Cauliflower piccata

Active: 15 minutes; Total 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets	1 head
Oil, extra-virgin olive
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Chickpeas, drained	15 ounces
Shallot, finely chopped	1
Garlic, finely chopped	3 cloves
Stock, vegetable	1 cup
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Capers, drained	2 tablespoons
Lemon, zested and juiced	1
Parsley, chopped	Garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 
2. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan, and drizzle with 2 to 3-tablespoons of oil. 
3. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden and tender. 
4. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, and toss to combine. 
5. Heat a medium skillet to medium high; add 1-tablespoon oil and the shallots, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. 
6. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. 
7. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. 
8. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. 
9. Season with ½-teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. 
10. To serve, place the cauliflower and chickpeas on serving plates, top with the lemon caper sauce, and garnish with parsley before serving. 

Recipe from NYT Cooking.

Roasted cauliflower lasagna

Cauliflower florets	8 cups
Olive oil	1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon +
Salt, kosher
Tomatoes, whole plum, no-salt added	28 ounces
Water	1 ½ cups
Garlic, sliced chopped	4 + 1
Bell pepper, red, diced	1
Tomato paste	2 tablespoons
Basil leaves, fresh	1 cup
Lasagna noodles, whole wheat	8 ounces
Ricotta	1 cup
Egg	1 large
Mozzarella, shredded	1 cup
Parmesan	¼ cup
Parsley leaves, fresh, chopped	2 tablespoons

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Toss the cauliflower with 1-tablespoon oil and ½-teaspoon salt. 
3. Spread the florets in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until tender and golden in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes; cool slightly. 
4. Place the tomatoes in a medium bowl, and use your hands to crush them. 
5. Rinse the can with the 1 ½-cups water and add it to the bowl with the tomatoes. 
6. Heat the remaining oil with the sliced garlic and ½-teaspoon salt in a small Dutch oven over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle and becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes. 
7. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. 
8. Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate, about 30 seconds. 
9. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices and four large basil leaves. 
10. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 40 minutes. 
11. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
12. Add the lasagna noodles one at a time into the pot; cook according to the package directions until al dente. 
13. Drain the noodles in a colander. 
14. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil to the noodles, tossing to coat to prevent them from sticking, and drape over the side of a large bowl. 
15. Combine the ricotta, egg, 1 ½-cups roasted cauliflower, and one chopped garlic clove in a food processor and pulse until evenly pureed. 
16. Tear the remaining basil into small pieces, add to the food processor and pulse three to four more times to chop the basil finely, but not puree; transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. 
17. Spread ¼-cup sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 
18. Place four noodles on the bottom, without overlapping, cutting to fit, if necessary. 
19. Spread with half of the cauliflower-ricotta mixture, followed by half of the roasted cauliflower, one-third of the tomato sauce, one-third of the mozzarella, and one-third of the Parmesan. 
20. Loosely fit three more noodles on top of the cheese without overlapping. 
21. Spread with the remaining cauliflower-ricotta mixture, followed by the remaining roasted cauliflower, one-third more of the tomato sauce, one-third more of the mozzarella, and one-third more of the Parmesan. 
22. Top with the remaining four noodles, cutting just to fit. 
23. Then add the remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. 
24. Cover with foil and bake until bubbly and hot, about 20 minutes. 
25. Remove the foil and cook until the cheese begins to brown, about 10 minutes more. 
26. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so the lasagna will cut more easily. 
27. Garnish with the parsley. 

Recipe from Food Network

Almond-poached chicken salad

Chicken breast, boneless, skinless	1 ½ pounds
Almond “milk”*, unsweetened	3 cups
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoon +
Pepper, freshly ground
Oil, extra-virgin olive	¼ cup
Vinegar, apple cider	3 tablespoons
Cauliflower, cored, cut into florets, thinly sliced	1 small head
Radishes, thinly sliced	4
Arugula	2 cups
Dill fronds, chopped	2/3 cup
Basil leaves, torn	½ cup
Almonds, roasted, salted, chopped	½ cup +

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the chicken with the almond “milk”* product. 
2. Add the salt, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. 
3. Flip the chicken, and gently simmer until cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid, and transfer to a plate; discard the poaching liquid. 
5. Let rest 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool. 
6. Shred the meat. 
7. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. 
8. Add the chicken, cauliflower, and radishes; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. 
9. Gently fold in the arugula, dill, basil, and ½-cup almonds. 
10. Transfer the salad to plates, garnish with more chopped almonds, and serve. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017. 

*Almonds are not milked. As a former dairy farmer, with more than 20 years of pulling bovine teats to my credit, I feel calling an extraction of almond juice “milk” to be annoyingly inaccurate and misleading to an already bewildered customer.

Cauliflower & ricotta mac & cheese

Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons +
Cauliflower florets, small	2 cups
Macaroni	1 pound
Flour, all-purpose	3 tablespoons
Milk, whole	1 quart
Ricotta, whole-milk	1 cup
Nutmeg, freshly grated	½ teaspoon
Gruyère cheese, shredded	1 cup
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat to 375°F; grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter. 
2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the cauliflower until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. 
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and spread in an even layer. 
4. Add the macaroni to the boiling water, and cook al dente; drain well. 
5. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. 
6. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. 
7. Gradually stir in the milk until smooth. 
8. Bring the sauce to a boil over moderately high heat, then reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. 
9. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the ricotta and nutmeg. 
10. Stir in the pasta, then the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. 
11. Spread the pasta mixture over the cauliflower, and bake for 20 minutes. 
12. Remove the baking dish from the oven and preheat the broiler. 
13. Broil 8 inches from the heat until the top browns, about 4 minutes, then serve. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Chefs’ Easy Weeknight Dinners.