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New York Cauliflower (Serves 8)


A few years ago, Daddy and I took an incredible trip to New York City. We visited the top of the Empire State Building, saw a Broadway show, and went shopping on Times Square. One of our most memorable experiences, however, was a food tour of Greenwich Village. We sampled New York pizza, cheeses, cookies, and a surprising cauliflower dish. 

The cauliflower was so delicious that I immediately worked on replicating the recipe at home. The result has become a mainstay at our family's holiday dinners.
This recipe is Henry-approved. But at this year's Christmas dinner Henry only wanted to eat dinner rolls and pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients
4 cups cauliflower (1 medium head)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup red onion
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup currants
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
The simple ingredients for New York Cauliflower.
Directions
Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head and rinse well. Use a large knife to cut around the underside of the head removing most of the stem. Break the large florets off from the central core. Use your hands to break the large florets into small florets about the same size as the pine nuts. Breaking the cauliflower up with your hands (instead of chopping it with a knife) helps to release the natural oils.

Dice the red onion into small pieces.

Put the cauliflower in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower starts to soften and change color; it will become pale yellow.

Add olive oil and onions to the pan. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes until the onions become start to become transparent.

Add the pine nuts, currants, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower starts to brown.

Turn off the heat. Add the butter to the pan and stir until it has melted. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and serve warm.
New York Cauliflower browning on the stovetop.
How your kids can help 

  • 2-year old: Shaking the salt and pepper into the cauliflower. 
  • 3-year old: Measuring the pine nuts and currants.
  • 4-year old: Using hands to break the large cauliflower florets into small florets.
  • 5-year old: Stirring the butter into the pan until it has melted.

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