The New Doctor

[purpletigron]

No, not Christopher Eccleston :-)

The consultant arrived right on time, and did a good job of listening to Mater. We're opting for 'steady as she goes' for now, because the lower dose of medicine prescribed by the GP seems to be working. But Mater has plenty of options now, depending on how she feels about her medical progress.

Mater's even more insistent about wanting to go on our holiday on Saturday - she's only really worried about whether the journey will be agonising. But all the medical types think she can do it if she wants, and we have the necessary meds if there's trouble.

Mater's asked for cauliflower cheese for lunch - wish me well, I've never made one before :-)

Comments

[artela.livejournal.com]

Cauli Cheese is quite easy...

Cook the Cauli in the normal way (ie. simmer until just beyond "still hard" and before "mushy").

While the cauli is cooking make a basic white sauce (all good cookbooks will have one) - then add lots of cheese - then add well-drained cooked cauli - then sprinkle with grated cheese - then pour into grill-proof dish and pop straight under the grill to brown off the top.

:-)

Mmmmmmm.... cauli cheese (although I prefer macaroni cheese personally - same recipe with cooked macaroni instead of cauli)

[artela.livejournal.com]

Oops - "sprinkle with grated" should be after "pour into dish" *g*

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Gotcha! I actually ended up making the more nutritious cauliflower-and-macaroni cheese (with wheat-quinoa spirals rather than macaroni :-)

[artela.livejournal.com]

The basic "white sauce with cheese" can be used for a multiple of dishes...

...try it poured over mixed vegetables and lightly grilled
...or, as you did, a.n.other variety of pasta

Another easy dish is "pasta bake" - cooked pasta and vegs (and meat if non-veggie) and tinned tomatoes + herbs in a dish (basic bog sauce with cooked pasta mixed in). Cover with white sauce. Sprinkle with Cheese. Shove in oven until top bubbles.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Adding mustard powder and worcestershire sauce perks up the sauce no end :-)

[artela.livejournal.com]

that all depends on whether you like mustard and/or worcestershire sauce really... personally I prefer to just make sure it's a really good Strong cheddar!

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Mmm! And next time, our local Morrisons will be back in stock with mature organic cheddar!

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Ooh.. cauliflower cheese :-)

Maybe I'll have that tonight too!

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

Oh, good luck with the cauliflower cheese, and good on Mater for wanting to go on holiday on Saturday!

Too late to share recipes, I suppose. But basic cauliflower cheese is really terribly simple. (I add grain mustard, just a tablespoonful, to the cheese sauce, and I know someone who makes it with apple juice, which sounds fab but I haven't made a cauliflower cheese since I discovered that version.)

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Apple juice? Intriguing?

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good 'un then, actually listening.

Yay for holidays, hope she can get away with it, will do you both the world of good to get away (where are you headed off to?)

Mmm, cauli cheese... one of the few things I buy as a ready meal as my cheese sauces suck!

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I was pleasantly surprised at how patient he was.

Devon/Cornwall for beaches, and gardens including Heligan and Eden :-)

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Oh wonderful, I'm most envious! My mum would adore something like that as well - actually so would I, though people who've been to Eden tell me I'd likely have trouble with some of the areas in the hothouses, not much air around and so humid!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

Not Christopher Eccleston? How bloody disappointing.

Hooray for lower doses and options. It all sounds very hopeful :)

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Not Christopher Eccleston? How bloody disappointing.

Oooo! Now you've got me wishing it had been :-)

Thanks!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

I can barely stand waiting until Sunday for our illicit Dr Who fix, and it's not only because of the cliff-hanger.

[sammywol.livejournal.com]

Here is a whole bunch of advice on cooking cauliflower cheese that is very late coming due to an unexpected visitor interrupting me. FOr what it may be worth for future endeavours here it is anyway.

Cauliflower cheese is pretty easy so long as you don't overcook the cauli first. I advise steaming it as that is harder to mess up. i leave it in the whole head too unless it is huge - just pull the outer leaves off. For extra goodness add a spoon of wholegrain mustard to the cheese sauce. For extra wickedness sprinkle the top with grated cheese just before popping the dish under the grill. For full on sinfulness, serve with crispy rashers of bacon.

by the way Myles tried the first batch of rolls that rock last night but they didn't get long enough for the second rise. Still very tasty though. We couldn't get any ground (or otherwise) flaxseeds however. Any notions on what to replace them with?

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I agree on steaming, for cauli, broccoli and calabrese...

The second rise is important, because you knock the air out in forming the rolls, I've found. I get flaxseeds from my 'local quality independent wholefood shop' - also known as edible linseeds? They're not really replaceable AFAIK unless you're just looking for a nutty flavour, in which case sesame seeds will do.

[sammywol.livejournal.com]

We thought of sesame seeds but in the end left it plain. Tastes good even without. I'll let you know how thing turn out when we take a second run at them but that won't be until we get back from our Dublin break.

[artela.livejournal.com]

For extra wickedness sprinkle the top with grated cheese just before popping the dish under the grill.

You mean that bit is supposed to be extra not the default? Oops! *g*
(btw - if you want a *crispy* cheesy top you can add some very very finely grated breadcrumbs in the grated cheese).

For full on sinfulness, serve with crispy rashers of bacon.

Ah - we normally save the bacon for having with cheese and potato pie.

(Cheese and Potato pie... Take large potatoes, an onion, lots of grated cheese. Layer as Sliced spud, chopped onion, cheese, sliced spud, onion, cheese, etc up to the top of the dish (making sure you finish on a cheese layer on top). Pop in the oven at about 180-190C for about an hour to an hour and a half. Serve with pickles and crispy bacon. Yum! Cooking time _can_ be sped up by pre-cooking the spuds, but htis makes them harder to slice up.)

[sammywol.livejournal.com]

OOooo! cheese and potato pie ... mmmmmmmmm! I don't think that there are many cheese recipes that are not improved by the presence of crispy bacon.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Hooray for good doctors and hooray for Mater!