What delicious things to cook from cauliflower. Cauliflower dishes

It has long been known that cauliflower has an amazing, incomparable taste and a huge amount of useful and even healing properties. The vegetable is available to everyone, it is very popular among its adherents proper nutrition, people who want to maintain an ideal shape, good health. In order for fresh cauliflower to bring not only benefits, but also taste pleasure, you need to know how to choose it correctly, cook it, what to serve it with and how to preserve the valuable properties of the vegetable.

How to select and prepare cauliflower for cooking

In order for the prepared cauliflower dish to have pleasant taste and saved everything useful qualities product, it is necessary to pay maximum attention to the choice of vegetables. Perfect option– to grow the product in your own garden, this will be a one hundred percent guarantee of the absence of chemicals and various types of processing. If this is not possible, then when buying a vegetable at the market or supermarket, you should consider the following nuances:

A medium-sized head of cabbage would be ideal for cooking.
The leaves should be green, without fading or obvious damage.
Inflorescences are white, clean, without black spots or defects. You should not buy a head of cabbage from which the tops have been cut off; this is a sure sign that the product has begun to deteriorate and the damage was cut off to give it a marketable appearance.
The head of cabbage should be elastic, but not heavy.

How long to cook cabbage before frying

There are many dishes in cooking where the main or additional ingredient cauliflower stands out. This classic version fried vegetable in batter, simply boiled products, marinated or with special sauce. In any recipe, before starting cooking, fresh cabbage should be boiled. But this process is very scrupulous, because you need to know how long to cook it so that it does not boil over and lose its beneficial properties and taste. Cooking cauliflower:

7 minutes - in a saucepan before further frying the vegetable.
30 minutes - in a double boiler at full power.
15 minutes – cooking using a multicooker.
3-5 minutes - in the microwave.

How to cook cauliflower deliciously - recipes with photos

Cauliflower is a treasure trove useful microelements and vitamins. It is often used as complementary food for babies or as dietary dish for people on a diet. It is possible to eat the vegetable raw if desired, but this option is to the taste of only some gourmets, so you need to learn how to deliciously prepare dishes from it, cook it correctly and serve ready-made culinary masterpieces. Boil fresh cauliflower you can do it in several ways: classic (using a saucepan), in a slow cooker, double boiler or oven.

Classic recipe in a saucepan

For several centuries, fresh cauliflower has been initial stage cooking, boil in a saucepan. This provides it with the necessary softness and helps to reveal the best taste qualities. Time and effort this process takes a minimum, and the finished result can amaze even the most discerning gourmets. What you need for cooking:

Small enamel saucepan.
Table salt – a small pinch.
Water.

Step by step description process on how to cook cauliflower:

Cut the cauliflower head lengthwise and divide into small florets. It is advisable to make all parts the same size so that they cook evenly and at the same time.
Place the inflorescences in a container, add water so that it lightly covers the cabbage, and lightly salt.
Place on high heat and let it boil. Cook vegetables for 7 minutes.
If you cover the pan with a lid during cooking, the vegetables will turn yellow. To preserve the snow-white color, cook in an open container, and add citric acid, lemon juice or vinegar to the water at the tip of a knife.
After the time has passed, remove the inflorescences from the water. The remaining broth is rich in vitamins and beneficial properties, so it is ideal for making soup.

Steamed fresh cauliflower in a slow cooker or steamer

In order to save the maximum useful properties vegetable, you need to cook it in a slow cooker or double boiler. This processing method requires a minimum of effort, but the process is a little longer in time than, for example, cooking in a pan. Cook cauliflower using a modern kitchen appliances– it’s pure pleasure, and the resulting tasty and healthy vegetable will appeal to all your close or unexpected guests.

To prepare you will need:

Fresh cauliflower – 1 head.
Water.
Multicooker or steamer.
A small pinch of salt.

Step-by-step cooking process:

Soak the head of cabbage in cold water for fifteen minutes - this will help get rid of dirt and insects.
Divide the product into equal inflorescences.
Pour water into the bowl of a multicooker or steamer, place a steaming container on top, and place the inflorescences there.
Close the lid of the device, select the “Steam” mode. The cooking time depends on the capabilities and functionality of the equipment, but you should roughly focus on the following indicators: multicooker - 13-18 minutes, double boiler - 25-30.
At the end of cooking, put the product out and let it cool slightly before proceeding with further manipulations.

A simple way to boil until done in the microwave

It often happens that there is very little time to prepare dinner, but you really want to please your loved ones with something tasty and healthy. The ideal option is cauliflower, and to save time on boiling, this process should be done in the microwave. For cooking you will need following ingredients and attributes:

Fresh cauliflower.
Water – 3-5 tbsp. l.
Salt – 0.5 teaspoon.
Microwave container. It is important to remember: metal utensils cannot be used for cooking - this can lead to equipment breakdown.

