Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cauliflower Gratin

SERVES 8

This easy vegetable dish makes a special hot lunch or a dinner side. It offers excellent flavor and a satisfying creamy texture without dairy or gluten. Good-for-you cauliflower provides healthy nutrients and a firm bite. The perfect antidote for a chilly winter evening.

6-7 cups water
1 large cauliflower
2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine of choice
3 tablespoons brown rice flour or gluten-free flour
    blend of choice
1 (14-ounce) can lite coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or your favorite spices
1 medium red or green pepper, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
¾ cup shelled, roasted sunflower seeds or chopped nuts, if tolerated, optional
1 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese alternative, optional
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped for garnish, optional

1. Bring 6 to 7 cups water to a boil in large pot.

2. Meanwhile, wash cauliflower. Cut out core and discard.

3. Break cauliflower into florets about 2 inches in diameter and toss into boiling water. Water should just cover florets. (To break large florets into smaller ones, cut through stems at bottom and break upward into smaller pieces.)

4. Bring back to a boil. Then turn heat down to medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Florets should remain firm, so don’t over-cook.

5. Drain water and set cauliflower aside to cool.

6. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or oil a baking dish.

7. To make sauce, melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add flour and stir until combined well. Pour in coconut milk and raise heat to medium/high, stirring constantly until well combined. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasonings and simmer on low heat, 6 to 8 minutes until sauce thickens. Set aside.

8. Arrange florets with stem sides down in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chopped peppers and seeds or nuts, if desired, over florets.

9. Spoon sauce over top, moving florets if necessary to allow sauce to seep around and down into dish. Let rest 5 minutes.

10. Sprinkle with cheese or Bread Crumb Topping, if desired.

11. Place in preheated oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. Cover if cheese darkens too quickly.

12. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or dill.

Each serving contains 307 calories, 25g total fat, 15g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 11mg cholesterol, 407mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 8g protein.

Bread Crumb Topping

MAKES ENOUGH FOR CAULIFLOWER GRATIN

Parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese alternative can be added to this topping, if desired.

2 slices gluten-free bread, crumbled (about 1 cup)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground turmeric or spice(s) of choice (garlic or onion powder)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or oil of choice

1. In a bowl, stir ingredients together until well combined.

2. Sprinkle over Cauliflower Gratin. Bake as instructed above.

Recipe by Madalene Rhyand, director of Living Without’s test kitchen.