Cheddar Cauliflower… a Fall special!

This Week’s Vegetable Box Feature: Cheddar Cauliflower… a Fall special!

 

Did you know?

• It tastes nothing like cheese. Its flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and creamy.
• It gets its colour from high levels of the health-promoting compound beta-carotene.
• It contains 25 times more vitamin A than white cauliflower.
• It is a hybrid plant & NOT genetically modified, it was solely created from natural occurrences.

Fun Fact: The vibrancy of the orange coloring is not an indication of freshness, in fact each variety will display varying shades depending on sunlight and cultivation techniques.

Where to store it?

Whole Orange cauliflower heads should be wrapped in a damp paper towel, placed in a plastic bag with ventilation, and stored in the crisper drawer where they will keep 7 to 14 days. Individual florets will hold up to 7 days when stored in a container in the refrigerator.

How to Use it?

Like the traditional white cauliflower, cheddar cauliflower can be enjoyed raw or cooked (including steaming, grilling, sautéing, roasting, and baking). It’s a great addition to fall salads or soups and brings a nice pop of fall colour to your vegetable trays! When cooked, the heads develop a soft, chewy, and tender texture and readily absorb accompanying flavors. In addition to the heads, all parts of the plant, including the stems and leaves, are edible.

 

 

Recipes:

 

Vegan Cauliflower Shells and Cheese

Created by: Kelly Roenicke

A delicious meal on a fall day!

 

Ingredients:

16 ounces pasta shells (can use gluten or gluten free shells)

1 head orange cauliflower cut into florets

½ cup onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 cups vegetable broth

3 TBSP vegan buttery spread (if you aren’t needing it to be vegan feel free to use butter or ghee)

¾ cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

¾ tsp garlic powder

1 ⅛ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp dried mustard powder

salt and pepper to taste fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

2. Place the cauliflower florets and the onion in a large pot with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is tender.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the vegetables with an immersion blender until very smooth.

4. Place the pot back on low heat and stir in the vegan buttery spread, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, white pepper, and mustard powder. Stir until smooth and incorporated. Add the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.

5. Serve with more salt and pepper to taste and fresh parsley if desired.

 

Baked Orange Cauliflower

Created by: Kirbie

Crispy baked cauliflower pieces are coated in an orange sauce. It's like orange chicken but with cauliflower instead!

 

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 large eggs whisked

For the Sauce:

2 TBSP water

1/4 cup + 2 TBSP orange juice

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

2 1/2 TBSP vinegar

1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 tsp ginger minced

1 tsp sriracha (if you find this to be too much spice, you can replace half of it with ketchup to get the orange color without affecting flavor too much)

1 tsp ketchup

2 tsp cornstarch + 2 TBSP water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set aside whisked egg in a small mixing bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs into a Ziploc bag. Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Dip cauliflower in egg mixture and then shake a few times so that excess egg drips off. You don't want to dampen your breadcrumbs with excess egg because then they won't stick to the cauliflower. Set aside dipped cauliflower on a cutting board or plate, so that more excess egg has a chance to drip off. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.

3. Take an egg dipped cauliflower and place into a bag of breadcrumbs. Seal and shake a few times until it is completely covered in breadcrumbs. Remove and place onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cauliflower, adding an additional 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to the bag whenever you run out. You can do a few cauliflower at a time, but I don't recommend more than 3-4 because your cauliflower won't be as well covered in breadcrumbs.

4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until coating is a dark golden brown and crunchy.

5. While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. Using a small saucepan, add all ingredients listed except the last set (1 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch). Bring sauce to a low boil, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, completely dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture. Stir until sauce boils again and cook until sauce thickens. Drizzle sauce over cauliflower. Add fresh chopped scallions if desired.

 

Roasted Orange Cauliflower

Created by: Nutmeg Nanny

This super simple roasted orange cauliflower is the perfect side dish vegetable.

 

Ingredients:

1 large head of orange cauliflower

2 TBSP olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Cut off florets and wash thoroughly.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Toss to combine and add to a large rimmed baking sheet pan.

5. Cook until golden brown 20-25 minutes making sure to stir cauliflower about halfway through roasting.

 

 

Orange Cauliflower Soup

Created by: Story of a Kitchen

 

Ingredients:

1 head of orange cauliflower

about 2 TBSP good quality olive oil

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic, pressed

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

smoked paprika

⅛ cup Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Wash and break up cauliflower into small florets.

2. In a heavy pot, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds; don't burn it! Add cauliflower florets, stir to coat with oil. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper (how much will depend on how salty your broth is). Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Puree soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot. Add Parmesan and stir to combine. Check seasoning.

5. Garnish soup with smoked paprika, Parmesan, and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. The soup overall tastes very smooth and buttery, and a peppery/grassy flavored olive oil gives a nice finish.

 

 

Wondering how to use your Sweet Potato Squash? Check out recipe blog archive for September 16th 2022!

 

 

Recipes are curated by Lauren