Veggie classic How to creatively prepare healthy cauliflower

In soups or curries, as a flour or meat substitute: Cauliflower is versatile

Although cauliflower is popular with many Germans, it was long regarded as old-fashioned and somewhat provincial. But now there are more and more modern recipes with the tasty vegetables. The healthy cabbage is suitable for soups and curries, but also as a flour or meat substitute.

Delicious and healthy

Cauliflower is one of the most popular vegetable varieties of the Germans. The roses are not only delicious, they are also healthy and low in calories. Another advantage of vegetables: It can be prepared in many ways. This is indicated in a press release by the Federal Association of Producer Organizations Fruits and Vegetables e. V. (BVEO).

Cauliflower tastes raw, roasted, baked, stewed, cooked, blanched, deep-fried or pureed. The delicious vegetables are even suitable as a flour and meat substitute. (Image: nolonely / fotolia.com)

Low-calorie vegetables

Carrot, cheese cabbage or flower cabbage - cauliflower bears many names and convinces in the first place with its fine-mild aroma and wholesomeness.

In the past, vegetables were often cooked softly in light sauce. But now the vegetables are incredibly trendy, not least because of its low-carb qualities.

There are countless hip breeds: from purple to orange to the little green spiral turrets, the Romanesco.

Cauliflower is ideal for a gentle, healthy diet and therefore ideally suited for children.

With a high water content and just 23 calories per 100 grams of cabbage is also the perfect food for those who like to take the topic "enjoyment" easily.

Full of vitamins and minerals

Cauliflower contains ball-like substances as well as numerous vitamins and minerals. These include B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and anti-cancer glucosinolates, as well as vitamin K..

Because of the latter, caution is advised in people who take blood thinners such as Marcurmar, because vitamin K promotes blood clotting and thus counteract the drugs.

For larger amounts, therefore, the dosage of the drugs would be adjusted in advance to avoid possible life-threatening complications.

This applies to all blood thinners based on so-called phenprocoumones.

New in-vegetables of the foodie scene

Delicious cauliflower recipes can be found on the internet.

In its communication, the BVEO also points to some ideas for discoverers of new taste dimensions.

For example, on cauliflower pizza. Although the name suggests cauliflower rather than toppings, there is something quite different behind the name. Because the cabbage is not on the pizza - he is rather the basis.

According to the experts, cauliflower in New York is considered to be the new in-vegetable of the foodie scene.

Cauliflower roasted as a meat substitute

Cauliflower tastes raw, roasted, baked, stewed, cooked, blanched, deep-fried or pureed.

As a perfect all-rounder he not only makes a great figure as a side dish or salad but also in soups, curries or as a soloist on the plate.

He is also, in the blender crushed to a doughy mass, a perfect flour substitute in the pizza or - as a crispy-juicy cauliflower steak - a fantastic meat substitute.

Add to this its surprisingly versatile potential and many impulses from foreign kitchens such as the Arab or Asian.

Here cauliflower has been staged for quite some time - in Thai curries, pakoras, for example, as a tandori vegetables or fried to a spicy yoghurt sauce.

Important tips for preparation

In its communication, the BVEO gives some important tips for preparation. First, remove the foliage and brown spots.

Then quarter the head and cut out the core in the middle with a knife. The roses are falling apart almost by themselves.

Should one or the other florets still be too big, simply break them up again with your hands.

Then carefully clean everything in a colander under running cold water. Washing is important because there may be sand and earth between the florets.

If you want to cook as a whole, ideally place it in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes. This way even unwanted visitors like little insects or snails swim to the water surface.

Another tip of the BVEO: The inner, fine green leaves can be used as an ingredient in savory soups or healthy smoothies.

Store in the refrigerator

When shopping, make sure that the heads are tight and closed. Even with the leaves is worth a close look. They should be crisp-green and close to the head.

In addition, the stalk should be nice juicy and the head has no spots.

Cauliflower tastes fresh the best. In a cool place or in the refrigerator, it can be stored for a day or two if the leaves are not removed.

Who wants to store it longer, should blanch the individual florets and freeze in frozen bags.

This avoids the typical smell of cabbage when cooking
If you want to avoid the typical smell of cabbage while cooking, simply add a bay leaf or a dash of wine vinegar to the cooking water.

A dash of milk or lemon in the cooking water help the cabbage to retain its color!

Steaming is particularly gentle. Because the cabbage loses the fewest nutrients. Fry the roses for about a minute over medium heat in a saucepan with a little olive oil.

Then fill the pot with water, so that the cabbage is half covered with liquid, cover it on and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Heat sensitive cabbage

If you want to bake cauliflower, you should marinate the florets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then roast on a greased baking tray or in the baking dish at 200 ° C for about 20 minutes in the oven until the cauliflower is golden brown.

You can also fry the florets in butter or hot rapeseed oil in the pan. Stir occasionally. Remove after 8-10 minutes and done!

When blanching cauliflower remains particularly crisp. For 500 g of cauliflower, bring about 4 liters of water to the boil. Then boil the roses (covered!) For about 3 minutes, then add directly to ice-water and allow to cool.

Who cooks cauliflower, should make sure that it is sensitive to heat. To preserve the aroma and as many of the nutrients as possible, do not cook the cauliflower too long.

Roses are best cooked for 4-5 minutes in boiling salted water. A whole head takes about 15-20 minutes.

On the website of BVEO there is also a delicious recipe for a cauliflower pizza dough. (Ad)