I love cauliflower, which is mostly down to my mother’s ingenious way of making it, which is this. Cauliflower par boiled and then baked with a “sauce” made of eggs and yoghurt. This version with spinach (and cumin and nutmeg) pays homage to this childhood treat (as I saw it), and is one of my go to simple and quick midweek meals paired with a beautiful salad. It also works as a side, I think of it as the healthier alternative to cauliflower cheese. You can use any leafy greens in season (I’ve made it with spring nettles and chard, for example) or any fresh herbs. Simple, delicious and nutritious.
Serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as a side dish.
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Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, sectioned and par boiled
100g spinach, blanched and roughly chopped
500g plain yoghurt
4 medium eggs
Nutmeg, a pinch
1/4 tsp cumin1 tsp baking powder (optional)
Fresh parsley, a handful, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Butter or oil, to grease your baking dish
Directions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C (fan).
- Wash, chop/section and par-boil (or steam) your cauliflower. Drain well and set aside.
- Blanch and refresh your spinach. Squeeze out the excess water, then roughly chop it. Set aside.
- Make your yoghurt and egg sauce. Combine 3 of the eggs and most of the yoghurt (reserving approximately 100g), the nutmeg, cumin, baking powder, parsley, salt and black pepper and whisk everything together. Add the chopped spinach and combine well.
- Add your par boiled/steamed cauliflower to the egg and yoghurt sauce making sure to coat the cauliflower in the sauce but taking care not to break up the cauliflower florets too much.
- Transfer the cauliflower and sauce to a greased baking dish (approximately 20 x 30cm rectangular, or 30cm diameter round). Please note that because of the eggs, the cauliflower bake will rise a little, so do not use a very shallow baking dish.
- Make the topping for the cauliflower bake by whisking together the reserved egg and the reserved yoghurt. Drizzle over the top of the cauliflower bake.
- Bake at 180C (fan) for approximately 30 minutes or until you have a crisp golden top.
Rosie
I can’t wait to try this! I eat a low carb diet, which means lots of cauliflower as a potato substitute, and it can get a bit boring. I am pleased to find a new cauliflower recipe to add to my repertoire.
admin
That’s wonderful to hear – please let me know what you think!