Once scorned by consumers, today cauliflower is an often-enjoyed super food. Its subtle taste (which was why it had initially gotten bad comments), has now become its greatest feature. In fact, cauliflower’s mild taste allows us to incorporate it into many recipes and benefit from its nutritional value and medicinal qualities every day. Its flexibility surprises us the most: whether as an appetizer, main dish or dessert, cauliflower can satisfy the biggest foodie!
Cauliflower, this super food
The cauliflower’s benefits
Health benefits
Cauliflower is good for your health. Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, the benefits of this cruciferous are remarkable.
Helps prevent cancer
It’s a fact. It’s been proven that glucosinolates present in cauliflower reduce the risk of cancer. More specifically, cauliflower and its cruciferous counterparts help protect the body against bladder, prostate, breast, colon, skin and ovarian cancer. A recent study also shows that the presence of anti-cancer agents in cruciferous veggies may prevent the growth of cancer cells.
Improved cardiovascular health and memory
Cauliflower is one of the best vegetables for your health. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are associated with a decrease in risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron and other substances found in cruciferous vegetables can reduce the homocysteine in the blood. The excess of this amino acid would be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, the manganese found in cauliflower slows memory decline in elderly women.
Now that you know the benefits of cauliflower, you’re ready to start cooking. We’ll now show you a few tricks on how to cook this veggie like a pro!
Our advice for a successful cauliflower recipe
Choose well
When you’re ready to choose a cauliflower, first check that the colour – white, green, purple or orange – is well preserved. A change in colour and the appearance of brown spots mean mould.
As well, any leaves that are attached must be fresh and green. In terms of bouquet, florets that are spread out indicate an early or late harvest. So examine cauliflower properly before buying. This will help you avoid disappointment once you get home.
If you can’t be bothered with the trouble, then buy them frozen! As well as satisfying your nutritional needs, frozen veggies can easily be incorporated into your recipes.
Store properly
Once you’ve picked a cauliflower, you have to figure out the right way to store it.
Fridge
Cauliflower keeps for four or five days if kept in the veggie drawer.
Freezer
For a cauliflower to remain intact and delicious up to three months after purchase, blanch it for three minutes in boiling water, rinse in ice water, drain and store in airtight bags in the freezer. For an easier and faster alternative, try our delicious floret duo mix.
Cook it properly
Did you know that the whole cauliflower can be eaten? Here are the edible parts:
Of course the cauliflower florets can be eaten and added to an unimaginable number of recipes, but sometimes people neglect the stems. They take about the same amount of time as the head and can be used just as easily. Cut it into circles and mix with other veggies. Enhance soups and chowders with the leaves. No more waste: eat the whole cauliflower!
There are many ways to prepare cauliflower and its cooking time varies. Here are a few cooking benchmarks to obtain the ideal texture and perfect taste.
Raw
Cauliflower is just as delicious raw. You can enjoy it as an appetizer with or without dip or put it in a tabbouleh. Just chop into small pieces and replace the bulgur, which is usually the base for tabbouleh, with the cauliflower.
Here are a few dips to serve with your raw cauliflower, as well as two recipes to help you reinvent tabbouleh.
Sweet pea and cream cheese smoked salmon spread
10 unusual ways to use cauliflower
Whether it’s cooked or raw, cauliflower’s versatility makes it stand out. There are many ways to cook it, so there are many original recipes. As well, this veggie can replace other ingredients which makes recipes a lot healthier.
Allergic to gluten? Then you’ll like cauliflower-based recipes, too. Actually, cauliflower can replace a lot of the food in a typical day like bread, pizza and pie dough, breadcrumbs, pastries, chips and cakes.
So don’t say goodbye to your favourite dishes. Just replace the fat and ingredients containing gluten with cauliflower. Here are 10 original ways to prepare it. Go on, try them! You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Hashed cauliflower
Grilled cheese. Photo : mafourchette
Cauliflower purée
Tortillas. Photo : dukanaute
Chopped cauliflower
General Tso. Photo : pinchofyum
Let your kids taste these delicious recipes. With a mild cauliflower taste and texture that can be handled in different ways, they won’t be able to tell them from the originals! A new way for kids to get their veggie servings.
Four courses of cauliflower
Say goodbye to the traditional four courses: delight guests by offering them a complete cauliflower dinner theme. Their taste buds (and digestive systems because cauliflower is an excellent source of fibre) will thank you!
First course
Concocted with our frozen duo florets mix, our delicious cream of broccoli and cauliflower soup is the perfect recipe to inaugurate a dinner. With spices and slightly lemony taste, your guests will enjoy it to the last drop!
Second course
To help guests make it to dinner while you add the finishing touches to the main meal, serve them Roman-style broccoli and cauliflower florets. This simple recipe is perfect to satisfy the biggest foodies while they wait for the next dish!
Main meal
Finally, the dish that everyone’s been waiting for: our absolutely delicious tuna, vegetable and bacon pizza. Replace the pizza crust with a cauliflower crust!
Dessert
Here’s the surprise of the evening: our Queen Elizabeth vegetable cake. Young and old, everyone will savour it!
So, are you ready to this challenge? Don’t forget to share your recipes with us. We’d love to discover them! And on that note, enjoy cauliflower and eat to your heart’s content!
