CAULIFLOWER GRATIN
Winter is at the door. It is time to start cooking seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower is one of them. This dish has vegetable, meat and cheese . I think it is a good combination for cold winter days.
The trick of cooking cauliflower is never overcook.
It can be prepare a day ahead. Just bake it before you want to eat.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium size cauliflower-500g-1 lb
For Meat Sauce
250g-1/2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion , finely chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup hot water
For white sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. plain flour
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 cups milk
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Cut cauliflower into individual florets. Boil into salted water 10 minutes, drain well.
For meat sauce, place oil in pan, add chopped onion, stir few minutes, add ground meat, stir until it turns brown. Add carrots and tomato puree, salt & pepper and hot water. Cook until mixture is thickened slightly.
For white sauce heat oil in a pan add flour ,cook stirring until mixture is bubbling. Remove from heat add milk , stir over heat until thickens.
Place cauliflower into well greased ovenproof dish, top with first meat sauce and then white sauce .
Sprinkle with grated cheese . Bake in 180C-375F oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve with green salad.
