The New Cauliflower Cheese!

My family have become quite an enterprising and imaginative bunch over the last 5 years since my bypass. They know treats like chocolates, sweets/candy and other edibles just don’t cut the mustard with me for a gift or treat. This Christmas my stocking had a whole host of non-food treats and this Bomba tomato paste was one of them. It’s a triple concentrate tomato paste with the sweetest intense flavour I have ever come across and I just love it! Don’t you just adore the packaging too?

 

So far I have used it as the base for my bariatric pizza instead of tomato salsa; in my classic ragu sauce recipe; and add a quick squirt to countless soups and stews that would normally have basic tomato puree – it certainly lifts them into the luxury class. Laura Santtini, who makes the paste, has a good number of recipes on her website and this one for cauliflower cheese ‘steaks’ caught my eye. I have only slightly adapted it by using low-fat cooking spray/mist instead of the olive oil but you could use either. Laura uses the quantity to make 2 ‘steaks’ cut from the middle of the cauliflower – I found that 2 smaller ones, cut from the ends proved a great portion size for me as a bariatric. If you choose to use 2 large and 2 small ‘steaks’ as I did, then add an extra 1 tsp harissa paste, 1 tsp Bomba paste and use 100 g/4 oz feta cheese for the 4. It’s a light recipe with only about 100 calories per normal portion and lovely with a crisp salad accompaniment if required but does pack over 9g protein in just one ‘steak’.

 

Now this is what I call a new take on Cauliflower Cheese!

 

 

BOMBA CAULIFLOWER CHEESE ‘STEAKS’

Ingredients

METRIC/US

1 large cauliflower

11/2 tsp harissa paste

11/2 tsp Bomba tomato paste (or super-concentrated tomato paste)

low-fat cooking spray or mist

salt and freshly ground black pepper

60 g/21/2 oz low-fat feta cheese

 

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas 4.

2.  Using a sharp knife, cut 2 thick slices of cauliflower, starting from the top centre of the head, and cutting down right through the stalk. Use the remainder of the cauliflower for another dish or cut 2 smaller thick slices (see intro above).

3.  Mix the harissa and Bomba paste together and use half to brush both sides of the cauliflower ‘steaks’ Season to taste.

4.  Generously spritz a non-stick pan/skillet with low-fat cooking spray or mist and heat to low/medium temperature. Add the cauliflower and lightly brown on both sides.

5.  Transfer to a baking tray, brush again with the remaining paste and bake for 10 minutes.

6.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the feta cheese and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the feta has melted. Serve at once and enjoy!

 

SERVES 2 (or 4 if using the whole cauliflower)

WLS PORTION: 1/2 large ‘steak’ or 1 smaller one

V suitable for Vegetarians

 

CALORIES PER NORMAL PORTION: 101

PROTEIN: 9.5g

CARBOHYDRATE: 4.5g

FAT: 5.1g

 

Recipe and image courtesy of laurasanttini.com