Monday, September 2, 2013

Curried Cauliflower from The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook

I'm always looking for quick and tasty side dishes.  While going through Mickey Trescott's Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, I came across her Curried Cauliflower recipe and knew I had to try it.  I thought it would be the perfect complement to her Coconut Amino Marinated Salmon I was making for last minute dinner company.

I gathered my ingredients.


The only real prep for this recipe is cutting the cauliflower into florets.  Once I'd done that, I heated some coconut oil in my 12" saute pan.  While the pan heated, I measured and mixed the spices together in a small bowl (a new use for rice bowls).  I'm pretty much making it my standard practice now, when a few spices are needed to coat an ingredient or be mixed in, that I'll pre-mix the spices together to insure an even coating/incorporation of all flavors.

Mickey says that a variation for the recipe is to add some minced garlic.  I love garlic, so as the oil heated, I minced 4 cloves of garlic right into the pan with my garlic press.  


Once the garlic had sauteed a bit, I added the florets and then sprinkled the spice mixture over the cauliflower.  I stirred it around to make sure the cauliflower was nicely coated.  


I covered the pot and set a timer for 10 minutes.  I returned and stirred the florets around a few times per the recipe instructions.  When the timer went off, I added the optional coconut aminos and stirred the dish once again.  





Accessibility & Cost of Ingredients:  You can find all of the ingredients for this recipe at your "big box" grocery store with the exception the coconut aminos if you decide to use it.  You'll have to go to a more Natural/Health/Organic minded grocery store for that unless your "big box" is much more progressive than mine.  I had the spices needed on hand in my pantry. 

Preparation & Cooking Time:  It took me about 2.5 minutes to cut up the cauliflower.  It took me about 18 minutes total to make this dish.  She gives a 20 minute stated total time and I would say that is just about right.  

Clean Up:  Other than hand washing my saute pan, clean up was a cinch.  

The Paleo Review: Thumbs Up!  This recipe gives the flavor of a roasted cauliflower without having to turn on the oven.  Summertime bonus!  As you might expect with the spices used, the dish has a lovely Indian flavor.  I was concerned that leaving the cauliflower covered for 10 full minutes would just cause it to burn, but it didn't.  What it did do is brown the cauliflower nicely.

My dinner company loved it and the salmon as well.  

This dish is easy and quick and will become a regular side dish at my house, regardless of whether I'm following the AIP protocol or not.  Yum.