Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

I first came across this recipe on Pinterest. There are several recipes out there for cauliflower sauce but I adapted this one from Pinch of Yum. It is designed to be a healthy version of Alfredo sauce. It's a clever use of cauliflower and a great way to add more vegetables into your diet. The sauce can be very versatile but I usually serve it over pasta topped with sliced chicken and Parmesan cheese. While this meant to be like an Alfredo, it will not taste like Alfredo. Alfredo is rich and buttery and the cauliflower sauce is light and, well, tastes like cauliflower! To me, it's the perfect guilt-free sauce, because I can pile it on without  thinking about the calories. And it's husband approved!


The sauce does pose a small challenge. Cauliflower isn't the most flavorful vegetable, so you have to incorporate as much flavor as possible into a very simple dish. The original recipe calls for 5-6 cups (or a whole head) of cauliflower to be boiled in 6-7 water or vegetable broth. I do not suggest using water because it won't add as much flavor to the dish. You can, you just won't get the same results. I felt it would be wasteful to make or buy all that vegetable stock when only 1 cup gets incorporated into the sauce. So, I decided to infuse the water before adding the cauliflower by making a quick broth in the same pot. In a dutch oven, I added 5-6 cups of water, a small onion, carrot, celery, garlic, a bay leaf and salt. Quarter the onion and chop the carrot into big pieces. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the cauliflower and boil for 10 minutes or until tender.


After preparing the cauliflower, it is pureed in the blender with delicious garlic butter, milk and broth. I served this sauce over pasta with with a side salad and garlic bread. This is a great make ahead sauce that reheats and freezes well. Here is the recipe to this delicious sauce:



Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

6-7 cups water
Vegetables to create a broth: 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 small onion, 1 smashed clove of garlic and 1 bay leaf.
5 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced finely
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 head of cauliflower florets
1/2 cup of milk
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

1.  In a dutch oven, bring to boil water, carrot, onion, 1 clove garlic, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and boil for 10 minutes or until fork tender.

2. To prepare the garlic, melt butter in a 12-inch skillet (this is the skillet you will return the sauce to). Peel, smash and finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic to the melted butter and saute only until the garlic is fragrant. It only takes about 30 seconds. If you cook the garlic longer, you run the risk of browning it. Browning or overcooking garlic will make it bitter. You just want to soften the garlic and release the flavor.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cauliflower florets to blender along with the garlic butter, 1 cup of broth and milk. Puree until smooth adding more milk or broth if needed. You may need to blend in two batches depending on the size of your blender. Pour sauce into skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn on low heat and keep warm until ready to serve. You can add more broth or milk if needed and depending on the consistency you want. If you want a thin sauce add more liquid. If the sauce gets dry, add more broth, milk, butter or olive oil. Serve over pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese* if desired.

*Parmesan cheese goes really well with this sauce. However, it will not melt into the sauce so I suggest just adding a sprinkle on top.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

My favorite breakfast foods are ones that are quick, easy and can be eaten on the run. I often make muffins or scones because I can bake them the night before, and pack them for our breakfast the next morning. I had some plump, fresh blueberries to use and wanted to find a rich, streusel muffin recipe to try. I came across this from Taste of Home and looked like it would be a good one. The muffin has a soft texture that pairs well with the crisp, sweet, streusel topping. The streusel has a hint of cinnamon and give the right amount of richness to the muffin. I think this muffin recipe will be a keeper!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Yields: 1 dozen muffins

From Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries* 

Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted cold butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or paper line a 12 cup muffin pan.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix together and then cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and creamy, about five minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix in alternately with milk. Mix until you no longer see flour but do no over mix. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and top each cup with a generous amount of the streusel topping. Bake for 25-30 or until golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

*Original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of blueberries. I had some plump blueberries so I thought one cup was plenty. Use your own judgement when making the muffins. If you like more blueberries, use more!

Skillet Peach Cobbler

Last week at our local farmers market, I picked up some beautiful peaches. I love fresh peaches, any fresh summer fruit for that matter. Peach season is a little late this year because of the mild, wet summer we have had in the Midwest. I came across this recipe in my Cook's Country Cookbook. You can use either fresh or frozen peaches, but I used my fresh in season peaches. The recipe calls for 5 lbs of sliced peaches, but I used slightly less (about 3 1/2 pounds) and it turned out just fine. I must say, I originally started out with 5 lbs but by the time I got them home, we had to eat a few! The cobbler is easy to throw together. You start by cooking the peaches in the skillet and then assembling the cobbler in the skillet and baking it.

Overall, this recipe is very good. The cobbler topping reminds me of a snicker doodle the way it is covered in cinnamon sugar. The dough, however, was a little complicated. The recipe calls for you to knead the dough for 30 seconds are mixing. The dough is very soft and sticky and kneading it was near impossible. After trying to knead it on a floured cutting board, I finished kneading it in the mixing bowl and refrigerate the dough until ready to use. I also had to spoon the dough on the peaches verses "breaking" the dough in pieces. Other than that, the recipe was very easy to put together.

Skillet Peach Cobbler

from Cook's Country

Filling:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 lbs peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch*

Cobbler Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling: Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet** over medium heat. Add two-thirds of peaches, sugar and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and simmer until the juices have evaporated and the peaches began to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes. Add remaining peaches and cook for 5 minutes until they are heated through. Whisk lemon juice with cornstarch andd stir into peaches. Cover skillet, and take off heat.

Topping: While peaches are cooking, whisk flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk and butter until dough forms. Do not overmix. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon. Spoon or break dough into 1 inch pieces and space them about 1/2 inch apart on the top of the peach mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake on the middle rack in a 425 degree oven for 18 to 22 until the top is  golden brown and peaches thickened. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. Can be enjoyed warm or cold!

It's great on the second day as well!

 Tip: While peeling peaches, fill a bowl halfway with cold water and lemon juice. Put peaches slices in the bowl while preparing the rest of the fruit. This will keep the fruit from browning before use.

*original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons. I didn't feel that all the cornstarch was necessary as the peaches thickened up well on their own. I may omit it next time as most of the peach juice evaporated from stove top cooking.

**A nonstick skillet is suggested. I do not have a nonstick skillet so I used my regular stainless steel skillet and it worked great. Just make sure you watch the peaches for any sticking or burning. I left the temperature at medium to medium-low.