Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Gouda

There was a lot of vegetable tray leftover after a bonspiel at the curling club. All of a sudden I had a lot of cauliflower and broccoli hanging out in my fridge and was needing something to do with it.

At the same time, I was wondering what to do with a nice chunk of smoked gouda that I had picked up at the market a few days before.



Enter my first friend: Google. A search for "broccoli cauliflower gouda" produced my second friend: Christine Cushing. I used to watch her show quite often on the Food Network and really enjoyed her television personality and, more importantly, her recipes.

She certainly saved me this time. The smokiness of the gouda complimented the cauliflower and broccoli so well. I love that it is melted into the Bechamel and browned on the top. Add a little parmesan and sun dried tomato and I am in gratin heaven.



This is a quick gratin so was easy to make on a weeknight after work. A word of advice: This is definitely one of those recipes where it helps to prepare many of the ingredients ahead of time. The Bechamel needs attention which makes it difficult to prepare the other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Bechamel Sauce
3 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
2 1/4 c. milk (I used skim)
Pinch of grated nutmet
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 c. grated smoked gouda cheese
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

3 cups broccoli florets
3 cups cauliflower florets
12 button mushrooms, sliced in half
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
5 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Topping
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. smoked gouda, grated
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese



DIRECTIONS


For Bechamel sauce...

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

2. Remove pan from heat and in a steady stream whisk in cold milk. Stir well until smooth. Return to medium heat and stir until thick and sauce begins to boil.

3. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup grated smoked gouda and 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese.


Meanwhile...

1. Blanch broccoli and cauliflower florets in boiling water until tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms until slightly soft. Put broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms in a large bowl.

2. Add sun dried tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and half each of the parsley and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.

3. Pour the smoked gouda bechamel sauce over vegetables. Transfer to a baking dish.

4. Cover with foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven until hot and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with grated gouda, bread crumbs, and the Parmesan cheese. Turn broiler on and place under broiler until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

5. Garnish with remaining parsley and basil.

Is Pac Man cheesy?

From Serious Eats, a shot of Pac Man in Cheese, brought to us by John Watson.

Kind of makes you think... would you rather be Pac Man or the ghost?!

Baked Brie with Mushrooms

I adore the creaminess of Brie cheese. Just spread on a cracker, it has a deliciously mild flavor and smooth texture.

A couple of years ago, at a party, someone made phyllo-wrapped brie as an appetizer and I instantly loved the idea. For this year's Christmas party, I searched for a recipe that might satisfy the masses.

A lot of recipes, especially holiday recipes, combine Brie cheese with cranberries. That is a wonderful combination, don't get me wrong, but I was searching for something a little more savory. I came across this recipe for Baked Brie with Mushrooms.

The original recipe called for phyllo pastry but I happened to have a sheet of puff pastry left over from another occasion so I used it instead. The result is the same, except the pastry around the outside is a little ... well, puffier.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
4 sheets frozen phyllo, thawed (or 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed)
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 pkg. Brie cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute mushrooms and onion in dressing in frying pan until tender. Set aside to cool.

Brush one sheet of phyllo lightly with melted butter. Cover with remaining 3 phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter. Cut a circle from the stack that is big enough to wrap around the Brie (discard trimmings).

- OR -

Brush sheet of puff pastry with melted butter. Cut a circle from the stack that is big enough to wrap around the Brie (discard trimmings).

Cut Brie in half horizontally. Place one half of cheese in center of pastry; top with half of the mushroom mixture. Top with other half of cheese and remaining mushrooms. Wrap pastry around cheese, folding it as needed to completely enclose the cheese. Brush the top with the remaining butter. Place on a baking sheet or pie plate.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with crackers.

Nutritional Info
Serving Size = 2 Tbsp
Calories: 131; Total fat: 9.5 g; Saturated fat; 4.8 g; Cholesterol: 25 mg; Sodium: 225 mg; Carbohydrate: 7.2 g; Protein: 4.3 g; Vitamin A: 6% DV; Calcium: 3% DV; Iron: 4% DV