Tomato Stewed Cauliflower (Kounoupithi Yiahni)

9/19/2014

Beginner Cook - Short Cooking Time - Main Course - Side Dish - Vegan - Vegetarian - Gluten-Free

Cauliflower; sure, you've seen it served on vegetable platers, in salads, side dishes, and soups, but have you ever thought of it as a main dish? That's right, in our home, we don't just like cauliflower, we eat it by the plateful! You're probably wondering how cauliflower alone could sustain a person from one meal to the next. The secret is the amount of olive oil used in the cooking. It adds the necessary calories and combined with the tomato and onion, creates a wonderful sauce that you can enjoy with a slice or two of bread. Of course, if you want to prepare this dish as a side to accompany some grilled meat or use it to top rice or pasta, all of these combinations will be delicious as well.

Ingredients (Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side)

1 large cauliflower
1 medium red onion
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups water
3 teaspoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt

Time - 30 minutes
Preparation - 5 minutes
Cooking - 25 minutes

Preparation

Wash the cauliflower, cut the stem, and separate into large pieces (ideally 4). Separating by hand instead of using a knife will help keep the cauliflower florets intact

Peel and chop the onion

Pour the olive oil in a large sauté pan
Place the cauliflower and onion in the pan and heat over medium heat

Brown the cauliflower on all sides, occasionally stirring the onion to keep it from burning. One way to prevent the onion from over-caramelizing is to first brown the cauliflower for 5 minutes before adding the onion to the pan

Once the cauliflower has lightly browned on all sides, add the water, tomato paste, salt, and bay leaf

Cover and simmer over medium low heat until the cauliflower has softened. While the cauliflower is simmering, limit stirring to once or twice. The cauliflower florets will become quite delicate as they soften and break apart if overstirred