Cauliflower Chicken Curry

In the fall there are big beautiful heads of cauliflower in the markets and stores and I am always in awe of their perfection.  Every year I try to grow cauliflower in my garden and every year I fail.  This year one of my plants produced maybe twelve flowerettes in total and they were a sickly pink colour, so once again I bought one of those beautiful heads from the market.  

One of may favourite things to make as the first cold days of fall hit, is this curried cauliflower with chicken.

Cauliflower Chicken Curry

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into large flowerettes
• 1 chicken
• 1 large can of stewed whole tomatoes
• 2 large onion, coarsley chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp of coriander power
•  1 tsp of turmeric
• 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp of garam masala
• 1 dried chili pepper, seeds removed
• olive oil
• 1 can of coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into pieces, salt and pepper and then brown in a large heavy pan.   Remove chicken and set aside.  Add coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garam masala to pan and heat. Add the onion and garlic, and olive oil and sauté. Add tomatoes and stir to loosen bits on bottom of pan. Add browned chicken, cauliflower and ginger. Bring to boil, turn down heat, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour, or until chicken is done.  Remove lid, and skim off any excess fat.  Add coconut milk and taste. Adjust for salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.  

Macaroni and Cheese, Not

This was a favourite of my daughter's as she was growing up and she has recently asked me to share the recipe.  

My version of Mac'n Cheese

Although we always referred to it as macaroni and cheese, I would use over sized pasta shells or rigatoni, because I liked the way the larger pieces of pasta would hold the sauce, and then add things like mushrooms and onions and garlic. I once made the mistake of serving this to some of my daughter's friends when she was quiet young and was informed by a precocious eight year old, that this was NOT macaroni and cheese.  My mistake. 

Mushroom and Onion Mixture in cast iron pan

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• olive oil
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter, 
• 2 tablespoons flour
• a pinch of paprika
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cups of large shell pasta, or rigatoni
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 of a a cup of grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 of a cup grated cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil water, and add salt to the water, and add pasta and boil until al dente. Drain and set aside.  While the pasta is boiling, sauté the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil in a frying pan until soft.  Add sliced mushrooms and thyme, minus stem, and sauté until soft. Add freshly ground pepper and add mushroom mixture to cooked pasta. 

In a pot, heat milk with an onion and bay leaf, but do not let come to boil.  Set aside.  Melt butter, slowly add flour while stirring and let start to turn brown.   Add a little of the warm milk while stirring until the mixture is smooth.  Gradually add the remainder of the milk, constantly stirring. Add the parmesan and mozzarella cheese and slowly cook while stirring until the sauce thickens.  Do not let boil. Remove onion and bay leaf from sauce. Stir in paprika, taste, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add cheese sauce to the pasta and mushroom mixture, and stir.  Spread in casserole dish,  sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over top, cover with tin foil and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.   Remove tin foil and put back in oven for another 10 minutes or until the top is golden.   

Note:  I sometimes add chopped bacon, crisply fried, to the vegetable mixture if there are no vegetarians in the crowd.  

Festive Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

Every year the United Way Committee at my office hosts a potluck fundraiser lunch. The pomegranate quinoa salad I contributed this year was a big hit and I promised to share the recipe, so here it is.  

Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups of quinoa
• 4 cups of water
• 1 preserved lemon*
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of sherry vinegar
• seeds from one large pomegranate
• 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
• salt to taste

Rinse quinoa well.  Combine water and quinoa in pot and bring to boil, turn temperature down, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from stove and place in bowl.  Add olive oil, sherry vinegar and garlic to hot quinoa. Rinse the preserved lemon, remove pulp, and finely chop.  Add to quinoa mixture and stir. Set aside to cool to room temperature.  Finely chop celery, and place on top of room temperature quinoa along with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.  Gently stir just before serving. Serve at room temperature. 

*Because preserved lemons are hard to find, I make my own.  They are remarkable easy to make and an ingredient that adds an interesting freshness to a dish.  An earlier entry details the process.