Spotlight on Cauliflower

Have you been noticing cauliflower more and more lately, maybe on TV or social media? You aren’t alone, as this humble vegetable has become the latest food trend! No matter how cool cauliflower has become, we love it for how easy it is to make into a tasty dish. It doesn’t hurt that it is also high in vitamin C and folate, which is a B vitamin especially important for women.

Shopping: You can find cauliflower in the grocery store year round, but it is in-season at the farmers’ market during the fall. Look for tight, creamy white heads without brown spots. It is also a good sign of freshness when the cauliflower has bright green leaves attached.

Storing: Keep your cauliflower in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag. It will be good for about 1 week. If you cut the head into pieces, they will not last as long, so use quickly.

Cooking: Because of cauliflower’s simple flavor, there are so many different ways you can prepare it. Raw cauliflower florets make a great snack with some hummus to dip (watch how to cut into florets here). Roasting cauliflower is probably one of the easiest recipes. Check it out on our Eat Smart website, and maybe add some other fall veggies like carrots and beets!

For a flavorful side dish, try sautéing cauliflower in a bit of oil with onions, garlic, and curry powder. Try the Creamy Cauliflower Soup recipe at the end of this post. It is perfect for when you are running low on ingredients.

One of the cauliflower trends is making it into “rice”. If you are tired of eating brown rice, cauliflower rice can be a fun new way to add another vegetable to your day. You can either grate it with a cheese grater or chop it up into small pieces with a food processor, then steam or sauté it. Test it out on your next stir fry night.  

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

 Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 pounds)

3 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add cauliflower and cover, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender (about 10 minutes).
2. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.
3. Let cool, and blend soup in batches until smooth.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Try it with different toppings like low-fat shredded cheese, breadcrumbs, or even hot sauce!

Favorite Fall harvest Fruits and Veggies

Fall is known as the harvest season because many of our best loved foods are available at farmers' markets and grocery stores at their peak of freshness.  The beautiful orange and yellow colors that we see in the fall are reflected in our favorite foods of the fall season.

Below are some of our most popular fall foods, and ways we like to enjoy them.  Enjoy the fruits and veggies of this season!

Apples: whether you love the sweetness of a Gala, the sweet tart of a Gingergold, or the tartness of a  Granny Smith, apples should all taste amazing this time of year because they are fresh from the tree!  Try them sliced in Apple Cranberry Salad, topped with nut butter and raisins in Apple Bark, or cooked in Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes.

Broccoli:  a favorite in grocery stores all year long, broccoli is most flavorful in the fall.  This all-purpose veggie is perfect for dipping in hummus, like in our favorite Garden on a Plate recipe.  It tastes delicious broiled with a little low-sodium soy sauce, added to stir fries, and in Broccoli and Potato Soup.

Cabbage:  an often overlooked vegetable, cabbage is a main ingredient in coleslaw mixes and traditional sauerkraut.  Try it shredded in Simple Fish Tacos or cooked in Garden Vegetable Soup, a perfect meal for chilly fall nights.

Cauliflower:  related to both broccoli and cabbage, cauliflower is available in markets in the familiar white variety, as well as orange and purple types,  It can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, added to stir fries, and cooked and mashed to resemble potatoes.  Roasted Cauliflower is one of our favorite -- and easy -- ways to enjoy this delicious vegetable.

Sweet potatoes:  loved by kids and adults, the sweet potato is a rich and creamy orange vegetable that has a natural sweetness.  Sweet potatoes can be baked or boiled, mashed on their own in Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or added to stews and chili, and even burritos and quesadillas.  Try our easy Sweet Potato Fries recipe tonight.  It's sure to become a family favorite!

Squash: truly a hallmark of fall, different squash varieties are a  feast for your eyes and for your belly.  Markets this time of year will have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and delicata squash in abundance, along with orange and even blue pumpkins!  Cooking these squash requires a little muscle to cut them in half, however, you can pierce the skin and microwave on high for a few minutes to soften them and make them easier to cut.  There are many different ways to prepare squash.  Enjoy a twist to regular spaghetti squash and meat sauce by using this Spaghetti Squash recipe instead.  Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is a great way to use more than one fall veggie and apples go great with squash!