Cauliflower and broccoli are incredibly healthy, but not loved by everyone. For some reason, some people are frankly against these vegetables. In 99% of cases, they simply do not know how to cook them correctly. Most often the same mistakes are made. How tasty and interesting to cook cauliflower and broccoli?
Did you get it right?
When frozen inflorescences fall into the hands, then questions with preparation do not arise. If you managed to buy or grow a vegetable, then the most common mistakes begin. The first of them is not soaked in cabbage. It is very important. Inside small buds of which inflorescences consist, bugs are often hidden. Therefore, the forks must be lowered for half an hour in salted water. In addition, during this time dust will come out of it, other impurities will dissolve.
Cutting errors:
- Tops and roots. Oh, the stems and inflorescences. Forks consists of two types of vegetables of different density. Inflorescences are prepared quickly, the fleshy part requires much more time. Therefore, you need to immediately separate them.
- Crumbled finely. Inflorescences are usually pre-boiled. It is advisable not to grind, otherwise a lot of crumbs will remain in the pan. After cooking, cabbage can be disassembled into pieces of the desired size.
- The cabbage has blossomed. Very often on the cabbage there are areas with blossoming flowers. They are not harmful, but bitter. Therefore, it is better to immediately remove it; there is no place for such areas in dishes.
In recipes, inflorescences are often meant. But this does not mean that you need to throw away fleshy stems. They can be added to soups like potatoes. Just throw it a little earlier. Or prepare delicious vitamin salads. You can clean the stems with a knife, inside is very tender and juicy pulp.
Cook with taste
Regardless of the method of cooking cauliflower or broccoli, it is important to boil the inflorescences first. Bitterness and a specific aroma will go into the water. The taste of the vegetable will improve significantly. Even with prolonged subsequent stewing or cooking in the oven, this step should not be neglected. As mentioned above, it is not necessary to crush inflorescences finely. The ideal size is the size of a chicken egg.
Rules for cooking cabbage:
- Inflorescences are dipped only in boiling water. The cooking time is detected from the moment of boiling the cabbage. The more water in the pan, the faster it will happen.
- Water must be salt. No need to guess the quantity, 10 g of salt is required per liter of water, as is the case with pasta.
- In water for cauliflower, you can add one or two tablespoons of sugar. It will improve the taste of the vegetable, and also help maintain a white color.
- You need to bring the cabbage to a boil quickly, then the fire is reduced.
- No need to stir inflorescences often, from this they break, the shape suffers, there will be many crumbs in the water.
- After cooking, cauliflower or broccoli is immediately dipped in cold water. The French even add ice to it. It is believed that it is necessary to abruptly stop the heat treatment, otherwise the inflorescences will lose their taste.
- Cooked cabbage is left in a colander or spread on napkinsto remove water, dry before subsequent frying or cooking in the oven.
The main secret to maintaining taste is not to digest the vegetable. Otherwise, it will lose its properties, become soft, loose, form will deteriorate. Pre-cooking color is 5-7 minutes, broccoli 3-4 minutes is enough. If you need to bring the inflorescences to absolute readiness, then cauliflower is boiled for 10-13 minutes, broccoli is enough for 8-10 minutes. The exact time depends on the degree of maturity, variety, size of inflorescences, as well as the planned dish.
Helpful advice! To give the vegetable a pleasant aroma, you can add a bay leaf, peas, dried garlic or a few fresh cloves when cooking.
Cooking Tips
- Cauliflower and broccoli have an irregular shape, inflorescences often peek out of the form and casseroles, burn out. To prevent this from happening, you can grease them with sour cream or mayonnaise.
- If more inflorescences have been cooked than necessary, then they can be frozen. It is advisable to dry a little on a napkin first. But you can not send vegetables that were taken before cooking to the freezer. Repeated freezing will destroy all vitamins.
- When cooking, salt is not added very much, so you must definitely try cabbage before frying or sending to the oven, add more spices.
- Cauliflower masquerades as a potato. For this reason, it is often added or used in diet puree and other side dishes, soups.
- Broccoli may not have a very beautiful color, this must be taken into account when mixing with other vegetables during the preparation of mashed potatoes. The best way to mask the shade is to sprinkle the dish with herbs, crackers, seeds, pour sour cream or cream.
TOP 5 most delicious dishes
Cauliflower (like broccoli) is often associated with baby food, diet, and a healing table. That is why they are steamed or simply boiled. It is clear that such dishes do not differ in bright taste and rich aroma. There are far from dietary options, but they will make you look differently at colorful heads of cabbage.
TOP of the most delicious dishes:
- Puree soup. Very often, these types of cabbage are used for it. To make it tasty, it’s important not to save on ingredients. In addition to vegetables, be sure to add cream, mushrooms or chicken, cream cheese.
- Cabbage in batter. Fried cabbage inflorescences are a great alternative to pies. They can be given absolutely any taste, it all depends on the dough and the spices used. Batter can be made on beer, milk, with cheese, garlic, herbs.
- Breaded cabbage. In addition to batter, you can fry cauliflower or broccoli in a crispy breadcrumbs of breadcrumbs. Often it is mixed with sesame seeds, cheese.
- Casseroles. Here the fantasy is endless. Most often, cauliflower is combined with chicken, cheese, cream. She is great friends with shrimp, seafood, and other vegetables.
- Omelets. Cabbage matches perfectly with eggs. Omelets are cooked quickly and simply, contain a lot of protein. You can play with additives to get new dishes every time.
Regardless of the recipe chosen, it is important to prepare the main ingredient in accordance with all the rules. Then the dish will certainly please with its taste and aroma, and cabbage will fall in love with itself.
