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.

 

Roasted Parsnip Soup

Here's a lovely comforting soup to brighten up a cold January day!  Parsnips are at their best right now and roasting them in the oven with some warming spices really brings out their sweet, mellow flavour.  Adding a touch of turmeric magically transforms the soup into a gorgeous golden colour too.

The cooking process is very similar to my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup and this is another simple recipe where there's no hanging around watching a pan for ages.  You can even roast the vegetables in the oven whilst you're cooking something else, then finish off the soup later, the next day or whenever you have time. 

And if you don't want to make soup, the ingredients make a delicious vegetable dish.  Just follow the recipe and serve the golden roasted parsnips straight from the oven.

Ingredients                 Serves 4


700g parsnips
1 onion
2 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp coriander seeds (or ground coriander)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube  (e.g. Kallo)
15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.

First, crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, just enough to bring out their spicy aroma! 

Peel the parsnips and quarter them lengthways.  With larger parsnips, remove the woody core first.    Chop into approx 1" (2.5cm) sized chunks.

Peel and slice the onion into 8 segments.   Peel the garlic cloves and cut in half. Quarter the tomatoes.

Spread out all the prepared vegetables on a large baking tray and sprinkle over the coriander, cumin and turmeric and some freshly ground salt and pepper.

Drizzle over the olive oil.  Then, using a couple of large spoons or a fish slice, toss the vegetables in the oil and spices until well mixed.

Place the baking tray in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and golden.  (Half way through the cooking time, just give the vegetables a good stir and spread them out evenly again)

 Transfer the vegetables to a food processor. 

Process until you have a reasonably smooth consistency.   Then, continue to process as you pour in about 400ml of boiling water.

Dissolve the vegetable stock cube in a large saucepan filled with 800ml boiling water.   Add the parsnip puree and stir with a balloon whisk over a medium heat until gently simmering.  Finally add the lemon juice and check the seasoning.

  
 Serve piping hot! 

Fruity Chocolate Florentines

After a break from posting recipes,   I'm back with a little treat for you just in time for Christmas.   These fruity chocolate florentines are amazingly quick and easy to make and are particularly good served chilled from the fridge - or even straight out of the freezer!  

Florentines are traditionally full of sugar and cream so, in my recipe, I've reduced the sugar, cut out all the dairy products and added maple syrup, dairy-free dark chocolate and plenty of naturally sweet fruits and nuts.   As it's Christmas, I've added dried cranberries and some naturally red glace cherries but you can use any combination you like!

  

Ingredients          Makes about 15

55g dairy free margarine

27g light brown muscovado sugar

1 tbsp natural maple syrup

140g mixed dried fruits, cranberries, glace cherries, mixed peel

40g mixed nuts e.g. almonds, brazil nuts, pecan

25g plain white flour

100g dairy free dark chocolate

Method

 

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas Mark 3

Prepare two baking trays by greasing with a little margarine or use non-stick baking liners. 

Start by placing the margarine, sugar and maple syrup in a saucepan and melting them over a low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.   Remove the pan from the heat. 

Roughly chop the dried fruit and nuts, then add them to the pan with the flour.  Stir well.  

Drop small spoonfuls of the florentine mixture onto the baking sheets allowing plenty of space between them.  They do spread out during baking so, if you don't leave enough room, you'll have one very large florentine instead of about 15 smaller ones!  

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 - 12 minutes until they are golden brown.

Leave for about 3 minutes to harden slightly before loosening carefully with a knife or spatula. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  

If your florentines have merged together whilst baking, they can still be rescued!  As soon as you take them out of the oven, separate them carefully with a knife or scissors and ease them into a circular shape. 

Break up the chocolate into pieces and place in a small bowl.  Microwave until completely melted, stirring frequently to avoid overcooking.

  

(Alternatively, place the bowl over a small pan filled with a couple of inches of just boiled water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water) 

When the chocolate is glossy and smooth, spread a thin layer over the back (i.e. flat side) of each florentine, using a knife or pastry brush.  If you like, you can make a zigzag pattern using a fork whilst the chocolate is setting.

  Have  a wonderful festive season and see you in the New Year!

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.

Pears with Elderflower

This is such a simple dessert. It's light and refreshing and the delicate flavour of elderflower is the ideal accompaniment to poached pears.

 

Of course, you can always add some extras like the dairyfree macaroons I posted last month and a dollop of soya yogurt, cream or non dairy icecream!

If you haven't tried it before, elderflower cordial makes a lovely drink mixed with sparkling or still water.   

 Ingredients 

4 firm (not over ripe) pears

3 tbsp elderflower cordial

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp golden castor sugar

500ml cold water

Method

Pour the water into a pan and add the elderflower cordial, lemon juice and sugar.  Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Slowly bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, carefully peel the pears and, leaving the stalk intact, cut in half.  Scoop out the core with a teaspoon.  

Place the pear halves in the hot liquid and simmer uncovered for about ten minutes until cooked.

 

Transfer the pears to a serving dish together with the poaching liquid and leave to cool. 

     Chill in the fridge and serve cold.

Dairy Free Macaroons

You don't normally associate the words "low in sugar" and "free from eggs and dairy" with sugary macaroons.  However, these light, crispy biscuits contain no egg white or fat and the quantity of sugar is less than half what you would normally expect to find in a macaroon. They are also incredibly quick and easy to make and look so dainty!

If you can, look out for natural almond extract rather than almond essence which may contain artificial flavours.

The first time I made them, the biscuits stuck like glue to the greased baking tray when baked and I ended up with a pile of crumbs. Maybe it's because there is no fat in the recipe.  To make life easier,  I now line the tray with a teflon non-stick baking liner and they slip off every time!

Ingredients                                        Makes 12 biscuits

50g ground almonds

50g semolina

50g golden castor sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp natural almond extract

5 tbsp cold water

12 flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas Mark 3.

Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking liner.

In a bowl, mix the ground almonds with the semolina, golden castor sugar and baking powder.

Measure the water into a small jug or cup and add the almond extract.  Pour into the dry ingredients and stir well.

Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to the prepared baking tray, spacing them well apart.   Flatten each spoonful into a circular shape, using a fork.

Place a flaked almond in the centre of each one.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer to a cooling rack, then store in an airtight container.

The macaroons are lovely served with poached pears or plums for a simple dessert.