Garlic-Roasted Cauliflower

Can't wait to try this recipe for garlic-roasted cauliflower!

milkandmode:

Garlic-Roasted Cauliflower

Adapted from How Easy Is That?, by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into large florets (See cooks' notes)

4 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil, divided use

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (See cook's notes)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the garlic cloves. Boil for 15 seconds. Drain, peel and cut off any brown parts. Cut the largest cloves in half lengthwise.

On a sheet pan, toss the cauliflower with garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread mixture out in a single layer and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing twice, until the cauliflower is tender and garlic is lightly browned.

Scrape the cauliflower into a large bowl with garlic and pan juices. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, pine nuts and lemon juice. Sprinkle with a little pinch of salt to taste, toss and serve hot or warm.

Cook's notes: If you can't find a large head of cauliflower, buy two small ones. To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over low heat, tossing frequently, until lightly browned (about six to 10 minutes). 

Paolo's Famous Tapenade

Fantastic dip!

Paolo's Famous Tapenade

1 large Eggplant
1 16 oz. can Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) in water, drained
1 24 oz. jar Green Olives with Pimento, drained
1 Red Pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded  (1/2 cup canned roasted red pepper strips
is a good substitute)
1/4 bunch Parsley, roughly chopped
2 each Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Split eggplant in half, season with olive oil, salt & pepper and roast in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  When completely cool, remove pulp and discard the skin.

Take remaining ingredients, except the olive oil and black pepper - and make sure they have been well drained.  Place all in a food processor in batches and pulse until well chopped.  If you have a grinder attachment for your mixer this works well also.

Slowly drizzle olive oil into ground mixture while slowly stirring tapenade until the oil it totally incorporated.

Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper.

Serve with fresh baked ciabatta bread, focaccia or grilled garlic crostini and ENJOY!

Baked Stuffed Fresh Tomatoes

Perfect for using all of my radiator ray's mortgage lifter tomatoes!

Baked Stuffed Fresh Tomatoes

Serves 5

5 large ripe tomatoes
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped parsley
5 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated Romano or Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Slice off tomatoes tops and carve out the inside of the tomatoes, leaving the shell intact and reserving the tops. Chop the tomato pulp. Drain, reserving the juices separately.
3. Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble the sausage into a skillet. Cook until meat is no longer pink; drain fat.
4. In a bowl, combine the chopped tomato pulp, uncooked rice, basil, parsley, garlic, cheese, cooked crumbled sausage, and add the freshly ground salt and pepper.
5. Oil a 8 x 8-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoons of the oil and place the tomato shells in it, open side up. Stuff each tomato with the tomato mixture and then replace their reserved tops. Pour over the reserved tomato juice and the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil over the tops.
6. Bake for 60 minutes or until rice is just tender and tomato tops are browned.