Cauliflower: Cauliflower Arancini and Cauliflower Cheddar Bake

 How to Cook Cauliflower and what you can do with left overs.  (Bariatric Friendly)



1 large head of Cauliflower,
Cut off Stem and Core 
cut into 4's. then take apart leaving in big chunks.
Cauliflower will break apart into smaller pieces when cooking.
        

Place Olive Oil to cover bottom of Pot
6-10 cloves of garlic. cut in half. (leaving garlic in large pieces)
Saute in Olive Oil until lightly golden 
Add Cauliflower 
Add Salt and Pepper
Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth
Option A.  Add 1 can of chicken broth, if adding to Pasta
Option B. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth if making recipes below.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until Cauliflower is soft.

Serve as side veggie for (Bariatric friendly, Gluten free).  or place on top of pasta.
     
            


























For LEFT OVERS,  I make Cauliflower Arancini or Cauliflower Cheddar Bake.

Cauliflower Arancini - (rice ball without the rice)  Bariatric Friendly. Note: Lightly bread crumbed
approx. 10 grams of carbs for breadcrumbs 2 TBS for each Cauliflower Arancini.

1 Large Califlower head makes approx 13-15 Arancini.

 

• Place Cauliflower in bowl without any of its juices.
• Mash up with fork (like you would do for mash potatoes)
• add 1/4 cup grated cheese, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and mix together.

          

•  Add Palermitana Sauce (Meat sauce and Peas) don't add to much (sauce) more meat sauce than just liquid sauce.
• Make small round balls as big as meatball size. 

   

• Prepare a Small bowl of Egg mix and small bowl of breadcrumbs mix
• In small bowl mix 1 egg, dash of salt, pepper, Garlic Powder and grated cheese
• Coat Arancini Ball with Egg mix 
• and then roll them into the breadcrumb mix
• Spray Pam Olive oil on bottom of baking pan 
• Place Arancini balls in pan not touching.
• Bake on 425 for 5 -10 minutes or until crispy.

Can be place in fridge for about 4 days. to warm up,  place in microwave for 1 minute or until hot.

           

You can also place Cauliflower into baking pan. without making them in meatball type shapes.

Place Cauliflower in bowl without any of its juices.

Mash up with fork (like you would do for mash potatoes)

add grated cheese, mozzarella cheese and mix together.

Lightly spray bottom of baking pan.

Add Cauliflower to bottom of pan. Spreading it Flat.

Add on top the Palermitana Sauce (meat sauce and Peas) in this you can add more sauce.

 Add more Cauliflower on top.  

Sprinkle on top breadcrumbs

Bake in oven on 350 for 5 - 7 minutes then on 425 to crisp the top

Cauliflower Cheddar Bake 

Cook Cauliflower as stated in original recipe written in Purple:
6 Servings:
Cream Cheese Mix: 
In a Bowl add:
4 oz Cream Cheese cut into cubes
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup grated Cheese
Bacon pieces - cooked, until crispy.  Cut up into small chunks.
mix together
(option can add 2 TBS diced Scallions) 

In Another Bowl:

• Place 1 head of cooked Cauliflower without juices in Bowl. but, can use the cooked garlic chunks. 
• Smash up but leave some in chunks. 
• Add in the Cream Cheese  and Mix together
• Place in bottom of a non stick sprayed( Pam - olive oil) baking pan
• Add Cheddar Cheese to top. (Sharp or Mild, your choice) approx 1 - 1 1/2 cups.
• (You can add bacon bits on top also if you like)
• Bake Covered in oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes ( until you see cheese melting)
• Broil uncovered for 1-2 minutes to crisp.

This taste YUMMY!  I wasn't going to try it but,  I had left over cauliflower so, I made 

a small portion to test it.  Oh, I will definitely be making this again! and Yes, in a larger portion.

HINT: To cook bacon without the trouble of hot oil splashing on you and the fire alarm going off because of the smoke:

Place bacon Layered flat side by side in a pan.

Cover bake on 350 until cooked

Uncover and place on broil until crispy. 

Easy! and NO FIRE ALARM GOING OFF AND NO HOT OIL SPLASHING ON YOUR HAND!