This is a scrumptious vegetarian dinner that can also serve as a side dish or an accompaniment to chops or omelets. And it requires minimal preparation. Even the kids, those who hates veggies, will love this one. Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Cheese will satisfy every palate in the house, especially a hungry palate.

CAULIFLOWER WITH TOMATOES AND CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 large cauliflower, trimmed, washed and separated into florets
6 tomatoes, blanched and roughly chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a large shallow pan, skillet or casserole with the tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, cook  the cauliflower in boiling water over moderate heat for 9 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain the florets and place in the pan. Arrange the chopped tomatoes on top and sprinkle with salt, pepper and half of the melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and sprinkle the mixture over the vegetable pieces. Spoon the remaining melted butter over the mixture and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4-6 servings.

This recipe intrigued me solely because it contains apple butter. To me, apple butter is for breakfast, on toast or on pancakes. But with peas? As a side dish or main vegetarian course? This I had to check out. And it’s a marvelous combination. The recipe also calls for roasted pumpkin seeds. So, it’s very healthy, another plus.

The dish can be served with rice, or your favorite grain. This time around we served it with tostones (friend green plantains – check post of 09/29/09 for a recipe).

APPLE BUTTER PEAS

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound frozen or fresh shelled peas
½ cup water
½ cup apple butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Heat butter in a skillet or pan. Add onion, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
2.  Add peas and water. Sauté until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the apple butter and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
3.  Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.

I’m told that dish dish is either Austrian or Hungarian in nature. Or it could have come from that old monarchy known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire that lasted from 1867 to 1918. Whatever it’s genesis, it’s a great way to liven up cauliflower. It makes for a great vegetarian dinner.

The green topping here consists of frozen peas— with the addition of a dash of sugar, heavy cream and parley. The mix is then blended in a food processor. This is spooned over the cauliflower, and there you have it. It makes a superb side dish on its own, but we like it served over pasta or rice, or any grain of choice. This time, we served it with linguini, and it was delicious.

Note that in this recipe you should use fresh, prime cauliflower. If the cauliflower has been in the fridge for  few days, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes prior to cooking. And be sure to add 1½ teaspoons of white vinegar to the cooking water.

GREEN-TOPPED CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:

1½ to 2-pound head cauliflower, leaves trimmed, core removed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 whole scallions, bulbs and green tops, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
Pinch of brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. In a pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, and cook cauliflower until jut tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain.
2.  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Place whole cauliflower in a deep serving dish, pour melted butter over it and keep warm in a preheated 275-degree oven.
3.  In a medium skillet, over medium-low heat, sauté scallions and garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, sprinkle with sugar and cook 4 minutes. Add parsley and cream. Transfer to a container of a food processor and process until smooth. Reheat in a saucepan but do not boil. Spoon over cauliflower and serve.
   Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Brussels sprouts is one of those veggies that you either hate or love. Usually its the former category. And that’s because, usually, the only way it’s served is boiled. For the record, I do not eat plain boiled sprouts. However, there are great ways to enhance this lowly vegetable; and the recipe given below gives the best in taste and quality. It’s done creole style.

Creole cooking is popular in the southern United States, and it blends West African, French and Spanish influences. In Spanish, the word translates to criollo, a type of cooking also very popular in the Caribbean. Once you’ve prepared Brussels sprouts this way, you’ll love them. This dish goes great as vegetarian meal combined with rice or any favorite grain. This time around we served them over couscous, and it was marvelous. Oh, yes, you can also served them as a side dish with anything from an omelet to the Sunday roast.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CREOLE STYLE

Ingredients:

1½ pounds fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 green pepper, white pith removed, seeded and chopped
1 pound tomatoes, washed and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried basil
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. With a sharp knife, trim any tough or discolored outer leaves from the sprouts, and wash them thoroughly. Cut a cross in the base of each sprout.
2.  In a heavy, medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sprouts, salt, pepper and basil.
3.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve as is or, if preferred , transfer to a warned serving platter.
   Yield: 4 servings.

