Cauliflower With Leeks And Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipes

CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND BACON GRATIN RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square or oval dish. 2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain. Set aside in a bowl. 3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crispy. Set aside on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tsp. of fat. Add leeks to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until very soft and just starting to turn golden. Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower. Add bacon. 4. Wipe skillet clean. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour; cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Whisk in the Gruyere, Parmesan and salt until cheese is melted. 5. Pour over cauliflower mixture, stirring until well coated. 6. Transfer to buttered dish. Topping: In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, cheese and butter. Sprinkle over the dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden on top and heated throughout. Variation: Use broccoli and cheddar in place of cauliflower and Gruyere and Parmesan.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Stir garlic and vegetable oil together in a small bowl. Arrange cauliflower florets on a baking sheet; pour oil mixture over cauliflower. Toss to coat.
• Bake cauliflower in the preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a 4-quart stockpot over medium heat; cook and stir leeks and flour in the melted butter until fragrant and well blended, 5 to 10 minutes. Add cauliflower, chicken stock, and cream; simmer until flavors have combined, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir chervil, salt, and pepper into the soup; simmer until desired thickness, 10 to 15 more minutes.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH LEEKS AND WHITE CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cauliflower head lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some smaller bits will fall away: That's fine. You'll use them as well.)
• Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. (An oval, square or rectangular dish will all work.) Layer about a third of the cauliflower along the bottom, and about a third of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper, and repeat until all of the cauliflower and leeks are used. (Don't worry about perfectly layering them.) Season with salt and pepper and drizzle cream over. Scatter cheese on top, and season again with salt and pepper. Lightly cover with foil and place in the oven.
• Bake until cauliflower is nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cream has thickened and reduced nearly completely and the top is golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

CAULIFLOWER WITH LEEKS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil; cook cauliflower until tender, 7-8 minutes; drain and set aside.
• Melt butter in the same pot over medium-high heat; add leeks and tomatoes, cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to soften, 2 minutes; add cauliflower and salt and pepper to taste; gently toss and serve.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES & CAPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Toss the cauliflower pieces in a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil and place on baking sheet (lined with release foil works great for easy cleanup);Roast for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy on the edges.
• While the cauliflower is baking, place the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper, and thyme in a sauce pan with the 1/2 cup olive oil; heat over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
• When the cauliflower is done, place in a bowl and pour oil mixture over cauliflower; add the sun dried tomatoes and capers and stir all together to combine; Serve hot or at room temperature.