bacon Cauliflower Cheddar Cups for my family with great results, so  I decided to experiment a little more and came up with this delicious mashed version. I started with a basic recipe, but by adding sweet, roasted garlic along with tangy and tart goat cheese, the dish was elevated to a whole new level. I achieved the desired consistency with my food processor, but an immersion blender or even a good old fashioned potato masher should do the trick as well. I served this with grilled steak and a big side salad, but ate leftovers with a couple of over-easy eggs the next day and had to restrain myself from licking the plate. So tasty, so simple, and most definitely one of my new favorites.  

Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic & Goat Cheese
~makes 5-6 servings~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
5-6 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
8-10 roasted garlic cloves (see notes)
4 Tbsp. soft goat cheese
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. green onions, chopped

Directions:
Roast garlic (see note), remove cloves from skin and set aside.

On the stove-top, add cauliflower to a pot, fill with about 4 cups of water. Add the vegetable bouillon cube and steam/cook cauliflower until soft. Drain the cauliflower and add to a food processor.

Process cauliflower along with the roasted garlic cloves, goat cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a bowl, check for additional salt and pepper and fold in 3 Tbsp. of the green onions. Sprinkle with additional reserved onions and serve immediately.

Notes: To roast the garlic, preheat oven to 400° F. Take one whole garlic bulb and cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top. Lay on a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap the head of garlic, drizzle with about 1 tsp. of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap it in the foil and roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until garlic is soft and golden brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes before handling. Use your fingers or a fork to squeeze and pull roasted garlic out of the skin. 

If you don't like the taste of goat cheese, cream cheese would also be an acceptable substitution.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Canadian Bacon Cauliflower Cheddar Cups

Hi there, is this blog still on? I know, it's been forever and a day since you heard anything new from me, but a breather was much needed for my sanity. I won't be making any big promises about a regular posting schedule, but will say that I intend to keep popping in here when I have something interesting to share. Like today.

I came across these Canadian Bacon Cauliflower Cheddar Cups while thumbing through the newest Costco magazine. Let me tell you that they could have fooled anyone in my house. Unless you know that the filling has cauliflower in it, you could have mistaken it for mashed potatoes. I'm happy to report that they were gone in a flash and we all thoroughly enjoyed them. 

Low-carb, gluten-free AND tasty, I don't think you can go wrong with these cute little appetizers. Serve them with a salad for a simple meal or as appetizers for a party. They might even make a great addition to your Superbowl Sunday menu. Go Seahawks!!!

Canadian Bacon Cauliflower Cheddar Cups

~Makes about 24~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

24 slices Canadian bacon

4 cups cauliflower florets

1 vegetable bouillon cube

4 Tbsp. sour cream

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

3 Tbsp. green onion, chopped

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Very lightly grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. Line each cup with a slice of Canadian bacon.

On the stovetop, add cauliflower to a pot, fill with about 2 cups of water. Add the vegetable bouillon cube and steam/cook cauliflower until very soft. Drain the cauliflower and add to a food processor.

Process cauliflower along with the sour cream, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper until well mixed and smooth. 

Transfer mixture to a bowl and fold in the parsley and green onions. Taste for more salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.

Fill Canadian bacon cups with cauliflower mixture. Top each cup with cheddar cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

Slightly adapted from: Costco Magazine

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I love mushrooms in every shape or form and Portobello mushrooms rank pretty high on my favorite foods list. I love how versatile they are and how you can turn them into a filling, delicious, vegetarian meal with very little effort.  This recipe came about simply by checking the pantry and refrigerator. What started as a meal to get rid of a few extra vegetables, turned into an unforgettable dinner and inspired me to get back on this computer to write a short post.

While trying to come up with the finished recipe I decided to forgo the usual breadcrumbs as a binder and instead turned to Quinoa, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite grains to incorporate into recipes. By doing so, I was actually able to create a recipe which is not just vegetarian, but also gluten free. Served with a big salad on the side and bowl of watermelon this turned into a great meal that none of us will soon forget.

 

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 

~Serves 4~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Red Onion, diced

4 cups Baby Spinach, rough chopped

4 Tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper

4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:

Clean Portobello mushrooms by removing the stem and cleaning out the gills and gently wiping the mushroom tops. Chop the stems and reserve. 

Meanwhile bring 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the broth is absorbed. Take off the stove and cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan. Add the red onions, and cook until the onions begin to soften. Add the reserved chopped mushroom stems, spinach and tomatoes and saute until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is heated through. Season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the basil and remove from the stove. Gently stir in the quinoa and let everything cool to room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled, fold in the cubed mozzarella.

Take the cleaned mushroom caps and brush them lightly all over with olive oil. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Divide the filling equally into each mushroom cap. 

Sprinkle each with Parmesan.

Grill for 15 minutes over medium heat or until the mozzarella starts melting and the mushrooms are heated through.

Serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

We are having a blast with our out of town visitors and I apologize for my lack of commenting on other blogs but I will be back full force once my visitors leave in early October. For all of my Foodbuzz friends, rest assured I'm still keeping up as much as possible on the challenges and will be voting for all of you! 

My post today was inspired by my little sister who is here visiting from Germany. My sister was diagnosed with Celiac disease almost 10 years ago. In case you haven't heard of it, it is a autoimmune disorder which causes her to not be able to eat anything containing gluten (this includes wheat, barley, oats etc.) Considering that I don't usually have to cook gluten free, it is quite a challenge to cook for someone like this. Luckily, a lot of my day to day meals are already gluten free or can be made gluten free by a few substitutions. So far we have had my Ragu alla Bolognese (she used special noodles), my Tandoori Chicken, Taco Salad,  and a few other things she thoroughly enjoyed. I'm convinced that cooking meals from scratch helps a lot since you can control what is put into a dish. 

Unfortunately, things get a little bit harder when it comes to dessert. If I lived closer to my sister I would most definitely use and experiment with different gluten free flours, but since she is only visiting for a short time I needed to find a fuss-free recipe that would work for her and be equally tasty for everyone else eating it. Looking through a few of my books I remembered seeing a recipe for flourless chocolate cupcakes in Martha Stewart's cupcakes book. The recipe is truly super easy, requires only a handful of ingredients and turns out an amazing flavor experience. The original makes 22 cupcakes but I went with half the amount since the recipe states they are best eaten the same day and by doing so I was rewarded with exactly 12 cupcakes. Butter and bittersweet chocolate are melted in a double boiler and slightly cooled down before adding the egg yolks. Meanwhile egg whites and sugar are whisked stiff and then folded into the melted chocolate mixture. That's it! The batter is divided into paper lined muffin tins and baked at a very low temperature for about 25 minutes or until the middle is set.

The cupcakes once baked are not show pieces. In fact, they are quite ugly. At first, taken out of the oven they look like pretty little souffles but once they cool down their tops start to sink and they crack everywhere and forget about getting them out of the tin perfect looking. That's why even in the book their tops are disguised with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, which is how I served them as well. Crunchy tops, tasting like meringue with a wonderful fluffy and rich interior. This was a fantastic dessert that all of us enjoyed. It especially made me feel good that I was able to produce such a great tasting cupcake my sister could eat. She was in love with this recipe and already copied it down so she can fix it for everyone back in Germany when she gets home.

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

(makes 22)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips)

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

Ice Cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Melt butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir to combine, then remove bowl from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry (do not overbeat). Whisk one quarter of the beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten; gently fold mixture into remaining whites.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes are just set in centers, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.( their centers will sink). Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are baked; keep at room temperature until ready to serve, topped with scoops of ice cream, if desired.