CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN À LA INA GARTEN
Ingredients
1kg head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated
3/4 cup Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
Cook the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling salted water for five to six minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for a minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add a teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyère, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce onto the bottom of an 8x11x2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top of it. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.
‘ABUNDANCE’ TOMATO SOUP WITH BASIL OIL À LA JAMIE OLIVER
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2kg ripe tomatoes
Good-quality red grape vinegar
Fresh basil
Method
Add a glug of olive oil to your pan over medium heat. Add the basil stalks to the pan with the sliced garlic. Fry for about a minute then add all the tomatoes. Stir in 150ml of water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium heat and let the tomatoes cook for five minutes until they are slightly broken down. If your tomatoes are nice and ripe, they’ll be naturally sweet and soft, which means you won’t need to cook the soup for too long.
Remove the soup from the heat, add a splash of vinegar then carefully blitz with a hand blender to your preferred consistency.
Serve in warm bowls with a spoonful of bright green basil oil swirled on top and sprinkled with the reserved basil leaves. Or, make a big batch and freeze for a busy day.
PUMPKIN MUFFINS À LA MARTHA STEWART
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 large eggs
1 cup raw sugar, plus 2 tbsp more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush 12 jumbo muffin tins (each with a one-cup capacity) with some oil; set aside.
Whisk flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, yogurt, eggs, and one cup sugar to combine; add one cup walnuts and reserved dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
Divide evenly and spoon batter into muffin tins; sprinkle tops with remaining walnuts and sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool five minutes in pan.
