Cauliflower, as its name claims, belongs to the cabbages family. It is the result of many genetic manipulations through centuries to produce vegetables that are robust and good for human consumption. Cauliflower is considered very good for health because low in fat but high in fiber and vitamin C. This surprising vegetable possesses a very good nutritional density.
You can prepare all species of cauliflowers in many different ways. You can serve them raw or lightly cooked. They will be delicious completely cooked or steamed and seasoned. Roasting, stir-frying, frying and braising are solid cooking methods regarding cauliflowers.
How to buy and store cauliflower
Cauliflower should be heavy, compact, and crisp. It should present any gray or brown spots, and crisp. In peak season, beside the well know white, cauliflower offers various colors like orange, light green, and even bright purple. It’s better when the leaves are wrapped around the flower. Store them in a plastic bag in your refrigerator and use within a week or so.
How to prepare cauliflower
Cauliflower are vegetables that are easy to make execrable when cooked poorly. But if you treat it right this vegetable can be utterly classy. You should remove the green leaves and, check for any gray or brown spots and get rid of them by scrapping with a paring knife. You can cook cauliflower whole or divide it into florets before: begin at the base of the head and cut florets from the core, one by one. It’s very similar to separating brocoli florets. The florets may in turn be broken or cut into smaller pieces if you like. Don’t forget to wash the florets as you may have spread some dirt on them.
Bet ways to cook cauliflower
As said before, steaming, braising, glazing and roasting are cooking methods that work very well with cauliflower. How to know a cauliflower is done? The vegetable should be tender enough to pierce with a skewer or a knife. It’s not a problem if you overcook it, but try to avoid this as the texture wouldn’t be so desirable. Broccoli and cauliflower are almost always interchangeable so you can use them as an alternative to each other.
