Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable, and in this post we will show you how to cook cauliflower five ways. As well as the obvious cooking methods of boiling, steaming and roasting, we will also show you how to use cauliflower to make an easy, low-carb flat bread, and a ‘hidden veg’, cheesy pasta sauce.
How to Roast Cauliflower
Wash your cauliflower and take off the green leaves and keep to the side. Cut the cauliflower in half, as shown in the picture above, to make it easier to cut. Then cut into small pieces, roughly 4cm. Place in a roasting dish and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, depending how large your cauliflower is, and season with salt and pepper. Rub the oil into the cauliflower pieces so they are all covered. Roast in an oven pre-heatings to 180C (fan) and cook for 30-40 minutes. You can add the cauliflower leaves for the last 15 minutes of cooking, as they won’t take as long as the cauliflower. Make sure the cauliflower leaves are also coated in a little oil and seasoned before adding to the baking tray.
How to Boil Cauliflower
Prepare the cauliflower in the same way as above and add to a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for around 20-30 minutes until soft. You can test by sticking a fork into the cauliflower. When ready it should go through easily. Drain, season and serve. A little knob of butter on top adds flavour, but this is option if you are trying to keep the fat low.
How to Steam Cauliflower
Prepare the cauliflower in the same way as above and add to a colander over a pan of gently boiling water. Cover the colander with a lid and let it steam for around 20 minutes, until the cauliflower if soft, testing with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
How to Make Low-Carb Cauliflower Flatbreads
Cut 250g (around a quarter of a large cauliflower) into small pieces and blend in blender (we used a Nutribullet) into fine pieces. Add to a bowl with 50g of ground flaxseed (linseed) and 200g plain flour. Use your hands to mix and bring together into a ball of dough. Keep a further 50 of plain flour to the side to use when rolling out the dough. Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each of them out into flatbreads, using some of the 50g of flour as needed to stop it sticking tot he surface. Heat a frying pan (there is no need to add oil) and cook each flatbread for around 2-3 minutes on each side. When cooled, you can wrap each in kitchen roll and place in a sandwich bag and freeze until you need one. They are great to use as wraps, flatbreads, pizza bases or tortillas.
How to Make ‘Hidden Veg’ Cheesy Pasta Sauce
Prepare the cauliflower by boiling as described in the ‘How to boil cauliflower’ section above. When the cauliflower is soft, drain, but reserve the cooking water. Let the cauliflower and cooking water cool, then add to a blender. Use around 125ml of water for half a head of cauliflower. Blend until smooth and add more water it needed. then add the sauce to a pan and add around 100g of grated cheese (for half a head of cauliflower). Mix until melted, season with salt and pepper and serve over pasta. It’s a great way to add vegetables to a dish without noticing.
Other Cauliflower Recipes
You can also use cauliflower to make our 5-a-day pizza or 5-a-day lasagne below:
Free PDF Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Chart
If you are trying to eat more vegetables, and would like to eat more seasonal fruit and vegetables, why not download our free PDF Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Chart below:
