she cooks…he cleans

We ran across some MONSTER grass-fed ribeye steaks on-the-bone, perfect for Sunday Steak Night™!  It seemed like a good night for a simple, mashed vegetable side dish.  We have posted another recipe for mashed cauliflower, which I love, but it is really hearty and filling on its own.  We needed something a little less rich to have with the ribeyes. This is a lighter version of mashed cauliflower – creamier in texture, but it still has a lot of flavor from the goat cheese and herbs.

I owe the inspiration for this dish to Emeril Lagasse, after reading his recipe for White Bean and Goat Cheese Purée in From Emeril’s Kitchens.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 vidalia (or other sweet onion), coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed or coarsely chopped
• extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 ounces goat cheese
• ~1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• ~1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.  Set aside.

In a medium-sized, heavy pot, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute.  Add the cauliflower to the pot; pour just enough chicken broth into the pot to almost-barely cover the cauliflower.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Drain the cauliflower using a mesh colander.  To remove as much excess moisture as possible, you may want to return the cauliflower/onion mixture to the (dry)pot, and stir briefly over medium-low heat to evaporate some of the moisture.  [I have a “thing” about watery mashed vegetables…sorry!]

Place the drained cauliflower in a food processor with the goat cheese, thyme, and rosemary.  Process until very smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  If you’d like, drizzle with a little olive oil.  Serve warm.

Before Alex Chilton made his groundbreaking rock and roll with Big Star, he was the vocalist for The Box Tops, and they weren’t too shabby either. Everyone knows them for “The Letter” or “Cry Like A Baby”, but their sound, mainly built around the great Memphis songwriters Don Penn and Spooner Oldham, is “Southern Soul” at its finest. This is a good overview of their magic: The Best of the Box Tops: Soul Deep.

Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers brought a refined but dynamic sound to mid-60’s pop, with such hits as “Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” or “Make It Easy On Yourself”. Scott went on to a brilliant and influential solo career- you can see his touch in artists such as David Bowie and Nick Cave, to name a few. You either love him or hate him, but if you let his emotionally charged crooning get under your skin, it’s liable to stay. Try Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine: The Very Best of for a taste.