So misunderstood!

Cauliflower is one of the most abused and misunderstood vegetables in the world of fruits and vegetables. Here are three recipes that I promise will change your mind if you don't like the poor veggie. I have had people who hate cauliflower become converts after trying these recipes. If you already love cauliflower you will LOVE adding these to your recipe book!!
The first one is my favorite cauliflower recipe. The first two recipes can easily be halved if you have a smaller audience.

Breaded Roasted Cauliflower  by Diane Phillips

2 medium heads of cauliflower
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1. Line a bakng sheet with a silicone liner or aluminum foil.

2. Trim the cauliflower and cut into 1-inch florets. Try to keep them about the same size so they will cook evenly. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl and toss with 6 tablespoons of the oil, the salt and pepper.

3. In another large bowl, or ziplock bag, combne the bread crumbs, cheese, and oregano, stirring until blended. Toss the florets in the crumbs, a few at a time, stirring to coat evenly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with te remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

***At this point, you can cover and leave at room temperature for up to 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic The Gourmet Cookbook

3 medium heads cauliflower, cored and cut into 2-inch-wide florets
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425 Degrees F.

2. Toss cauliflower with oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Spread evenly on two baking sheets with sides. Toast, stirring occasionally and switching position of sheets halfway through roasting, until cauliflower is golden and crisp-tender, 25-30 minutes.


Cauliflower Au Gratin Company's Coming Vegetables

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into 1-2-inch florets
Salted water - or steamer basket in pot with an inch of water

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup grated medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.

2. Cook cauliflower in salted water or steam until barely tender. Drain. I prefer steaming.

3. Put cauliflower into 2 quart casserole.

4. Melt butter in saucepan. Mix in flour, salt and pepper. Stir in milk until it boils and thickens.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese until it melts into the sauce.

5. Pour sauce over cauliflower. Depending on size of cauliflower, this may be too much sauce. Add enough to cover. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

6. Bake uncovered in oven until heated through and cheese is melted.

Jane and the Giant Cookie...

For quite some time I have known Jane has been hunting for her "perfect chocolate chip cookie". Now to define what makes a "perfect" Chocolate Chip Cookie to Janey.....it must NOT be one of those flat, crispy, chewy, buttery jobs! Bite your tongue!! And it CANNOT be a hard, crunchy excuse of a cookie! I knew all of the things that her "perfect cookie" WAS NOT, but it was not until we were sitting in a coffee shop one night, and the waitress brought out a chocolate chip cookie that I finally knew what the cookie WAS. This cookie made Jane's eyes light up. She glowed! The object of her affection was a large, cakey, thick, crispy, soft chocolate chip cookie.

It just so happened that I tried the following recipe for the first time the following week. When they came out of the oven I KNEW I had stumbled upon Jane's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.....or at least until a better one comes along. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy it as much as we have!

Jane's Giant Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp salt

14 TBSP (1 3/4 sticks) butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 TBSP vegetable or canola oil

8 oz good quality chocolate chips - bittersweet or semi-sweet, bakers preference1 cup toasted nuts, optional

Directions:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix eggs, vanilla and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Microwave butter until just melted, but not hot. This will take about 30-45 seconds.
   
2. Mix sugars in a large bowl. Add butter and oil, and stir until smooth. Add egg mixture; stir until smooth and creamy. Add dry ingredients, and stir to form a smooth dough. Stir in chocolate and nuts, if using.


3. Using a 1 1/2 ounce (3 TBSP) spring action ice cream scoop, spoon 16 dough balls onto a pan that will fit in your freezer. Don't fuss if the balls are crowded. They will pull apart when frozen. Freeze until dough is hard, about 30 minutes. At this stage you can freeze the balls in a freezer bag until you are ready to use them. They will keep for about 3 months.


4. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working with half batches, place 8 frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet. Do not press them down. Bake until set but not brown, 8-10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges and lightly brown on top, about 10 minutes longer. Let cookies cool completely on sheet. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Enjoy!!!!
   

"The Great Pumpkin" Pancake

Tis the season for a bit of pumpkin and spice. Here is a wonderful recipe from Martha Stewart for pumpkin pancakes that I wanted to share with my friends. This has become an overnight classic at my house. Ross asks for them every day!

Great Pumpkin Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour (unbleached or all-purpose)

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 pinches of ground cloves

Wet Ingredients:

2 cups milk

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs, seperated

Directions:

In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients with a whisk. Mix well. In a medium bowl combine milk, pumpkin, and egg whites. In a smaller bowl stir together melted butter and egg yolks. Pour egg yolk mixture into milk mixture. Stir to combine** .Pour wet ingredients onto dry ingredients. Fold to combine. Do not overmix. Put a bit of butter or cooking spray on your griddle or skillet. Use about 1/4-12 cup of batter for each pancake....or whatever looks right to you. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. There are a ton of topping choices for these: maple syrup, whipped cream, sauted apples, pecans.... just to name a few!

**you can skip separating the eggs and combine all of your wet ingredients at once if you want to save a bit of time.

If You Give a Kid a Pancake......

Ross wanted pancakes for breakfast this morning. Of course he did...it is Saturday and that is just what you should do, have pancakes with smiley faces made out of chocolate chips. Whipped cream always makes great hair. It does not get much better than that when you are 8. Owain, my 10 yr old was angling for crepes but Ross got his request in first. He went to sleep last night talking about breakfast, I swear he probably dreamed about it. If you know my boys this should come as no surprise. They are very much like their mother. Food is a HUGE part of life.
I always like to use new recipes because I am sure the "perfect" recipe for each thing I make is still to be discovered. I bought a "new" cookbook at the half price bookstore the other day. It is called "The Perfect Recipe". How appropriate. The author is Pam Anderson(no, not of Baywatch fame). She claimed her recipe for pancakes is the best. She has tested recipes for them every way to Sunday. My kind of girl!!! I am here to say that until I find the next "perfect pancake recipe" this one holds the title.

Perfect Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:(combine in a large bowl)
2 cups flour
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
4 TBSP melted butter

Preheat skillet or griddle. The pan is ready when drops of water sprinkled on it dance for you.
In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients. Use a whisk for this making sure you really distribute the leavening agents. In a medium bowl stir together the egg whites, buttermilk and milk. In a smaller bowl mix together the egg yolks and melted butter. Stir yolk mixture into milk mixture. Dump the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and gently but quickly mix together. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour about 1/4-1/2 cup of batter on pan. If you want to add chocolate chips, blueberries or any other yummy addition just wait for 30 seconds after you poured the batter on the grill then gently sprinkle your add-ons on the top. When you see little bubbles on the surface of the pancake and a few of the bubbles have popped (2-3 minutes) it is time to flip them. Cook until browned on second side, approximately 1-2 minutes. Then slather with butter and enjoy!!!!