I like spinach. Even as a kid, I liked the veggie. I know, that makes me weird. Be it as it may, one of my favorite spinach   recipes is Spinach Soufflé. But, even though all the recipes I came across were okay, they were not as simple as I would like. They involved heavy cream and eggs and flour, and other stuff. So, I put on my thinking cap and decided to create something simple. No mess. no fuss, and still good enough to garner those “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs.” Here it is: my simple Spinach Soufflé. This can be a great side dish to chicken, lamb, beef or pork; or as a meal in itself.  We paired it with gnocchi, those small, soft dough potato dumplings that we, in the Rivera clan, just love. But you can serve it with a grain like rice or couscous, or even over pasta. It’s a dish made in heaven.

Note that this dish can also be done with 2 packages frozen spinach. It will do in a pinch. Just remember to cook spinach  according to package directions. But, if you can get it, go for the fresh stuff.

EASY SPINACH SOUFFLÉ

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh spinach
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
2 dashes ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Dash of Tabasco
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Remove stems from spinach, and rinse spinach under cold running water.
3.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute. Drain and place in a shallow baking dish, or casserole (I prefer cast-iron). Blend in sour cream, bouillon, nutmeg, lemon juice and Tabasco. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top. Drizzle with butter. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes. Serve hot.
   Yield: 4 servings.

This is one of my favorite stuffed potato recipes. And it makes a great vegetarian dinner. Yes, it’s potatoes with broccoli. Okay, I hear the moans and groan. Broccoli? Yeah, that maligned vegetable that all kids (and some grownups) hate. I am old enough to recall when George Herbert Walker Bush, the first Bush to occupy the White House, famously (or infamously) declared, “I hate Broccoli.” Sorry, Mr. President, but you’re way off the mark. When prepared well and paired with other ingredients, broccoli is glorious.  in this dish, besides the broccoli, it includes milk, grated cheese and butter.  A rich flavorful dish for a rich occasion.  You’ll never again have to beg the young ‘uns to eat their broccoli.

Note: The dish calls for baked potatoes. I easiest way I know to bake potatoes is  my wife’s method: wash and scrub the taters (do not peel); wrap in aluminum foil, prick all over with a fork, and bake for 1 hour in a 450 degree oven or until tender.

BROCCOLI STUFFED POTATOES

Ingredients:

6 medium baking potatoes, washed, scrubbed and baked
½ head of broccoli, steamed until crisp tender, and chopped
¾ cup grated cheese (we use either Asiago or Parmesan)
1 tablespoon butter
Freshly ground back pepper to taste
¼ cup milk

Instructions:

1. Slice the potatoes in halve and scoop out the insides into a bowl with the broccoli.
2.  Add ½ cup of the cheese, the butter, pepper and milk. Mash all together or combine all ingredients in a food processor and process briefly.  Stuff into the potato skins and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes.
   Yield: 6 servings.

This is the easiest eggplant dish to make. It’s called Eggplant Provençal. But, back on the block, when my mother made it, to us it was simply Berenjena con Tomates,  eggplant with tomatoes. Little did we know that we were preparing something out of French classical cuisine.  Provençal, or Provence, refers to a region in southeastern France on the Mediterranean basin and adjacent to Italy. And the region has a cuisine all its own, and it includes tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. Little did my Mon know that she was creating a classic in our Harlem apartment kitchen.

Eggplant Provencal goes good with any grain, be it rice or other. But its especially good over pasta. This time around we served it over penne, and it hit the spot.

EGGPLANT PROVENÇAL

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of dried tarragon
4 green olives, chopped
Salt and freshly ground to taste

Instructions:

1. Place eggplant, tomatoes and garlic in a saucepan or pot. Add lemon juice, tarragon and olives. Season with salt and pepper.
2.  Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. If desired, before serving, you can garnish with additional olives.
   Yield: 4 servings,