Thursday, December 29, 2011

FFwD - Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin

This is the perfect dish for any occasion where you want to impress!  Serve it with a nice side salad as we did for dinner or Blackberry Farms Pickled Beets and Strawberries as we did for lunch the next day.  Our daughter-in-law gave my husband a jar of this deliciousness for Christmas and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves beets.  This is a great way to serve cauliflower when you want a treat but I've just discovered roasted cauliflower and love, love, love it!  20-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven and it needs nothing but olive oil and salt.  Its my new favorite veggie!



I didn't make last week's French Friday recipe, creme brulee, because I'd made it several months ago and   just didn't care for it.  The creme brulee recipe I usually use is The Barefoot Contessa's.  This is easy and works every time! I made it this week using fresh raspberries and Chambord instead of Grand Marnier. I liked Dorie's idea of using jam in the bottom of the ramekin but it didn't work that well for me.  The fresh raspberries are much nicer. Who doesn't love creme brulee?

Be sure and read what all the French Friday cooks think of the cauliflower-bacon gratin.


22 comments:

  1. The roasted cauliflower idea sounds great too, especially if you just don't feel like an 800-calorie vegetable dish.

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  2. Roasted veggies are far friendlier on the waist line aren't they?
    The cauliflower was really good, but definitely a once in a while treat..

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  3. This cauliflower gratin was a treat! I love the roasted cauliflower too, it's also really good mashed with a little chicken stock, sort of like a healthier mashed potatoes. I agree with you, who doesn't love creme brûlée, for sure me, I will have to try Ina's version, thanks for the suggestion. Happy New Year;-)

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  4. Lola...yours look delish with the pickled beetroot :) Happy New Year to you and many more Happy FFWD !

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  5. This dish sounded lovely in the book (and indeed is lovely on your plate), but I just couldn't bring myself to make it. I like bacon as much as the next girl, but ... roasted cauliflower = big time love. No bacon required (sorry, Dorie) ;)

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  6. We loved the gratin too, but like you, will probably be sticking to a less calorie rich cauliflower recipe for our everyday cooking. In my personal recipe categorization system, this one went into ''special occasion'' food.

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  7. I love roasted cauliflower too and wish I had roasted it for this dish. But I still loved it! Your gratin and brulee both look fantastic!

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  8. Both of your dishes look great. Your creme sounds so good with the Chambord. I hope you have a wonderful New Year, Lola!

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  9. Just had some roasted leeks...now I want some cauliflower gratin..looks delish.

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  10. Looks great, Lola! I missed making the Creme Brulee, so I'll be making it tomorrow.

    Have a fabulous New Year! xoxo

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  11. Mmmmm... pickled beets. Yum. I really liked this dish too. Now I want to make it again. I like your idea of the roasted cauliflower.

    Oh, and you made me feel so much better - my creme brulee was pretty much a fail... oh well!

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  12. Lovely and thanks for the info on the beets - my next stop is to go check them out ! We loved the cauliflower dish but agree with you on the Barefoot Contessa creme brulee recipe. Nana tried a few other recipes once she learned how to use the torch and Ina's is our favorite. But we are glad Dorie provides us the inspiration to try them all ! Happy holidays ~

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  13. i love roasted cauliflower, too...in fact, the family likes it much better than the gratin. I love both, but won't make the gratin for me alone :) Lovely creme brulee, too! Happy New Year, Lola!

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  14. Your gratin looks oh-so-delicious - and the rose is gorgeous. I think beets would go very nicely with this for a healthy vegetarian meal. Happy New Year!

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  15. This one was quite a treat! I also served with a simple salad for dinner. I'm a huge beet fan, and those beets look great. I struggle to like cauliflower, but roasted is a good way to go. I made a roasted cauliflower soup that I hope to blog about later this week. You might like that too. Happy New Year, Lola! I look forward to cooking with you in 2012.

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  16. We loved this too! It was a fun alternative to our veggies, which we like grilled or roasted. The creme brulee looks great - I'll have to try your preferred way of making it. Hope the new camera is working out - I forgot to email you the settings I have been playing with. I have a Cannon G12 which is a hybrid between point and shoot and the SLR. I've been setting my lighting in the kitchen on Tungsteen, and in the dining room during the day natural. Also playing around with the ISO a bit and have found around 200 seems to work well. I think your photos are already terrific! And your food styling is excellent!

    Happy New Year and looking forward to cooking with you in 2012!

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  17. Both dishes look great! I love the sound of those pickled beets, too. Happy New Year - I hope 2012 brings you much joy.

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  18. What does it say about a side dish when you really don't want anything else to go with it? Yum. Great job!

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  19. Pickled beets and strawberries sound so interesting. I love beets, but would never have thought to pair them with strawberries. I'll have to try that...I love roasted cauliflower too. It's one of my favorites!

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  20. Loved your take on the Gratin - it works for lunch and dinner, right? Happy New Year and I look forward to cooking with you in the year ahead.

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  21. Looks delicious! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! :)

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  22. Happy new year to you.
    Your dishes looks great. Haven't tried fresh fruit yet, but I'm sure to do that in the future. And the cauliflower was a great hit around here.

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