Caulifower and Green Bean Salad

By Maria Filice • July 17, 2010

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Nothing like a medly of cauliflower, green beans and cherry tomatoes = great colors and flavors in ten short minutes.

I cheated ….. I microwaved the cauliflower (3 minutes) and the green beans (5 minutes), pre-washed, cut and in less than 10 minutes, salad was ready. Sometimes we need to think quick on our feet when the kitchen is too hot to cook! The vegetables were perfect and another way to get through these hot summer days! Before long, we’ll start complaining about the cold right!

When I was ready to plate, I added a handful of cherry tomatoes that were on my kitchen counter (I like my tomatoes at room temperature) – the sweetness really comes out!

Add extra virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper (to taste) and 1 clove garlic thinly chopped. Mix and serve with your favorite meat or fish. I served with oven roasted chicken ….. and a nice bottle of chilled Rosé.

enjoy!

maria

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Maria’s Pasta and Cauliflower

By Maria Filice • March 13, 2010

Cauliflower and Penne

A few months ago (12/2), I wrote a blog about freezing cauliflower. Well, here is it, it made it’s way back to life with savory pene rigati with burro (butter) and garlic!
A great way to use something frozen, something fresh (parsley) and something dry (pasta) = a love triangle of flavors!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 lb. pene rigati (or your favorite pasta)
2 lb. fresh or frozen cauliflower florets
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
fresh Italian parsley (handful or 1 cup), chopped
salt and black pepper
Using a large pot, cook the pasta according to the pasta instructions until it is al dente (approx. 8-10 minutes)
While the pasta water is boiling…….begin the sauce. Heat the butter, olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic until it turns golden, for a minute. Stir occasionally.
Add the cauliflower and saute for a few minutes and lower the heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and add it to the sauce.
Add the pasta to the sauce pan, add the cheese and 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir for a minute letting the sauce mix well. Before serving, add the fresh parsley.
Serve immediately.
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Holy Cauliflower!

By Maria Filice • December 2, 2009

Holy Cauliflower

Now that’s a cauliflower! I was so proud of my purchase: any size for the same price! I brought my prize cauliflower home and weighed it…five pounds!

Then I said to myself, “Who’s going to eat this? I’m going to be away all next week.” Sound familiar? I cut enough for the week and planned to eat it either raw or steamed (who me). The rest went into the freezer.

Here are a few “cauli-maria” tips:

1. Remove all of the outer leaves of the cauliflower.

2. Fill a large pot with water and place the pot on the stovetop at medium/high. Add about 2 tbsp. of salt (or to your salt preference).

3. Cut the cauliflower into separate florets of about 2 inches, or of a size that you prefer. Trim and peal the stems.

4. Wash the florets thoroughly in cold water.

5. Add the cauliflower florets to the boiling water, place a lid on top, and cook for one minute.

6. Strain the cauliflower florets and immediately place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave them there for one minute.

7. Drain the cauliflower florets and gently dry them off with paper towels.

8. Zip them into freezer bags and label them with the date. They’ll be good for six months.

If you have the time and the space, you can store cauliflower for up to three weeks by hanging them upside down and mist-spraying them with water every day. Just gave the family another reason to hang something else in the cantina!

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