SPICY CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS WITH LIME YOGHURT
Serves 4. Inspired by a recipe in the Ottelenghi cookbook
1 small cauliflower, divided into florets
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
45ml chopped parsley
5ml chopped garlic
1 small red onion, finely chopped
7ml ground cumin
5ml ground cinnamon
3ml turmeric
5ml salt
a good grinding of black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
oil for frying
Lime yoghurt sauce
500g Greek yoghurt
60ml chopped coriander
grated rind and juice of a lime
30ml olive oil
salt and pepper
Boil the cauliflower in water until soft. Drain.
Put the flour, baking powder, parsley, garlic, onion, spices and seasoning in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the eggs and mix to form a batter.
Add the warm cauliflower and mix it in breaking it down into the mixture.
Heat shallow oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown and cooked through on both sides.
Drain on a paper towel and serve with lime yoghurt.
LIME YOGHURT SAUCE: Mix all the ingredients together.
BROCCOLI AND BULGHUR WHEAT SALAD
Serves 6
500ml bulghur wheat
750ml boiling water
300g tenderstem broccoli
125g cocktail tomatoes, halved
100g black olives, drained
50g shelled pistachio nuts
45ml chopped parsley
45ml chopped coriander
125g feta cheese, cubed
Dressing
80ml olive oil
50ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
15ml honey
salt and pepper
Put the bulghur wheat in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes until soft. Drain well through a sieve.
Blanch the broccoli in boiling water then refresh under cold water. Combine the bulghur wheat, with the broccoli and remaining ingredients.
Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.
PASTA WITH BROCCOLI PESTO
Serves 4
300g broccoli florets
100g lightly toasted almonds
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
10-15ml chopped garlic
75g grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
100ml olive oil
350g pasta
125g tenderstem broccoli, blanched and trimmed
1 chopped red chili for garnishing
Blanch the broccoli in boiling water. Refresh under cold water and drain.
Put the broccoli in a food processor and pulse to chop. Add the nuts and pulse a few times. Add the lemon rind, chilli, garlic, Parmesan and seasoning and blend until combined. With the machine running add in the olive oil.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve about 30ml of the cooking liquid.
Combine the broccoli pesto, pasta, tenderstem broccoli and enough cooking liquid to coat the pasta.
Sprinkle with the chili and serve.
PICCALILLI WITH PEARS
Makes about 1 litre
1 large cauliflower, divided into small florets
400g baby onions, peeled and halved
600g courgettes, cut into 2cm slices
3 firm pears, peeled and cut into chunks
80ml salt
water to cover
1.5 litres of apple cider vinegar
2cm piece of ginger grated
30ml coriander seeds
15ml mustard seeds
500ml castor sugar
125ml cornflour
60ml English mustard powder
3ml turmeric
water to mix
Combine the cauliflower, onion, courgettes and pears in a plastic bowl. Add the salt and water to cover. Leave to stand overnight. Next day drain and rinse briefly.
Combine the vinegar, ginger, spices and sugar in a large pot and bring to the boil. Add the vegetables and simmer until just tender. Drain the vegetables and return the liquid to the pot.
Combine the cornflour, mustard and turmeric with enough water to make a paste. Add this to the liquid in the pot while stirring constantly. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens.
Return the vegetables to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and spoon the pickle into bottles.
Store in the fridge.
SPICED CAULIFLOWER WITH LENTILS
Serve 4
30ml oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
10ml chopped garlic
45ml korma curry paste
250ml basmati rice
125ml red lentils
500ml vegetable stock
300g cauliflower florets
250ml frozen peas
60ml chopped coriander
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant. Stir in rice and lentils.
Add the stock, cauliflower and seasoning. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the coriander and serve.
BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM PHYLLO PIE
Serves 4-6
30ml olive oil
30g butter
2 red onion, peeled
250g black mushrooms, sliced
10ml chopped garlic
1 red chili, seeded and chopped
500g broccoli florets, blanched
400g can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
salt and black pepper
200g smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
200g provolone cheese, cubed
4 eggs, beaten
4 sheets of phyllo pastry
melted butter
poppy seeds
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions until soft. Add the mushrooms, garlic and chilli and fry for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and add the broccoli, artichokes and seasoning.
Fold in the cheeses and eggs and spoon into an ovenproof casserole.
Brush the phyllo pastry sheets with melted butter and layer them on top of each other. Fold the pastry to fit the top of the dish.
Using a sharp knife cut through the pastry into a diamond shape. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
Remove and serve warm. - The Star