Cauliflower Coated Pasta

I'd start this post off by saying, "You won't believe how delicious and easy this dish is," except I may have started many posts off this way and I don't want to sound like a broken record. But seriously, you won't believe how delicious and simple this dish is. ; )

I made it up one day after I bought a beautiful cauliflower at the farmers market in Campbell, CA. I've made pasta with chunks of cauliflower before, but never put the the cauliflower in the food processor before. My good friend Monika had recently shared how she made a raw Cous Cous dish by putting cauliflower in the food processor. I used that idea, but teamed it with another idea. So here goes another Nina original recipe, inspired by other great dishes I've had in the past. I love to mix and match concepts when it comes to food, clothes, crocheting - and in life.

Cauliflower Coated Pasta
1lb spagetti or linguini
2 heaping tbls crushed fresh garlic
1 medium cauliflower
1/4-1/2 c olive oil
1 c grated, fresh Pecorino Parmesan Cheese
1/4 c fresh, chopped parsley
ground black pepper to taste

• Start heating water for pasta
• Cut Cauliflower in big chunks and place in food processor
• Process until the cauliflower looks crumbled. It almost looks like mini cous cous.
• Heat a couple tbls of olive oil in fry pan. Add the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds.
• Add the cauliflower and the parsley and cook for about a minute or two and then set aside
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions and then drain, reserving about two cups of the water
• Return to the pan with cauliflower and put on medium-high heaet. When hot, dump the pasta in pan with the cauliflower and toss briskly.
• Add some of the pasta water to help it all toss nicely together and not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Generously toss a couple handfuls of the parmesan cheese on top and fill up a big pasta dish.
• Sprinkly more cheese, fresh parsley and pepper on the top.
• Now your all set!

Serve with a nice glass of wine and a salad. I hope you love it!

Merguez Sausauge wtih Spinach and White Beans

I rarely buy cookbooks, but one day I was browsing and came across one called "Best of the Best." This recipe book is amazing as it the result of the Food and Wine Magazine editors who found the top 25 recipes from the top cookbooks. Come on, if you're a foodie like me, you could understand the temptation. As I stood there with a coffee in one hand and flipping through the pages with the other, my mouth started to water and immediately after I purchased the book, I went to the store to pick out ingredients to start some of the dishes. The first one I want to share with you is the following spicy dish made with Merquez Sausage, a spicy North African sausage typically made with lamb. It has a unique texture and flavor and I think you'll love the dish. The photo here is my dish (like all my other posts) and the recipe below has been altered or "Ninafied."

Spicy Merguez Sausauge with Spinanch and White Beans

1/4 c, plus a tbls - extra virgin olive oil
4 big bunches of spinach - stems removed, washed and dried
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped
1 tbls cayenne pepper
1 tbls freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch each of the following: clove, nutmeg, cumin
1 tbls of Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning
1/2 lb dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
2 1bs, Merguez sausage (individual links or one long link). By the way, if you're from the Bay Area in California, the best place to get the sausage is at Dittmer's on San Antonio Rd. in Mountain View , a fantastic gourmet meats place.
1/4-1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
4 cups water

• Preheat to 300 and place rack in center of oven.


• heat 1/4 olive oil in a wide cast-iron pot (or dutch oven) over high heat. Add the spinach little by little and cook, stirring constantly - or else it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan. Cook like this until the spinach wilts, darkens and barely has any liquid in the bottom of the pan (about 20 minutes)


• Add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, clove, nutmeg and cumin and cook for another five minutes.


• Pour in 4 cups of water and the beans until it starts to simmer - and then cover a cook in oven for about an hour and a half - or until the beans are tender.


• Meanwhile, add the tbls of olive oil to a separate pan and brown the sausage on all sides (don't fully cook them) and then set aside.


• Once the beans are tender, add the sausage on top of the beans, spinach and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Put back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Now, go enjoy this dish with someone you love and watch them say "mmmmm..." My next adventure with this dish will be with Italian sausage and dandelion greens. I'll share it with you if it's as fabulous as this.