Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

 

Break a head of cauliflower into florets and place them in a microwave-safe bowl along with a tablespoon of water. Cook on high for 6 minutes.

Then toss into a food processor with 2 T butter and pulse. Even slightly steamed, cauliflower is super fibrous and takes a long time in the food processor to get it down to a puree. I pour in some heavy cream through the feed tube (prob no more than 1/4 cup in all) until it’s the consistency I like. Pulse for 3 minutes.

Stop and scrape down the sides. Add in some shredded cheese. For this one, I used the brand Yancy’s Fancy smoked gouda with bacon. I also like to add shredded parm. Add a little salt and pepper. Pulse some more until everything is nicely smooth. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Pour into a buttered baking dish (or coated with a cooking spray). Dot with small cubes of butter, and/or sprinkle some more shredded cheese on top. bake in a 425F oven until golden brown and delicious, about 30 minutes or so.

Spaghetti Squash Aglio e Olio

I don’t have a sweet tooth, I can eschew cookies, cake and candy with minimal effort. I’m more of a savory carb person: Rice, pasta, bread, potatoes etc. Pasta isn’t usually my go-to carb, normally, it’s bread and potatoes which are my main carb craving, my carb desire, my carb Achillies heel.

However, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (garlic and olive oil) would be my #1 favorite pasta indulgence. I even finagled a recipe which took 20 minutes total from dry spaghetti to finished garlicky aglio e olio wonderfulness. It just takes a skillet large enough to hold dry spaghetti. It’s really an amazing way to cook it. No more waiting 30 minutes for your huge pasta pot of water to boil.

But I digress.

I love spaghetti squash as a lower-carb substitute for the pasta, and it really works well in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Cooked spaghetti squash
• 1 T butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• granulated garlic
• red pepper flakes
• grated parm from a can
• fresh shredded parm or romano
• salt
• pepper
• chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, but not browned.
3. Add red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, stirring to incorporate.
4. Toss in the cooked spaghetti squash, stir to coat, turn up the heat, sprinkle some grated parm over, season with salt and pepper, stir through.
5. Serve, topped with fresh shredded cheese and chopped parsley.

Notes:

• Cooking spaghetti squash couldn’t be easier:
  • Preheat oven to 400 F
  • Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers.
  • Place cut side down in a roasting pan and add 1 inch of water.
  • Bake uncovered for 45 min to an hour until the flesh separates easily into strands when pulled with a fork.
• You can easily add in cubed cooked chicken for some protein.
• A chiffonade of fresh basil added to the parsley is also nice.

Utica Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of escarole
• Olive oil
• 3 slices prosciutto
• 5 slices pancetta – prob about ¼ cup chopped pancetta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Pickled hot peppers, chopped – prob about ¼ cup
• Red pepper flakes
• granulated garlic
• ½ cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Parm and/or romano – shredded and grated, probably about ½ cup
• ½ cup pulverized pork rinds with minced parsley
• More cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
3. Mix together the shredded and grated cheeses and the pork rind mixture and set aside in a bowl.
4. While the water is coming to a boil, chop the rough end off the heads of the escarole and let them soak in a large bowl of cold water to get rid of any dirt or grit. Take them out, squeeze out the water and roughly chop the two heads into strips.
5. Once the water has come to a boil, drop the chopped escarole into the water. Let cook for 7 minutes, then drain and shock the greens into an ice water bath. Once cool, squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meats, starting with the pancetta. Once it is starting to brown up, add the chopped prosciutto. When they start to crisp up, add the chopped onion.
7. When the onion is translucent and soft, add the chopped hot peppers, let cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes and granulated garlic.
8. Once the vegetables are cooked through, add the chopped escarole, breaking up any clumps. Stir and cook until the greens are heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes.
9. Spread the greens into an 8 in x 8 in baking dish and top with the bread crumb and cheese mixture, Bake for 15 minutes or until the topping is nicely browned.

Notes:

• The heads of escarole I had were on the small side, probably equivalent to one very large head.
• Next time, I’ll be using a lot more chopped hot peppers. The balance between the peppadews and my friend’s homemade pickled Italian hots was nice when I tasted it, but I just needed more of both.