My grandmother served it steamed with white sauce, Yup, white on white! Yeah, I know, not exactly inspiring but I recall liking it. I'm sure others will have better ideas. It's late and I'm sleepy. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recipes.

Try it roasted. It completely changes the flavor and is the only way I like it.

I would make a soup out of it and then freeze in portion sizes.
I love cauliflower.
Lisa

I love to mash equal parts of steamed cauliflower and potato together, adding butter or olive oil, pepper and salt. It tastes delicious and fills that potato corner of your dinner plate while reducing the amount of carbs you're taking in.

SharonCb

Oh, oh, I have one!!! Even my kids eat this! But not DH, because well, you know, he's a PITA. And, it's easy, easy, easy.

POPCORN CAULIFLOWER

2 heads cauliflower
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
6-8 Tbl lve oil

Cut the cauliflower into small florets, toss the stems. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss the cauliflower to coat it. Put the cauliflower in a single layer on a lined pan and Roast at 450 for about 35 minutes, tossing occasionally.

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

PS I just got Mark Bittman's vegetarian cookbook out from the library. I'll see if there are any recipes that look good for Cauliflower.

Alexa has a curry cauliflower that my MIL inhales when she comes over (I'm not at a computer that has the recipe). I omit her yogurt, IIRC. The recipe includes an apple so that adds some sweetness to the curry.

Lee posted a roasted cauliflower that I also like. Nuke the florets to soften them a bit, spread them out on a pan, drizzle with EVOO and S&P. Mix smoked paprika, cumin and thyme in proportions to taste and sprinkle that over the florets.

Jessy is right abuot this one - everyone I know seems to really like it a lot!

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Mashed "FauxTatoes"

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon canola oil
Â1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
 1 ½ teaspoons Madras curry powder
 Salt and freshly ground pepper
 1/4 cup non-fat yogurt (optional)

1. Warm the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, apple, onion and curry powder and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Put the cauliflower, apple and onion into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth, taking care not to overwork the mixture. If desired, stir in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper.

If it's not too cold where you are, grilled cauliflower is pretty yummy. Put florets on a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Spread softened butter over them, and then sprinkle generously with a seasoning you like, such as Mrs. Dash or seasoned salt. I also grate some Parmesan over the top, but you could leave that off. Wrap foil into a tight ball and grill. (Time can vary a lot, depending on how hot the grill is and how tender you like it. Maybe 30-40 minutes? Stick a toothpick or thin-bladed knife through the foil to test.)

Another one we like is serving it in a mustard sauce. May sound a little strange, but it's delicious. Separate into florets and boil in a little water until crisp tender; drain. Meanwhile, melt 1/4 stick butter in a skillet; slowly add 1/4 flour, stirring constantly. Cook one additional minute after flour is all incorporated. Slowly add 2 cups milk, still stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Season with about 1 tsp. salt, 2 Tablespoons prepared mustard, and pepper (optional). Put cauliflower in a greased baking dish, and pour sauce over it. Mix some breadcrumbs with a little more melted butter and sprinkle on top, along with some grated Parmesan. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

I love cauliflower steamed lightly (not cooked to mush) with hollandaise sauce. Yum!

Some other recipes/tips I've picked up on the forums:

From Lee at the Cooking Forum at That Home Site
"Lightly par cook (2-3 minutes usually in the micro with a tablespoon of water) the florets from a head of cauliflower, drain and spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle wih salt and papper, and very lightly with the smoked paprika (I use a tea infuser spoon for this). Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in a preheated 400 - 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, stiring once or twice until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown in places."

***

I probably have posted this before, but it is soooo good that it's worth a second post. If you don't think you care for cauliflower; please, please try this. Lightly steam the cauliflower (it should still be fairly crunchy), drain and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees until tender and caramelized. About 20 minutes. This works best in a preheated iron skillet, but a cooky sheet or roasting pan works fine, too! The cauliflower is sweet, tender and incredibly good. It went from a vegetable that I could take or leave to one that I love! It's much healthier than the gallons of cheese sauce that I used to glop it up with, too!

***

I have steamed cauliflower and then mashed it like potatoes with a little cream, put it in a pie dish and sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese and then baked high (maybe 425) until golden brown on top.
I am on a low carb diet, so I use cauliflower in place of potatoes often. Sometimes I prepare them just like you would mashed potatoes and have them - they are usually a little lumpier than mashed, but very good.

