Cauliflower Cheese Crumble with Tomato and Herbs

Adding tomatoes, fresh thyme and an oaty crumble topping to cauliflower cheese transforms a simple dish into something else entirely!

I've been making this for years so it's definitely tried and tested as well as being a favourite!  The idea for a cauliflower crumble originally came from a Sophie Grigson's recipe.  I've added a "cheese" sauce and made the dish entirely dairy free.  

There are quite a few vegan alternatives to cheese available these days but we've always liked Bute Island Sheeses which are available in most independent health shops.    Some larger Tesco stores now stock a range of soya cheese (cream cheese spreads and cheddar) which are made by the same company. 

      
Ingredients                      Serves 4 - 6

1 cauliflower
4 tomatoes (or 400g can plum tomatoes, well drained)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
freshly ground salt and pepper

Crumble
100g dairy free margarine (e.g. Pure)
50g wholemeal flour
50g plain white flour
50g porridge oats
50g dairyfree cheddar Sheese, grated

Cheese Sauce
1 small onion 
40g dairy free margarine (e.g. Pure)
25g plain flour
15 fl.oz unsweetened soya milk
40g cheddar Sheese, grated
pinch of cayenne pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6

First prepare the cauliflower.  Break up the cauliflower into florets and select a few of the tender leaves (save the rest to use as greens another day.)  

At this point, it's handy to choose your ovenproof dish, ideally one that will take the cauliflower in a single layer.  

Simmer the cauliflower in a large pan of salted water until almost tender - about 7 or 8 minutes - or, alternatively,  steam for about 12 minutes.   Drain and arrange in your dish.

 

Next, make the cheese sauce.   Finely chop the onion.   Melt 40g margarine in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for about 5 minutes without browning until translucent.

  

Add 25g plain flour and stir well (a balloon whisk is great for this) until you have a paste,  then cook over a gentle heat for a minute or two, stirring all the time. 

Remove the pan from the heat whilst you pour in the milk.  Add a little at a time, stirring constantly.
Place back over a medium heat and bring slowly to a simmer.  Let it bubble away gently for about five minutes until you have a creamy sauce, then add 40g grated cheddar sheese and a pinch of cayenne.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pour evenly over the cauliflower.  






Slice the tomatoes and place on top of the cauliflower cheese. 
If you're using a tin, drain the juice (to drink later!) and chop the tomatoes into small pieces.   Sprinkle over the top with fresh thyme leaves and a little salt.

 

To make the crumble,  either melt 100g margarine in a pan over a low heat or in a medium bowl in the microwave.  Add the two flours (100g in total),  50g oats and 50g grated cheddar Sheese and stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.      

  

 
Using your fingers,   sprinkle the crumble mixture over the vegetables.  Don't worry if there are any gaps - it's not meant to cover every inch!





 Bake for about 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown. 

Serve straightaway with some oven roasted potatoes and a green vegetable.

 

Herb Pancakes with Spinach & Tomato Filling

 

Now is usually the time of year when everything in my vegetable plot looks at it's best but not this year!  Sweetcorn plants are at least two months behind and unlikely to form cobs by the autumn. Even rocket which usually grows like a weed has been struggling to survive the cool, damp, cloudy days which have plagued us this year. 

As well as potatoes which have loved all the rain,  climbing french beans are thriving in the greenhouse.  But, as usual, one of the most reliable crops outside is swiss chard and it shows little sign of slowing down.

This has always been one of my favourite recipes to use up a glut of chard and spinach works just as well.  The pancakes are free from eggs and dairy and contain ground fenugreek and fresh basil but you can use any herbs you like.  Do give fenugreek a try though. It really adds something special to this dish.

For the pancakes

110g plain flour

25g semolina

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground fenugreek

300 ml unsweetened soya milk

1 tbsp sunflower oil (+ extra for frying)

small bunch chopped basil leaves

For the filling

250 - 300g chard or spinach 

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 pieces drained sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Method

First, make the pancake batter by placing the flour, semolina, baking powder, fenugreek and some salt and pepper in a bowl.

Whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth batter, then add the chopped basil and sunflower oil.

Transfer the pancake batter to a jug and leave in the fridge to rest while you make the filling.

