Cauliflower and Beet Salad

Continuing the theme of vegetable salads, this beauty showcases the contrasting colors of beets and cauliflower. Decorative hard boiled egg and fresh sprouts up the protein without making it too heavy to eat on these warm summer evenings.

If you've only ever eaten mushy canned beets, try buying fresh beets and roasting them. It will be a revelation. They are tender yet firmly hold their shape. And they have an earthy flavor that goes beautifully with zesty lemony dressings like this one.

The cauliflower and beets are cooked separately and seasoned, then arranged together on a plate with the dressing poured over.

It's a pretty and nourishing supper. Leftovers are good the next day too.

Cauliflower and Beet Salad
3 medium beets, about 3/4 lb
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 egg
1 head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sliced shallot
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp mint
radish sprouts to garnish (opt)

If your beets came with greens, cut them off and save them for a dish of wilted greens. Scrub the roots well and bake them in a 400° oven until they are tender. This will take roughly 45 minutes to an hour depending on how big the beets are. Set them aside to cool a little, then peel if desired (not necessary but maybe prettier) and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Toss with a couple of teaspoons each of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pierce the thick end of the egg lightly with a pin (so it doesn't explode) then place in a small pan of boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Drain and fill the pan with cold water to let the egg cool a little. When you can handle it, crack and peel the shell off, and dice the egg finely.

Cut the cauliflower in inch-size (or slightly larger) florets. Steam until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Put in a bowl and toss with another couple of teaspoons of olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Marinate the sliced shallot in 2 tbsp red wine vinegar in a small bowl for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, mint, and 5 tbsp olive oil. Fold in the chopped egg and again season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the beets around the edges of a platter. Pile the cauliflower in the middle. Spoon the egg dressing decoratively over the salad and scatter sprouts or more herbs decoratively.

Serves 3-4

Roast Cauliflower

"Cauliflower steaks" seem to be popular at the moment, so when I saw organic cauliflower at the Hollywood Farmers Market, I picked one up to make into "steaks".

I used the oven-roasting technique Marie Simmons describes in her book Fresh & Fast Vegetarian. It's still cool in the evening these days, so turning on the oven felt good.

The "steaks" are actually thick slices of cauliflower. This only works in the center section of the cauliflower. The outer florets fell off and got put back in the fridge to be steamed another day as a side dish.

Roasting the cauliflower until tender, then seasoning with lemon juice and mint from the garden, made for a really delicious side dish. I served it along with roast asparagus alongside a dish of millet and arugula. Vegetables are great!

Roast Cauliflower
1 medium cauliflower (about 1 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1/2 lemon

Place a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°F for 10 minutes.

Rinse the cauliflower and place it, stem side down, on a cutting board. Cut straight down into 1/2 inch slices. The edges will probably crumble into florets. That's okay - save them for another dish. I got three good steaks out of my cauliflower. Brush the steaks on each side with olive oil.

Remove the hot cookie sheet from the oven and place the cauliflower steaks on it. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast until the cauliflower is getting golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Turn it over carefully using a wide spatula, and bake another 10 minutes until golden on the other side and tender.

Put the cauliflower on a serving dish. Sprinkle with mint and lemon juice.

Serves 2-3

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

It's been warm in southern California, but it's still winter, which is brassica season. I remember a Montreal winter where I ate broccoli until it was coming out of my ears - but that's another story.

I have recovered from broccoli overdose, and now look forward to adding it to our dinner table. Broccoli, along with the other brassicas, are essential for colon and breast health. Eat them regularly.

This salad makes it easy, because not only does it contain both broccoli and cauliflower, but it lasts well for a few days in the fridge, making it possible to eat a lot of in a week.

We first ate it as a crunchy side with a dinner of chili and rice, and then as a simple salad with the next few meals.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried crushed chiles
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red onion, halved and slivered
6 cups broccoli florets
6 cups cauliflower florets

Warm oil and chilies in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until the oil begins to bubble around the edges, about 1 minute. Pour into large bowl and cool to lukewarm. Then whisk in the vinegar and garlic. Stir in the onion and let sit at least one hour, tossing occasionally.

Steam the broccoli and cauliflower until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and add to the large bowl of dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6

Vegetable Sides Day Six

Last night we had corn on the cob, probably the last of the season. It was great while it lasted.

I also cooked broccoli and cauliflower the way I did on Sunday.

It's important to eat cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc.) at least once a week because they support healthy estrogen pathways (meaning fewer hormonal cancers) and they are the best food out there for the colon.

I chopped the broccoli stems a little smaller, and cooked them with the cauliflower for a couple of minutes before adding the broccoli florets. I find cauliflower florets take longer to cook than broccoli florets.

I served them all plain, with salt and pepper and butter on the side. Click here to read my post on the health benefits of butter.

As a side note, I tried turning the potato gratin leftovers into mashed potatoes. Not really successful. The crusty parts of the gratin wouldn't mash, so it was lumpy. Next time I need to mess with leftover gratin, I will turn it into potato soup. That would have been excellent.