cauliflower ‘n cheese comfort

Mac and cheese is my ultimate comfort food, and it’s the first, and one of the only things my mom ever taught me how to make. Since going off wheat I have of course made this dish many times with various macaroni substitutes; quinoa noodles, corn noodles, rice noodles. But honestly, I think I have discovered the best GF noodle sub ever…. roasted cauliflower florets! Mmm. So much better than pasta. Dense, nutty almost with great body and texture, I am not sure I will go back to pasta after last nights diner!

Roast Cauliflower

Start by breaking down a whole cauliflower into small florets. On a baking sheet give the florets get a little drizzle of grape-seed oil, and season with S+P, a good few pitches of turmeric, and a little heat from a smokey chipotle chili powder. Toss the lot and set to roast at about 350 for about 20 minutes, flipping veggies half way through. You want to roast them until they are dark golden on the edges, and have begun to fill the kitchen with a divine fragrance.

Meanwhile get your cheese sauce going, whatever your favorite method is. I adapted my old faithful recipe by browning onions and garlic and adding and egg yoke and it was really nice adaption.

Cheese Sauce:

In a heavy bottomed pan add a wee glug of your favorite cooking oil, and pan fry: 1 small diced onion and 3 cloves of chopped garlic
once just golden add in:

3 tbsp of butter
then add 2 tbsp of any GF flour blend (rice flour works just fine on it own too)
stir often and season with S+P and a little more chipotle chili powder
Cook the roux for about 3 minutes before adding 1 cup of farm fresh cream
stir in 1 large egg yoke
Reduce heat and allow sauce to thicken, before adding 2 cups of grated cheese whatever you have, and a bit of everything if you have a good selection. Robust cheeses and aged sharp selections add a depth to cheese sauce that you will not get if you use only mozza or some other mild cheese. Taste your sauce and salt as needed (depending on the saltiness of the cheese you added).

I made my cheese sauce in a medium cast iron pot, so rather than dirtying another dish I just poured the cauliflower into the pot of cheese sauce, gave it a good toss, and threw it back in the oven to brown and bubble away for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve as is or over rice for a heartier meal. Divine!