Meatless Monday recipes: Hearty cauliflower six ways

It’s Meatless Monday, which means many are taking the challenge to go meat-free to start the week. If you’re looking for some vegetarian recipes, we’re here to help.

Cauliflower is an ideal meat substitute because it’s meaty in texture and so versatile. Here are six cauliflower recipes that really highlight the vegetable’s versatility and ability to absorb almost any flavor.

Ad Hoc’s rice with roasted cauliflower

Total time: 45 minutes | Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1/2 head white cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt

Pepper

Pinch of curry powder

6 cups water

1 cup Carolina, or long grain, rice

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the canola oil and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste.

Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan (reserve the bowl) and roast until the cauliflower is a deep brown and tender throughout when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing every few minutes for even coloring and cooking. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the rice: In a large saucepan, add the water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and chili flakes and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook the rice just until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice well, then spread the rice in a thin shallow layer in a large baking dish.

Place the rice in the oven to dry out for 5 minutes. Remove, then stir in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.

Place the cauliflower back in the bowl and toss with the curry powder. Taste and season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper.

Gently stir in the warmed rice and butter, tossing until the butter is melted and evenly coats the rice and cauliflower. Stir in the green onions and serve immediately.

Each serving:
136 calories; 2 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 6 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 mg. cholesterol; 68 mg. sodium.
Cauliflower and potato gratin

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes | Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/4 pound) head of cauliflower

1/2 pound small boiling potatoes

Salt

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup butter

1 leek, white part only, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream

3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the dried base and green leaves from the cauliflower and discard them. Separate the head into florets about the size of walnuts and chop the stem into similar size pieces. Cut the potatoes into similar-size pieces as well.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high head and salt liberally. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and the cauliflower and potatoes (the vinegar will help keep the cauliflower white). Cook until the cauliflower pieces are tender enough to be easily cut with a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make a cheese sauce. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and stir in the leeks. Cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and whisk to make a smooth paste. Add the milk a little at a time, cooking until it thickens. When all the milk has been added, reduce the heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the creme fraiche and then one-half cup of the Gruyere, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grating of nutmeg (a little less than one-quarter teaspoon). Whisk until smooth, then taste and add more salt or nutmeg if necessary.

Butter a 6-cup gratin dish and spread a thin layer of the sauce evenly over the bottom. Arrange the cooked cauliflower and potatoes in an even layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. It should come about three-quarters of the way up the vegetables.

Scatter bread crumbs evenly over top and then scatter the remaining one-quarter cup Gruyere over that. Bake until the gratin is bubbling and the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Each serving:
180 calories; 6 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 11 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 33 mg. cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 369 mg. sodium.

Craft’s roasted cauliflower

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coarsely chopped smoked almonds, for garnish

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Stem the cauliflower and cut it down into small florets. Place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste, along with several grinds of pepper.

Spread the cauliflower onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned, 35 to 50 minutes.

Plate the roasted cauliflower, garnishing each serving with smoked almonds. Serve immediately.

Each serving:
94 calories; 2 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 611 mg sodium

Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts salad with mustard-caper butter

Total time: 30 minutes | Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves

Sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup drained small capers, rinsed

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons chopped marjoram

Black pepper

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 small head (1/2 pound) white cauliflower

1 small head (1/2 pound) Romanesco (green) cauliflower

Directions:

To make the mustard-caper butter, pound the garlic with a half-teaspoon salt in a mortar until smooth. Stir the garlic into the butter with the mustard, capers, lemon zest and marjoram. Season to taste with pepper. (The butter can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Trim the base off the Brussels sprouts, then slice them in half or, if large, into quarters. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the other vegetables and continue to cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, shake off any excess water, then toss with the mustard-caper butter. Taste for salt, season with pepper and toss again.

Each serving:
108 calories; 2 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 23 mg. cholesterol; 281 mg. sodium.

Cauliflower custard

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes | Serves 6

Ingredients:

14 ounces (about 4 cups) cauliflower florets

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

4 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 clove garlic

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup fresh baguette crumbs, crusts trimmed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Steam the cauliflower over high heat until quite tender, 7 to 10 minutes. When it’s done, you should be able to crush a floret between your fingers. Undercooking the cauliflower will make the custard grainy. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Reserve 4 florets for garnish.

Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor or blender and pulse several times to grind. Add the heavy cream and puree until fairly smooth but with tiny pieces of cauliflower still evident. Pulse in the eggs, salt and nutmeg.

Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup. Stir the puree with a rubber spatula to help it flow through the strainer, but do not press it; this will also make the custard grainy. Divide the strained puree evenly among 6 half-cup ovenproof ramekins. Discard the cauliflower remaining in the strainer.

Arrange the ramekins in a large roasting pan and place the roasting pan in the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the water bath until the center of the custard just barely jiggles when the pan is shaken, 35 to 40 minutes.

While the custard is baking, prepare the topping. Mince the garlic. Heat a small saute pan and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and bread crumbs. Cook over low heat until the crumbs turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside. Slice each reserved cauliflower floret into 3 pieces from top to bottom to form a floret profile. In a separate pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cook the florets until golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

When the custards are cooked, remove them from the water bath and let them stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to set. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the 6 ramekins and place 2 floret slices on each ramekin. Serve immediately.

Each serving
284 calories; 7 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 220 mg. cholesterol; 488 mg. sodium.

Garlicky braised cauliflower with capers

Total time: 40 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 salted anchovies, rinsed and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 1/4 pounds (about 6 cups) cauliflower florets

3 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt

Directions:

Combine the olive oil and anchovies in a skillet and warm over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the anchovies begin to melt into the oil, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and keep cooking until the garlic softens, another 3 minutes.

Add the cauliflower florets and one-half cup of water. Cover tightly and cook on medium-low until the florets become slightly tender -- soft enough to be pierced with a knife, but not so soft that they can be crushed, about 7 minutes.

Remove the lid and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the water evaporates, leaving behind a thin layer of syrup in the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Add the capers and parsley and cook briefly. Season to taste with salt and serve warm.

Each serving:
93 calories; 3 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 2 mg. cholesterol; 255 mg. sodium.

Want more easy meatless recipes? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris_

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