Wash the chard or spinach, removing any thick stalks from the chard leaves. Lift the wet leaves into a large pan, add some salt and place over a medium heat. There's no need to add any extra water.

As the chard/spinach start to wilt and soften, use a pair of kitchen scissors to chop up and stir the leaves round so they cook evenly. 

Spinach only takes two or three minutes to cook whilst chard takes a little longer.

Drain through a metal sieve over the sink and press out any excess liquid using the back of a tablespoon.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and saute in a little olive oil in a wide based pan for about 3 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a few more minutes until cooked but not brown.

Stir in the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Chop up the sun-dried tomatoes, if using, and stir in.  Then add the cooked spinach/chard and season to taste.

When you're ready, make the pancakes.  Give the pancake mix a stir, then heat a little sunflower oil or trex in a pancake pan or shallow non-stick frying pan.

When the pan is really hot, pour in about a quarter of the pancake mixture and immediately tip the pan from side to side until the mixture thinly coats the surface.

Cook on both sides until golden brown. 

Turn out on to a warm plate and top with a generous spoonful of the spinach and tomato filling.

Roll it up and serve straightaway.
It makes a great lunch dish on it's own or serve with vegetables for dinner.

Fish Goulash

 

This is a simple dish but definitely one of my favourites.  It's lovely at any time but ideal when you have friends or family coming round and want to rustle up something at short notice.   I usually have peppers and onions in the fridge and some fresh or tinned tomatoes at the ready.  Even though it's probably nicer made with fresh chunky cod fillets, you can use any white fish, fresh or frozen.  I used some inexpensive frozen basa fillets for the first time today which were fine.  Just make sure you thaw out the fish before using.

You can use fresh or tinned tomatoes or a combination of both.    The onions, peppers and tomatoes are cooked in a large wide based pan, then the fish is added to the pan towards the end of the cooking time.  So it's handy to make the first part in advance, then add the fish when your friends arrive.

The natural yogurt is optional but it does make it nice and creamy!

Ingredients                                                                         Serves 2 - 3

About 300g white fish fillets

2 small onions

1 red pepper

1 green pepper
1 clove garlic

about 300g tomatoes, skinned
(or equivalent tinned tomatoes)

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

fresh basil leaves (optional)

1 tbsp natural soya yogurt

Method

Skin the tomatoes by placing in a bowl and covering with boiling water. Leave for about a minute, then remove with a fork, and when cool enough to handle, peel away the skins.

Peel and slice the onions thinly and crush the garlic.   Heat the olive oil in a large wide-based pan.  I use a non-stick saute pan with a glass lid.  

Add the onions and garlic, cover with the lid, and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Slice the peppers into long strips and add to the pan.

Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.  Add a teaspoon of paprika and stir for a few moments before adding the tomatoes and some freshly ground salt and pepper.   

Simmer uncovered over a low heat for about 20 minutes until the mixture has reduced and thickened.

Cut the fish into generous chunks and stir into the goulash.

Simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes over a gentle heat until the fish is cooked.  Stir in a spoonful of natural yogurt and some chopped basil leaves.

Serve with rice and a green salad or vegetable.

Baked Fennel with Tomatoes and Olives

This is a fabulous dish to serve for dinner when you are having friends round.  It can be prepared well in advance, then baked when you're ready and it never seems to mind hanging around in the oven a little longer than necessary!

Not only that, the flavour of the fennel is so delicious and a little out of the ordinary.  It goes well as a side dish with fish, or as a main course with pasta or simply as an accompaniment to other vegetables.

For this recipe, I usually blanch the fennel in boiling water to speed up the baking time.  If you don't have fresh ripe tomatoes, use a well drained tin of plum tomatoes instead.

Ingredients            Serves 4

2 medium bulbs fennel
350g tomatoes
50g pitted black olives
2 cloves garlic 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
About half a tbsp fresh thyme

Method

Wash the fennel and trim away the feathery fronds to use as a garnish.  

Slice a thin layer from the base and remove any outer layers that are discoloured.    Quarter the fennel bulbs, then cut each quarter in half. 

Cook in boiling salted water until just tender  - this usually takes about 10 minutes. Remove the fennel from the pan with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking water.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.

Place the drained fennel in a single layer in a shallow gratin dish. 

Then place the tomatoes in the hot fennel water to remove the skins. After a minute, transfer the tomatoes to a chopping board using a slotted spoon.  The skins should peel away easily.

Leave the tomatoes whole if you are using the cherry variety or cut into quarters if they are larger.  Scatter the tomatoes and the black olives over the top of the fennel.  

Peel and finely chop the garlic and sprinkle over the vegetables, together with the thyme.  Add a good seasoning of salt and pepper.

Finally, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time,  baste the fennel with the juices in the dish.

Serve as a side dish with fish,  as a main course with pasta or simply as an accompaniment to other vegetables.

Courgette and Pepper Provençal

My vegetable plot has been taking up much of my spare time this summer which is why it's been a while since I posted a recipe! A bumper crop of vegetables have passed through my kitchen over the past few months, most of which have been eaten in their simplest form - freshly picked, steamed, baked or lightly fried and always savoured!

However, now I'm back with fresh enthusiasm, ready to share some more of my favourite recipes which I hope you'll enjoy as much as we do.   

This is a lovely versatile dish that I often make in late summer when there are plenty of courgettes and tomatoes to use up.  It goes well with pasta, couscous or potatoes, with grilled fish or vegetable burgers,  in a baked shortcrust pastry case or served with puff pastry triangles.  It's also just as good eaten cold. 

Ingredients        Serves 4

1 large onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 courgettes
About 450g fresh tomatoes
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves




First skin your tomatoes. Place them in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover.

After about a minute, remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on your chopping board.  The skins should slip off easily.  Roughly chop.

Peel and chop the onion.  Heat the olive oil in a wide saute pan and cook the onion gently without browning, stirring frequently for about five minutes until tender.  

Peel and crush the garlic and stir in.  

Cut the peppers in half and remove the stalks and seeds.  Cut into slices about 1cm wide and add to the pan. 

Cover with a lid and cook for about five minutes.  By covering with a lid at this point, I find it allows the peppers to start to soften in the hot steam.

Cut the courgettes in half lengthways, then into slices about 1cm thick and add to the pan together with the chopped tomatoes.  Stir well and season with salt and pepper.  

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and cook gently without covering, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes,  by which time most of the juice from the tomatoes will have reduced and the vegetables are cooked. 

Crush the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar.

Add to the pan with the chopped basil and simmer for a further ten minutes until you have a delicious mixture of cooked vegetables coated in a rich tomato sauce.

To serve, sprinkle a few fresh basil leaves sprinkled on top.

Tabbouleh Salad

Mention tabbouleh and I automatically think of summer picnics on the beach!   It's the ideal salad to take on a day out and somehow tastes even more delicious when you're in a beautiful location!

As long as you have a bag of bulghur wheat stored away in your kitchen cupboard and have some fresh tomatoes, cucumber and herbs handy, you can put this salad together in no time but, if you can, make it a day ahead to allow the flavours to fully develop.  

Unlike the classic tabbouleh, my version contains black olives which I love. They definitely add extra taste, texture and colour to this simple salad.  If you like spring onions, they are a nice addition too.

 

Ingredients

125g bulghur wheat
About 250g ripe tomatoes
Half a cucumber
A generous handful of black olives
A bunch of fresh parsley
(approx 3 tbsp finely chopped)
A small bunch of fresh mint
(approx 2 tbsp finely chopped)
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

First put the bulghur wheat in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave for about 45 minutes. 

(or, for fast soaking, add boiling water and leave for just 20 minutes)

Drain the bulghur wheat through a sieve and press with the back of a large spoon to remove excess water.

Meanwhile make your dressing by whisking together the olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Then add the finely chopped parsley and mint and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. 

Chop the tomatoes and dice the cucumber and add to the herb dressing.  Roughly chop the olives and mix in.

When your bulghur wheat has drained thoroughly,  add to the other ingredients and stir well. 

Cover the salad and place in the fridge overnight. 

TIP
If you don't want to make the whole salad the night before,  just soak the bulghur wheat in water and make the herb dressing. Pour the dressing over the drained bulghur and leave in the fridge overnight.
The next day, all you have to do is add your chopped salad ingredients.