Description
If there's a way to bake a vegetable, trust a Southerner to find it. Who else, pray tell, would steam a head of cauliflower, sauce it, bread it, and bake it? Note: To save time, I nuke the cauliflower, adding no additional liquid. The drops of water clinging to the head after it's washed are quite enough. I simply put the cauliflower in a 2 1/2-quart microwave-safe casserole deep enough to accommodate it, one with a tight-fitting domed lid. I then center the covered casserole in my microwave oven, set the cook-time at 14 minutes, and hit HIGH (full power). My microwave oven is a 650-watter; newer models of higher wattage will do the job faster—perhaps twice as fast. But you will know your particular model's prowess better than I. If you choose to steam the cauliflower instead, allow 8 to 10 minutes in a covered saucepan over moderate heat or until crisp-tender—there should be about 3/4 inch of water in the pan. No steamer rack needed. While the cauliflower cooks, ready the sauce and bread crumb topping. That way no time wasted. Tip: For mellower flavor and smoother sauce, substitute freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for the Cheddar our mothers and grandmothers would have used.
