Foodie Friday…Fridge Cleanout!

Leftovers! I love leftovers. When I make dinner I usually make a little extra just to have it for lunch the following day(s) at work. Just this past Tuesday I cooked a few breasts in the crock pot for Taco Tuesday and had enough left over for lunch on Wednesday and Thursday! Sometimes though there are leftovers that are just separate ingredients from different meals I’ve prepared that are just waiting to be used. I’m sure you have the same random shit in your fridge. I’ll be honest…I throw out way too many leftover ingredients because I didn’t reuse them in another recipe. I decided not to let that happen last night!

A couple of weeks ago I made scones to bring to Sonoma, so I had bit of leftover cream; I had half of a can of chicken broth from the Taco Tuesday dish; there are always leftover mushrooms from pizza Monday; I went for another fun cruise on the bay in my sister’s Duffy with some friends and had leftover gruyere, cambozola and brie cheeses, as well as some crusty bread; and lastly, I had a head of purple cauliflower that I bought a couple of days ago just because it’s so beautiful…but had no idea how I was going to cook it (I usually roast it, but it’s been in the fridge since Monday). What to do with it all??

When I’m stumped for a recipe I almost always head over to Closet Cooking. Kevin is so prolific with his recipes. There’s something for every ingredient you can think of and they’re so imaginative!  So, Roast Head of Cauliflower in Creamy Mushroom Sauce was the answer. I made some adjustments, adding brie and cambozola from my Duffy adventure, and a little crusty bread accompaniment… and it was scrumptious!!

Enjoy…

FOR THE CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, diced (I only had shallots and they were fab)
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped (I didn’t have any and it worked out great)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (or broth)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream (I only used 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated (I added brie and cambozola too…decadent!)
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste (optional) (it’s optional, but it added it a nice flavor and I had some)
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE ROAST HEAD OF CAULIFLOWER:

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup gruyere, shredded (optional) (again, optional, but I had leftovers from the Duffy ride and it was literally the topping that sent it over the edge!)

FOR THE CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE:

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their liquids and it’s absorbed, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.
3. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
4. Add the broth and cream, bring to a boil and simmer to thicken, about 2-4 minutes, before mixing in the cheese and miso and removing from the heat.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE ROAST HEAD OF CAULIFLOWER:

1. Brush the cauliflower with the oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated 450F/230C oven on a baking pan until tender, about 50-75 minutes.

   

2. Pour the mushroom sauce on top, sprinkle with cheese, return to the oven and broil until the cheese has melted, about 3-5 minutes.

   

3. Slice and enjoy topped with the mushroom sauce!

It was ridiculously decadent and rich and I’ll definitely be making it again!

….who can eat a whole head of cauliflower?…added bonus is lunch tomorrow and maybe a side dish for one of my weekend meals.