Have you ever heard the phrase, “my little chou-chou”? It’s a French term of endearment meaning “my little cauliflower” – how cute is that!
Cauliflower hasn’t always had a beloved reputation, but these past couple of years it’s become the IT veggie – and that’s just fine by me! Cauliflower is rich with anti-inflammatory nutrients and vitamin K. It’s also an excellent source of Vitamin C and very low in calories. Gotta love that!
Traditionally white in color – you might be surprised to know that it can be found in brilliant lime green, orange, and purple too! And it’s so versatile – it can be boiled, steamed, roasted, pickled, or simply eaten raw.
And these days you can get it “riced” at the store – which is d’lish to turn into carb-free fried rice. There’s even cauliflower pizza crust variations too – yum!
Instead of mashed potatoes as a side dish – whip up some cauliflower instead! For an even more exciting twist, try my recipe for Cauliflower Cheddar Custards.
So grab some cauliflower and see for yourself – eating healthy really can be delicious!
-Kathy
Cauliflower Cheddar Custard
This makes an excellent light supper served with a salad, or an accompaniment to a big juicy grilled steak.
Makes 4 servings
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cauliflower
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp salt
tiny pinch cayenne pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sherry wine
4 eggs
1 cup (5 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cauliflower, garlic, salt and cayenne. Heat over medium heat until simmering, then cook for about 5 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. (Do not let it boil.)
In a small cup or bowl, mix the cornstarch and sherry until smooth. Whisk this slurry into the hot mixture and let cook for about 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until well combined, and then stir in 1/3 of the hot cauliflower mixture. Then add the remaining hot cauliflower mixture and stir well to combine. Fold in the cheese.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Divide mixture between 4 well-buttered 6-ounce custard cups. (Use a ladle to do this and be sure to stir up mixture well when portioning.) Set custard cups on a rimmed baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out just barely clean. The centers should still be just slightly wiggly as the custards will continue cooking for a bit after they come out of the oven.
Serve in the baking cups, or let cool for a couple of minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out into plates to serve.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®
