Cauliflower and Pepper Gratin

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One of my customers gave me a basket full of vegetables.  There were peppers, zucchinis, squashes, and several  heads of cauliflowers.  The cauliflowers were purple and yellow.  My customer told me that she got this basket from her farmer friend but she has no idea what to do with it.  Could I use them? We exchanged the baskets for tray of baklava and a promise that I will save her sample of the dish I make with these vegetables.IMG_3330I decided to make cauliflower gratin. I also wanted to preserve the colors of the vegetables especially the cauliflowers and have good texture.IMG_3317IMG_3315 Well I ended using the peppers in the white sauce and then inserted the cauliflower floret into the sauce half way into baking the gratin.IMG_3318The gratin looked so beautiful, had amazing flavors and great textures.IMG_3319

Cauliflower and Pepper Gratin
Recipe Type: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Author: Sanaa
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
One pot meal with great colors, flavors and textures.
Ingredients
  • 12 slices couple days old sandwich bread
  • 6 cups 2% milk
  • 6 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 head purple cauliflower, cut into medium florets
  • 1/2 head white cauliflower, cut into medium florets
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. To make the white sauce, mix the corn starch with 1/2 cup of cold water. Add to the milk and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sauce start to thicken. Add the ginger, the turmeric, salt, white pepper and the scallion. Stir and move from the heat. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil and saute the onion until golden. Add the peppers and cook for couple minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. Spoon one cup of the white sauce in the bottom of baking dish.
  4. Spoon and spread half of the peppers onion mixture over the bread.
  5. Arrange the rest of the bread over the vegetables. Top with the rest of the vegetables and then pour the rest of the sauce over the vegetables. Make sure the bread is soaked in the sauce.
  6. Bake in 395 F. degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently insert the florets heads up into the gratin.
  7. Place back in the oven and put back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and serve.