How to cook cauliflower step by step in the microwave:

Peel all the leaves, divide the head of cabbage into inflorescences and rinse thoroughly under running cool water.
Place the vegetables in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt.
Cover the container with a lid and place in the microwave.
Turn on the microwave at full power and cook for four minutes, then stir the inflorescences and cook for another 3 minutes.
It’s very easy to check for readiness - the stems become softer and can be easily pierced with a knife.

Cooking cauliflower in the oven

The original way cooking cauliflower - in the oven. Not many people know it, but the resulting dish will not leave indifferent even a person with the most sophisticated taste preferences. In order to cook vegetables you will need the following ingredients and accessories:

Baking tray with high sides.
Fresh cauliflower.
Milk – 3 tablespoons.
3 chicken eggs.
Hard cheese – 150 grams.
Greens to taste (dill, parsley, herbs).

Step-by-step preparation:

Peel fresh cauliflower from green leaves and divide into inflorescences.
Rinse thoroughly under running cool water.
Place in an enamel pan, add salt, a little water, boil and cook for ten minutes.
Rinse under running water and place on a pre-greased baking sheet. vegetable oil.
In a separate container, beat eggs with milk and add herbs. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes until completely baked.
Amazingly tasty and healthy snack ready. This dish is suitable for a quiet family dinner or for a small celebration.

How to properly cook before freezing so as not to darken

To enjoy delicious and healthy vegetables in winter, they must be prepared in the summer by freezing. Ingredients:

Cauliflower.
Citric acid.
The water is boiling and cool.
Cooking container and storage bags.

To ensure that freshly frozen cauliflower does not darken and retains its best beneficial qualities, you must follow these steps, observing the following rules:

First of all, you need to carefully choose a vegetable: the head of cabbage should be dense, without visible dark spots, limp elements or other damage.
Divide the vegetable into inflorescences of the same size; do not make too large parts.
Thoroughly wash all inflorescences from possible dirt, insects and the results of chemical treatment.
In order to preserve the snow-white color of cabbage, you must perform the following steps:

Place the inflorescences in a saucepan with boiled water for a few minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the inflorescences and place in cool water or simply rinse with cold liquid.
You need to add citric acid to boiling water, the proportion is 1/3 teaspoon per liter of water. This mixture will help prevent vegetables from browning.
Place the inflorescences in boiling water with citric acid, cook for about three minutes until they begin to float.
Place the vegetables in a colander and place on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid.
Pack vegetables in bags or plastic containers and place in the freezer.

You can boil cauliflower different ways. Traditionally it is cooked in a saucepan.

Cooking sequence:

Cut the washed vegetable into inflorescences with a knife.
IN enamel pan boil the water. Salt and place the inflorescences in the water.
Boil them for 15 minutes over medium heat and drain in a colander.

In addition to the pan, you can cook the inflorescences in a pressure cooker, microwave, multicooker, or double boiler. In this case, you must adhere to the main cooking rules:

Do not defrost frozen vegetables, but immediately place them in cold water, salt and boil;
Before cooking, divide it into inflorescences and keep a little in salted water;
if you plan to fry it, then boil it first until half cooked;
for boiling, use an enamel container;
To prevent the vegetable from acquiring a yellowish tint, do not cover the container with a lid when cooking;
To prevent it from darkening during cooking, add 1 tbsp to the water at the end of cooking. vinegar;
cook the cabbage over medium heat.

After boiling cauliflower, you can eat it as independent dish or serve as a side dish.

How long to cook cauliflower

Boil the cauliflower in a saucepan for about 15 minutes. If you plan to stew or fry the inflorescences in the future, the cooking time is reduced to 7 minutes; the half-finished inflorescences can be poured with egg sauce and made into a casserole or fried in batter.

And this is how long the cooking process lasts if other units are used:

IN microwave oven The vegetable is cooked in 2 stages. First, place it in a microwave-safe container, do not add salt, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Then add salt and boil again, setting the timer for 4 minutes.
Cook the vegetable in a slow cooker for 15 minutes.
The cabbage is cooked in a double boiler for 30 minutes.
In a pressure cooker, cabbage will be ready in 15-20 minutes.

The cooking time for fresh and frozen vegetables is not too different. Frozen cauliflower takes 2-5 minutes longer to cook.

Cauliflower is low in calories and hearty product, which is well absorbed. A properly cooked vegetable retains its beneficial qualities, and the inflorescences retain their original shape, so it is important to adhere to the basic cooking rules.

White cabbage is in incredible demand among housewives, but its sister cauliflower has practically no authority, despite the fact that it is no less healthy and nutritious in its composition. But you can cook a lot of tasty and tasty dishes from cauliflower. healthy dishes: salads, soups, casseroles, main courses. Just like white cabbage, it can be pickled, salted, or preserved. It can surprise you with its taste even if you prepare it yourself in a simple way This is exactly the method I want to propose.