This recipe from Ann T is GREAT!

Home Cookin 4.8 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cauliflower And Potatoes In A Spicy Curry Sauce
===============================================
1 small head of cauliflower
3 russett potatoes
1/2 cup oil
1 small onion chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 to 2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 to 3 cups of chicken broth
Fresh chopped coriander (Same as cilantro)
.
Break cauliflower into about 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces
Heat the oil over medium heat and when hot add the onions and saute until
golden, add garlic and cumin seeds. Cook for a minute or two. Do not burn.
Add the rest of the spices.
Stir and add the potatoes and the cauliflower.
Toss with the spices and cook for a few minutes and then add the grated
ginger, tomatoes and chicken broth. Cover and simmer until the vegetables
are tender. Turn off heat and add chopped coriander (cilantro leaves)

Here are a couple more cauliflower recipes:

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cauliflower Au Gratin
=====================
This is an outline. I don't really follow a recipe when I make this.

Small head of cauliflower cooked until almost tender
Butter
Flour
Garlic
Salt, pepper
Chicken broth
Cream
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan cheese

Make a roux with butter and flour.

Add chicken broth and/or some cream. Cook until sauce is thick and add some parmesan cheese.

Stir in the cauliflower. Pour into a casserole dish.

Sauté some fresh bread crumbs in a little butter seasoned with garlic and more parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top of the cauliflower. Bake in a 350 oven until hot.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Curried Cauliflower Soup
========================
1 head of cauliflower
1 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves of garlic
parsley chopped
fresh thyme leaves
curry powder to taste
1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk
6 cups chicken broth
cilantro
. saute onion, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Add
cauliflower, thyme, parsley, curry powder, broth. Season with salt and
pepper. Simmer until vegetables are cooked and the cauliflower has
started to break up. Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour
into bowls and garnish with cilantro.

)

I made this cauliflower and mushroom gougere recently, it was a big hit at our house.

We had this at Wine Club last week. Bruce who is a picky eater,was very hesitant to try the cauliflower, he even liked this. The recipe is bursting with many flavors.

Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives and Pine Nuts

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
SERVES: 4
Roasting cauliflower caramelizes the florets, making them supersweet. Tossed with crunchy pine nuts and salty olives and capers, this dish is perfect with roasted chicken or steamed fish.
ingredients

* 1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons pine nuts
* 1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives
* 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 tablespoon drained capers
*

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish, toss the cauliflower with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is lightly browned in spots. Add the pine nuts, olives, parsley and capers, toss and roast for about 10 minutes longer, until the pine nuts are lightly toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oh Wow, Ohiomon. That Gourgere looks amazing. My son loves Gourgere. It is one of his favourite appetizers.

Ann

Made this one at a cooking class I took in September.

Roasted Cauliflower with Coriander and Cumin Seeds

Serves 2 as a side dish.

1 small head cauliflower (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Cut cauliflower into 1-inch flowerets and in a roasting pan or ovenproof skillet toss with remaining ingredients. Roast mixture in oven 25 minutes, or until cauliflower is just tender.

from Gourmet, November 1997

I make FauxTatoes but without the apple and the curry...I add sour cream instead of the yogurt.
And...just plain raw cauliflower as a munchie is wonderful!
Linda C

Linda beat me to it - eat it raw with a dip. Healthy! I like it with blue cheese dressing or ketchup.

I like it gratinee, but you said no cheese. I use it in curries. I do the faux-tatoes with it a lot too.

I do a baked cauliflower that everyone likes here.

Florettes, melted butter, Parm and bread crumbs..
I don't pare boil..but you can.
Spread florettes in baking dish, pour melted butter over to "coat lightly"..sprinkle with grated parm and bread crumbs (I use seasoned.) Toss to coat everything..bake until caulis are soft and crumbs are crisp and brown.

I also like it roasted..Little EVOO, s&p..400F til tender..

It's as if my brain thinks because I'm cooking only for me, it doesn't have to try to think past the basics. I have so much more imagination about cooking when I can cook for four or six. I used to think my granmother was nuts for eating only sandwiches. I think I undertand now!

Sharon, could you just teleport over that entire plate? That looks amazing.

