Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower is an overlooked vegetable in my house. Not sure why. I ate it occasionally as a kid. I know its full of vitamins, despite it's pasty appearance. Somewhere between broccoli and a potato. My daughter is in charge of choosing our Sunday dinner menu and this weekend we were focused on the letter C for no real reason other than the fun of it. We had Calamari (fried), creamed spinach, cauliflower and crumb apple pie.

As I said, cauliflower is not really on my menu radar, so I needed ideas. You can always trust a Ina Garten recipe. She bugs with her stuffy Hapton-ness, but her recipes are spot on.

Cauliflower Gratin
2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Banh Mi

This is the last in the Asian week fare. Portland is replete with Vietnamese and Thai restaurants. I'd go far to say that Thai restaurants out strip Starbucks in terms for their ubiquity. Pho and Bahn Mi joints aren't far behind. Everyone who is a fan of banh mi seems to have a favorite place to get it. No two places are identical. Here is my version:

The beef (pork would work just fine) was marinated for 6 hours in a mixture of Chinese 5 spice, rice wine (cooking wine), and soy. I roasted it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Cooked until medium rare.

The carrots and daikon (separately) were prepared as follows:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups peeled and coarsely shredded carrots

Assembled with cilantro, sliced fresh jalapenos, and a little mayo.

Grilled Vietnamese Beef with Vermicelli Noodles and Nuoc Cham

It may sound complicated, but it's not. If you have never made Vietnamese food before this is the perfect introduction. If you know how to marinate meat (how hard is that?) you are set. I did change the recipe a bit, I don't know exactly what they meant by "lighting one chimney of charcoal," but I was sure I didn't have the equipment for that. I bought my beef pre-sliced from the Asian grocery store (they freeze and use a slicing machine), but you can do this at home too. I used a grill pan, searing the meat for about 15 seconds on each side. Freaking delicious. If I'm ever on death row, this might be my final meal request. PLEASE make this dish.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/04/grilling-vietnamese-pork-with-vermicelli-noodles-and-nuoc-cham-recipe.html

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

I have been trying to mother my husband through food. It's been a stressful time in the Roxie household, so any food requests have been honored. On Saturday L requested jalapeno cheese bread. We used to eat this as a guilty pleasure from a bakery in Santa Cruz in college. One of our roommates worked there and brought home the most amazing bread, all different kinds. The Jalapeno Cheese was by far the favorite.

The recipe I found was absolutely delicious, but a totally different consistency than the one we remembered from long ago. This recipe is chewy and soft, the original had a great crust, almost like a french baguette. Both were absolutely awesome, though. I also made one loaf sans jalapenos for the kids.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
4 cups flour (more as needed)
2 large jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped, and seeds removed (can use more jalapeno if desired)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg (room temperature, let egg sit in hot water for about 5-7 minutes to warm)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 cup milk, warmed
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (chopped into about 1/2-inch cubes or a little larger if desired)
Directions
Prepare a heavy-duty stand mixer with a kneader blade.
Proof yeast in water with 1 teaspoon sugar for 8-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Heat milk in the microwave for about 50 seconds on HIGH.
In the stainless steel bowl, add in 4 cups flour, chopped jalapenos, salt, sugar, egg, hot pepper sauce (if using) and warmed milk.
After the yeast has proofed, add to the bowl and start kneading, adding in more flour as needed to create a soft smooth semi-sticky dough, keep kneading for about 8-10 minutes.
Towards the end of the kneading add in the cubed cheddar cheese, and mix until combined (the dough can be removed from the bowl and you can add/mix in the cheese by hand if desired).
After the kneading, let the dough sit out on a board or counter top to rest, covered with a clean tea towel for 8-10 minutes.
Gather up dough and knead gently for 30 seconds.
Then place the dough in a well greased bowl, and let rise until doubled (about 1-1/2 hours or could take a little longer).
Punch down dough and slice into two even pieces.
Shape into two large balls, and place on a cookie/baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover with a clean tea towel and rise again for another 1 hour or more until doubled.
Brush tops with an egg white that has been mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water.
Sprinkle on grated Parmesan cheese or sesame seeds.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the crust is a dark golden brown.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Kittencals-Jalapentildeo-Cheddar-Cheese-Bread-137007