Cauliflower can be used to prepare an incredible number of diverse dishes. Most of them are even worthy of a festive table. We've gathered 12 quick and delicious recipes for you!
1. "Minute" Casserole
This delicious and juicy cauliflower casserole cooks very quickly. Even a beginner can handle it!
You will need: 1 kg cauliflower florets, 2 – 3 eggs, 0.75 cup fresh milk, 120 g hard cheese, salt, spices.
Preparation: Separate the cauliflower into small florets and boil in lightly salted water for 12 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a glass baking dish, pour over a mixture of beaten eggs, grated cheese, milk, and seasonings. Cook in the microwave for 10 minutes at maximum power, or in the oven for about half an hour.
2. "Colorful" Cutlets
Cutlets don't just have to be made from pork or beef mince. From cauliflower, they turn out more tender, more aromatic, and healthier!
You will need: 1 kg cauliflower, 5 tbsp wheat flour, 2 onions, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 package breadcrumbs, salt, ground pepper, and other seasonings.
Preparation: Boil cauliflower in salted water for 5 – 7 minutes. Remove the florets from the boiling water and let them cool completely. Pour the remaining hot cauliflower broth over the oats so that the liquid just covers the flakes. Let steep under a lid for about 15 minutes until the oats swell.
Pass the cauliflower florets with onion and oats through a meat grinder. Add flour to the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. With wet hands, form flat oval cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs on all sides, then place them on a hot pan with vegetable oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown, the heat should be below medium.
3. Vegetable Rice
You'll be surprised, but cauliflower can be easily transformed into… rice. And yes, it's very tasty!
You will need: 450 g cauliflower, 2 chicken egg whites, 1 onion, garlic to taste, and spices.
Preparation: Separate the cauliflower into florets, chop in a blender until it resembles rice grains. This will only take a few seconds. Alternatively, if you don't have a blender, simply grate the vegetable. Fry finely chopped onion in oil, add garlic pressed through a press. Pour in the egg whites, fry, stirring, until the egg whites begin to break into small pieces. Now add the cauliflower, salt, and pepper. Fry for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve as a standalone dish or as a side dish.
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4. Braised Cauliflower with Vegetables
This dish is a nutritionist's dream. Prepare braised cauliflower with vegetables for dinner, and you definitely won't have problems with extra pounds!
You will need: 1 head of cauliflower, 1 red bell pepper, 1 onion and 1 carrot, 200 ml milk, 2 tbsp tomato puree, salt and seasonings of your choice.
Preparation: Slice the onion, carrot, and sweet bell pepper into thin strips and fry in oil. Add a spoonful of tomato paste and braise everything together for five minutes. Then pour milk over the contents of the pan. Wait for it to boil and add the not-too-finely chopped cauliflower. Braise under a lid for 15 minutes. Season the dish with salt and pepper, stir, and let it cook for another five minutes.
5. Chicken with Cauliflower
The combination of juicy chicken with tender cauliflower florets and tomato sauce is simply amazing. Be prepared for guests to ask for seconds!
You will need: 1 kg cauliflower, 1 chicken fillet, 230 g hard cheese, 2 ripe tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 3 tbsp tomato paste, 0.25 tsp sugar, salt and spices to taste, a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
Preparation: Boil the cauliflower in well-salted water for 7 minutes. Cut the fillet into pieces and fry in vegetable oil over high heat until golden brown. Prepare a baking dish, place half of the boiled cauliflower on the bottom, then lay the chicken meat, pour over the vegetable sauce, then another layer of cauliflower, and pour the remaining sauce. Place the dish in the oven, cook for about half an hour at 195 degrees Celsius.
For the sauce, fry onion with garlic and finely chopped tomatoes. Then add pepper. Braise for 8 minutes. Pour in a mixture of 1 cup cauliflower broth, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and hot pepper. Cook everything together for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
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6. Cauliflower under a Cheese "Fur Coat"
A very delicious dish, consisting of only three ingredients, is quick and easy to prepare. The taste is divine!
You will need: 300 g hard cheese, 1 kg cauliflower, 1 jar mayonnaise.
Preparation: Drop the cauliflower, separated into florets, into boiling salted water. After 7 minutes, drain in a colander. Then place the cauliflower in a baking dish, lightly salt, and drizzle with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with grated cheese and put in the oven. Wait 15 minutes, and a delicious, aromatic, crispy dinner is ready.
7. Cauliflower in Batter with White Wine
Wine plays an important role in this recipe: alcohol will prevent fat from soaking into the batter during frying.