Apple? Never would have thought of that! Hmmm...and, yep, Ann's cauliflower and potato curry is what I've been using.

Trudy, I never would have thought of matching it with green olives, either, but I'll try it. Love olive, love capers, so it should be a go. :)

Gina- yeah, I'm the weirdo who doesn't like much cheese and doesn't like cheese sauce at all. I can deal with a little of the harder cheese like asiago and parm though. I guess I use cheese more as a garnish.

Thank you everyone. I was getting so burned out on just steamed and trying to work it into salads and such. I have half a head in the frige and I'll go Ilisa's popcorn route tonight. But MIL is coming done over the weekend, and I just KNOW she'll have another head (or two!) of cauliflower with her.

Here you go Renée. This one's a favorite of ours.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

1 head cauliflower cut into florets, stems chopped
1½ tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
½ tablespoon prepared horseradish
S & P to taste
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese

Boil or steam cauliflower florets for 6-7 minutes or until tender. Drain well and transfer to a large casserole dish. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the cauliflower stems, shallot and garlic. Cook until tender. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, horseradish and Gruyere and cook until cheese is melted. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower florets and stir until well coated. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. If gratin is still too liquidy at the end of cooking, loosely cover it and bake it 15-20 minutes longer.

Sol

Well, I'm too late to add anything except that roasted is the ONLY way I'll eat the darned stuff, LOL.

Of course, I may have to invoke your own 7 year rule and try a couple of these recipes....

Annie

Gina said the 'K' word!!!

Off with her head!

Sol

Well, I did Ilisa's popcorned recipe first since I was cooking just for me and it was easy to do just a little. Very nice change of pace. I'll definitely do that again.
And I KNOW there will be more cauliflower, so I'm lining these up for future use. DH will be here next week and loves cheese, so I think the gratin for then.

Sol, you, Sharon and Ann are KILLING ME with these pictures! I want a scratch and sniff monitor! And the little snowmen have become my holiday desktop. :)

Go easy on me please - it got me through a childhood of nightmarish food!

I've got your back, Gina! I'm not big on it myself, but I completely understand how it can get you through some pretty awful foods. (Psst...my secret weapons were A-1 sauce and Heinz 57.)

I used to make a kind of fritter out of cauliflower florets with a light batter, but it included cheese. If you think you might like to try it, I'll dig it out for you, Bean.
We also like cauliflower florets, diced onions and stewed tomatoes all stewed together. Add a bit of tomato paste if you want the sauce thicker. This also works well for zucchini.

Thanks, Colleen, but I am having to cut out the fried foods. The reflux kills me at 3 AM.

I thought of you the other day when I walked into a store and saw the motherlode of red hots and some "Christmas" candy corn. LOL!

As soon as I made this recipe that seagrass posted in 2004, it became my family's favorite cauliflower dish. The only change I make is to use about 1/2 the amount of nutmeg. I've used the gingered crumbs on other vegetables too.

GRATIN OF CAULIFLOWER WITH GINGERED CRUMBS

1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, leaves trimmed, core removed
3 Tbsps. unsalted butter
2 Tbsps. all-purpose flour
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
dash of hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsps. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook cauliflower in at least 3 quarts of boiling water until just tender, 10-12 minutes. Rinse under cold water - drain. Cut or break into floweretes. Put in a well-buttered 2 quart casserole.

Melt 2 Tbsps. butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream. Raise the heat slightly and cook until thick. Add the lemon juice, nutmeg, hot pepper sauce and cheese. Spoon sauce over cauliflower.

Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and ground ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Spoon crumbs over cauliflower and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until bubbly, 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4

{{gwi:2044757}}

Hey, glad you liked it!

AM

Terri - I made your roasted with the parm and crumbs and 1/2 butter and half oil - they were great, thanks so much for the idea! They were so nice and crisp and browned on the outside and soft on the inside. Yum, we both liked it a lot.

As Linda C and others have said raw is good and you'll be surprised on just how much you'll eat... I prefer mine plain, cut off the florets, rinse well, drain and keep refrigerated... I do a whole head and take out what I need... Once I put the whole container next to the computer, I ended up eating it all in one night... Amazingly I only had ONE cigarette that night... LOL

Rita

Rita - Maybe I should pass that tip on to DH. He's been "trying to quit" for 15 years, and I've been trying to get vegetables in him for about that long, too. Kill two birds with one head of cauliflower! As for me, I can eat it raw, but I don't love it that way.

