Cauliflower Cheese
This is an easy one dish vegetarian meal for those who like an Au Gratin style. You can also make this with other vegetables or a mix of several vegetables. It’s very quick to prepare and needs 30 minutes or less to brown in an oven. You can leave out the egg if you prefer but the finished dish will not be so firm. Traditional cheese sauce/ béchamel (roux) is made with butter and flour (maida) with cream or milk but I prefer to use corn flour ( corn starch) and no fat.
Ingredients
- 1 medium size cauliflower
- 400 ml milk
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 200 g cheese
- 1 egg or two egg yolks
- 1 small tomato (optional)
- 1 tsp dried herbs of your choice
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil or butter
Servings: people
Instructions
- Break the cauliflower into flowerets and cook in boiling salted water until just tender for about 10 minutes.
- Drain and keep aside.
- Grate the cheese and slice the tomato into thin rounds.
- Keep aside 50 ml of cold milk and bring the rest of the milk to boil.
- Mix the corn flour with cold milk. Add to the boiling milk, stirring as it thickens.
- Add the grated cheese and mix well. Turn off the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
- Add the egg/egg yolks to the cheese sauce together with 1 teaspoon of dried herbs, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper powder and salt to taste.
- Add the cooked cauliflower florets into the cheese sauce and pour into a ovenproof dish.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the cauliflower cheese (optional). Brush tomatoes with a little olive oil or butter.
- Bake for about 15 to 30 minutes in a hot oven.