Cauliflower gratin: enjoy this tasty super light version

If you love cauliflower, you’ll certainly love this super light cauliflower gratin. Usually the béchamel or white sauce is loaded with butter, but I found out that there is really no need for all the butter in most of the recipes. You can actually skip it or substitute with olive oil and the taste will be great as well.

Cauliflower gratin: health facts

• Vitamin C: Even after cooking, the cauliflower is rich in vitamin C, but also in good fibers for our microbiome.
• Folate: Caulifloer contains folate and little to no calories. A great addition to everyone’s diet!
• Low calories: Cauliflower when paired with proteins and some carbs, like in this recipe, can be a great meal even for those who need a reduced calories intake. But the best thing is that it is good!
• Fat free: Since the white sauce in the recipe is fat free, you can use this gratin as a side dish for every meat or fish you like.

Ingredients needed to make cauliflower gratin

• Cauliflower: Cauliflowers are in season from October through April. In fact I highly recommend to consume it in winter (unless you live in a cold region and they might be available all year long). Try to buy the best you can afford, usually the farmers market is the best place to buy super fresh vegetables. If you want to enjoy this dish in summer, you can buy frozen cauliflower florets that are freezer soon after the harvest.
• White sauce: you can use regular white sauce but if you try my version, you won’t regret it. I developed a white sauce that can be easily turned vegan, contains no gluten and no fat. Could it get any better than that? Yes! it takes just a few minutes to make.
• Cheese: I usually use a mix of cheese like mozzarella and some cheese I buy from the Alps that are made with milk from pasture raise cows (they graze in the Alps!). You can use cheddar, or whatever you have on hand.
• Nutmeg: when making white sauce nutmeg is key. This amazing spice is what gives white sauce its distinctive flavor and il mingle perfectly with the cauliflower. However, If you do not like it you can skip it, substitute it with a bit of black pepper instead.

Fat-free (and vegan/vegetarian) white sauce for cauliflower gratin

If you think that a fat-free white sauce is not tasty, think again. Especially when using cow, almond or soy milk, there is really no need to use the butter to get a very good sauce. This white sauce is simple and quick you only need the milk of choice and some starch, a pinch of salt and you’re good to go. Full fat milk is best, but low fat works perfectly too.

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower
• 300ml  milk of your choice, you can use cow,  soy, almond or oat milk or the one you prefer
• 2 tbsp of corn starch
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp of grounded nutmeg
• 100gr of cheese (you can choose mozzarella, or parmigiano, or any cheese that melts – use vegan cheese if you follow a vegan diet)

Method

Step 1
Wash, cut into pieces and cook the cauliflower (you can boil it or steam it). It will take about 15 minutes.

Step 2
Drain the cauliflower and put it into the terrine or a baking pan, add salt and pepper to taste, but remember not to add too much salt. Later you will add bechames sauce and cheese that will give extra saltiness to your dish.

Step 3
Dissolve the starch in a couple of spoon of milk into a little saucepan. Add the rest of the milk and then salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Bring it to a boil while stirring. As it soon as it boils, turn the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour it on the cauliflower.

Step 4
Add a spoonful of grated cheese and mix all the ingredients gently. Cover with the rest of the cheese and broil for about 15 minutes. Serve tepid with some croutons or fresh sourdough bread or focaccia.