Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

I needed a side dish for my book club meeting and had a couple heads of cauliflower sitting around looking bored. I thought I'd wake them up with a mild yet spicy rub and roast them. I also had a lot of cheese on hand, so I melted it down into a fondue-type mixture and added it to the cauliflower after I roasted it. The dish was then placed under the broiler until it achieved a deep golden brown. Here's the result:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Cauliflower, red pepper, orange pepper, lemon, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, gruyere cheese, emmenthaler cheese, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin seeds, nutmeg, white wine, panko bread crumbs, dijon mustard, seasalt, black pepper, cornstarch.

STEP ONE:







Preheat oven to 425.

Break cauliflower into florets and coat with 1/4 cup olive oil and the spice mixture:

1 T. cumin seeds
2 T. tumeric
1 T. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
20 grinds of black pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic

Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.

STEP TWO:

Prepare cheese sauce.








1. Grate 1 cup each of gruyere and ementhaler cheeses and mix with 2 T. of cornstarch.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup of white wine, the minced garlic and 1 T. lemon juice to a low
    simmer.
3. Add the cheeses a little at a time to make sure it melts as you go. When all the cheese is incorporated, whisk in the 1 tsp. dijon mustard and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg.
4. Pour over the cauliflower and top with panko bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 5 minutes and then place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the dish is
    browned on top.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

I decorated the top with "flower" peppers that were cooked in a little olive oil. A black olive was placed in the center of each flower.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

BLA When You Can't Have a BLT

Looking for sandwich material and hoping for a BLT. No tomatoes, but bacon and lettuce are on hand. I also have an avocado and some sundries tomatoes. Here's a good sandwich that was put together in no time. Turns out a BLA with sundried tomatoes is a great (and healthier) alternative.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Bacon, avocado, grated gruyere cheese, green leaf lettuce, 1 small orange pepper, 1 large clove garlic, sundried tomatoes,  toasted baguette.

STEP ONE:

Fry the bacon and toast baguette. Saute pepper and minced garlic in 2 tsp. of olive oil. Arrange ingredients to start assembling the sandwich.

STEP TWO:



On one side of bread, spread avocado. On the other side, sprinkle with grated gruyere cheese.

STEP THREE:



Cover avocado with sundried tomatoes.

STEP FOUR:



Cover cheese with sautéed pepper and garlic. This will start to melt the cheese.

STEP FIVE:



Place the bacon on both sides. Or not! This sandwich is a good vegetarian option.

STEP SIX:



Add the lettuce.

STEP SEVEN:



Take a big bite and enjoy!

Sandwich making is a very creative endeavor. It's especially creative when you make a sandwich with whatever you have on hand. Adding cheese, sundried tomatoes and avocado to a BLT alternative cuts out the mayo (fat) and replaces it with good fat (avocado). The peppers and garlic give it some serious flavor. Make sure you drizzle the olive oil on the bread when you add the pepper/garlic mixture. And of course, use good bread!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!