Ruthanna - Ginger...you have my number there. I can't think of much that isn't made better by ginger. I'll be trying this one (maybe will half the cheese though.)

It's not a deep fried fritter, more like a pattie you cook on a lightly oiled or sprayed pan so it's crisp on the outside and still saucy in the middle.

Well snacking on cauliflower didn't get me to quit but it does keep my hands busy so I don't smoke as much and keeps me from eating junk food... But I don't recommend eating a whole head of cauliflower every day... LOL

Rita

Oh! Then, yes, Collen,, please. Apologies. when my southern ears hear "fritter", my brain thinks "lots of oil". :)

Seems like every meal I have with MIL has cauliflower, so the better armed I am with diverse recipes, the better I'll like it.

ohiomom--your gougere looks wonderful! and sol--there is absolutely NOTHING about that recipe not to like! i've never had a cauliflower fritter colleen, but my guess is that we'd both like that. i'd never had "fauxtatoes" until teresa posted a recipe a couple years back and we think that's a keeper, as is seagrass's recipe that ruthanna posted. course, we like cauliflower and i know not everyone does. i haven't tried this one yet but it looks good on paper! actually, i was thinking even without the rice it might be good...

Cauliflower Risotto with Spicy Pangrattato adapted from Jamie Oliver
A whole head of cauliflower is melted into a pot of risotto, leaving behind no trace of its identity apart from a silkiness and subtle umami that many find hard to decipher. The other thing that sets this version apart from the usual is the crunchy, salty, spicy mixture of breadcrumbs, anchovies and chili that is showered over each serving.
Serves: 4 as a main dish, or 6 as a side
two large handfuls breadcrumbs, from a slightly stale country loaf (about 1 cup, packed)
1 flat can anchovies in olive oil, undrained
pinch or two of hot chili flakes, or to taste
about 5-6 cups (1.25-1.5l) chicken stock
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2lbs/1kg)
6 tablespoons (90g) butter, divided
2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (400g) carnaroli or arborio rice
1 cup (250ml) dry vermouth or white wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
4 oz (115g/about 1 cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
extra parmesan cheese, for serving

Combine the bread in a food processor with the anchovies, the oil from the can and the chili flakes and process to fine crumbs. Heat a frying pan with a splash of olive oil and sauté the crumbs over medium-high heat until browned and crispy. Set aside.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Tear the green leaves off the cauliflower and cut out the stalk. Chop the stalk finely and cut the florets into 1-inch pieces. Drop the florets in the pan with the stock, bring to a gentle boil, and cover.
In another, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and reserved chopped cauliflower stalk and sauté until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the rice, stirring constantly to coat it with the oil. After about a minute the grains of rice should start to become translucent around the edges. Add the vermouth or wine, and stir constantly until it has been absorbed. Add a ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the hot stock and a good pinch of salt, and again stir constantly until all the liquid is nearly absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock. Continue adding the stock bit by bit until the rice is about half cooked. By now the cauliflower florets should be very soft (this is important, so take the rice off the heat for a couple minutes if they're not yet there). Start adding the florets in with the stock, crushing them into the rice as you go. Continue until the rice is cooked but still retains a gentle bite and the cauliflower has all been added. This should take about 18-20 minutes in total; if you find you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, add a bit of boiling water. The finished risotto should be pourable but not soupy; all'onda in Italian.
As soon as the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary, parmesan cheese and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Cover the pan and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes (not longer or it will thicken too much). Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately in shallow bowls, topped with the crunchy pangrattato and additional parmesan.

So this is probably verboten on here, but I'm charging ahead anyway. I bought Jessica Seinfeld's book, "Deceptively Delicious," where she purees vegetables into other foods. DH and I are ridiculously picky and I figured what the heck... I like cauliflower but DH doesn't. Ms. Seinfeld puts cauliflower puree into:

chicken salad
tuna salad
Deviled Eggs
Banana Bread
Carrot Cake muffins
chicken soup
chocolate cupcakes
hamburgers
lasagna
mac n cheese
mashed potatoes
scrambled eggs
twice-baked potatoes
peanut butter & banana muffins

If any of that looks interesting, let me know & I'll post a recipe.