Caramelized Cauliflower and Sauteed Kale Casserole
This is the kind of dish I typically make on a Sunday night while watching football.
Other dudes drink beer, and shout at the screen while munching popcorn, nachos or pretty much anything they can get their hands on while watching football. I can’t do it.
First off I can’t sit still for too long (oh yeah, I’m the worst person to go to the movies with!)
Plus during football games there's a ton of commercial breaks; and I hate commercial breaks.
Being passively bombarded by innumerable ads won’t do it for me; I need a distraction.
But, most of all, Sundays are valuable to me.
It’s when I get to do things I don’t have time to do during the week.
Nothing transcendental - nothing like bringing world peace to the world - more like doing ordinary chores.
Over the years I found out that the best thing to do while watching a football game is - surprise, surprise - cook (and, by the way, this is a pro tip, you might want to write it down.)
I’m a devoted football fan, but also a devoted cook. In my world: Football + cooking = awesomeness.
Call me a weirdo if you like, but that’s pretty much how I roll.
And Sundays are perfect for cooking up healthy lunches to bring to work. Something like a broccoli and zucchini casserole or a paleo moussaka or a spicy quinoa casserole. You’ve got the idea.
Here’s what I do: Open the fridge, look inside, and decide what to make.
You might call it inspiration; I like to call it “making the best with what you have.”
On this particular Sunday (i.e., yesterday) I had a “vision” as soon as I opened the fridge's door: Making a casserole using cauliflower and kale.
I love kale, but I always feel that its strong taste and bitterness needs some toning down. And what’s better than sweet cauliflower?
In a nutshell, here’s what I did: I caramelized the cauliflower in the oven, while I was sauteing the kale on the stove. I mixed everything together with some ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese and a touch of lemon zest. Hop intp the oven and there you have it: an amazing casserole.
It’s total comfort, warm fuzzies and huge flavor. And now I’m hungry.
I’d actually eat it right now for breakfast.
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower head (about 3 cups when processed), washed, cored and cut into florets
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of kale (about ¾ lb), tough stems and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup / 8 oz / 225 gr ricotta cheese
zest of ½ lemon
¾ cup / 2 ¼ oz / 64 gr grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle. Rub a medium-large baking dish (I used a 9-by-13-inch) with a bit of olive oil. Set aside.
Spread cauliflower florets in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is caramelized, turning once.
In the meantime, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes.
Add kale, cover with a lid, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
When the cauliflower is ready, in a large bowl, combine kale, caramelized cauliflower, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish, top with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and bake in the oven until top is nice and golden, about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm.
Nutrition facts
One serving yields 218 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs and 12 grams of protein.
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