You will need: 1 head of cauliflower, 150 ml fresh milk, 2 eggs, 20 ml dry white wine, 50 ml sparkling water, salt and spices to taste, 5 drops lemon juice, 2 – 3 tbsp heaped flour.
Preparation: First, prepare the batter. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the egg whites with lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a stiff foam. Mix the yolks with sparkling water, white wine, add a little vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly. Sift in the flour, mix until smooth, and fold in the egg white foam.
Boil the cauliflower in water with added milk (this will prevent the vegetable from losing its pristine white color), separate into florets, pat dry, and dust with flour. Dip each floret into the batter and fry in plenty of oil.
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8. Gratin "Autumn Surprise"
This wonderful French dish absolutely must appear on your table this autumn!
You will need: 350 g cauliflower, 250 g broccoli, 230 ml cream, 2 chicken eggs, 300 g hard cheese, ground nutmeg on the tip of a knife, salt and spices to taste.
Preparation: Boil both types of cabbage in lightly salted water for 12 minutes after the liquid boils. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with a fork, gradually pour in the cream, and add a third of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add nutmeg. Place the cabbage in a baking dish, pour over the egg and cream mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for half an hour at 210 degrees.
9. Marinated Cauliflower
You can enjoy crunchy marinated cauliflower any time of year. An ideal appetizer for meat or fried potatoes. It's very easy to prepare!
You will need: 1 large head of cauliflower or a couple of small ones, 1 large beet, 1 carrot, 2 heads of garlic, 170 ml vinegar, half a cup of vegetable oil, 2.5 tbsp table salt, 10 black peppercorns, 5 allspice berries, 2 tsp sweet paprika, half a cup of sugar, 0.5 hot chili pepper pod, 1.2 l warm water.
Preparation: Grate the root vegetables on a grater for Korean carrots. Mince the garlic with a knife. In a separate container, dissolve salt and sugar in water, then pour in vegetable oil and vinegar. Layer the cauliflower and vegetables in a jar, alternating with garlic and spices. Then pour in the marinade, cover with a plastic lid, and place in a cold place for five days.
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10. Stuffed Cauliflower "Hedgehog"
Stuffed cauliflower with meat and mushrooms is a complete standalone dish, to which you can only serve your favorite sauce and a fresh vegetable salad!
You will need: 2 small heads of cauliflower, 400 g mixed minced meat, 2 onions, 2 potatoes, 250 g champignons, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp milk, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 bunch of any fresh herbs.
Preparation: Pour a spoonful of milk into a pot of boiling water, add salt, and immerse the cauliflower florets. Cook for about 10 minutes. Grate the onion, garlic, and potatoes on a fine grater. Finely chop the mushrooms and fry in oil. Add the vegetables and mushrooms to the minced meat, season with salt and pepper to your taste, add chopped herbs, beat in an egg, pour in milk and vegetable oil, preferably odorless. Place the minced meat in the refrigerator for 15 – 20 minutes.
Divide the chilled minced meat into two parts, roll each into a ball, and transfer to a baking dish. Stick cauliflower florets into the meat "meatballs" from all sides. Lightly brush the resulting "hedgehogs" with oil and place in the oven for 25 minutes. During baking, baste with the released juices.
11. Cauliflower Fritters
You might be surprised, but cauliflower fritters turn out very fluffy, soft, and incredibly delicious.
You will need: 800 g cauliflower, 2 eggs, 3 tbsp flour and mayonnaise each, 0.25 tsp baking powder.
Preparation: Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets, no larger than a cherry. Place them in a pot, cover with lightly salted water, and let soak for an hour. Then drain the water and let the florets dry. Place the cauliflower in a blender bowl, chop thoroughly, beat in the eggs, and blend again. Sift in the flour with baking powder and add mayonnaise. Mix. Spoon the batter onto a hot pan with vegetable oil, fry until golden brown on both sides.
12. Cauliflower Pizza
Instead of a dough base, you can safely use cauliflower. This way, your favorite pizza will be figure-friendly and even more delicious!
You will need: 1 medium head of cauliflower, 2 eggs, 200 g hard cheese, 250 g cooked chicken, 3 tomatoes, salt and spices to taste, 2 cloves garlic, tomato sauce, fresh herbs.
Preparation: Grate the cauliflower or finely chop it with a blender. Add 150 g of finely grated cheese, garlic pressed through a press. Mix thoroughly and spread in a circular shape on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with sauce, arrange thin tomato slices and finely chopped chicken meat. Sprinkle with salt and spices, distribute the remaining cheese, and place in the oven.