Cook of the Month

Cooking with

Cauliflower

Photo by The Buttered Home

Brooke Burks

Cauliflower Salad is a new favorite over at The Buttered Home. I love cauliflower in all of its Brooke Burks many forms: roasted, mashed, or made into a pizza crust. But the family, not so much! I like to buy fresh riced cauliflower in the produce section, as it saves me time, but ricing your own is fairly easy in a food processor. Once it is riced, it is so versatile. This recipe uses cauliflower in its purest form. No cooking required! It’s similar to coleslaw but with a touch of Italian flavor and lots of freshness from the cauliflower, tomatoes and the peppery arugula greens. It will soon be a favorite in your home, too! See more recipes at thebutteredhome.com and on Facebook @thebutteredhome.

Cauliflower Salad

2 cups uncooked, riced cauliflower 1 cup chopped tomatoes 11/2 cups chopped arugula 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup reduced-fat Italian dressing

Prep tomatoes and arugula. Add to riced cauliflower in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Add dressing, stir and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Cook of the Month: Kathy Phillips, Wiregrass EC

Watch Kathy prepare this month’s winning recipe on her Facebook page, Kathy’s Southern Kitchen!

When a friend shared her recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower with Kathy Phillips, she warned her it was addictive. But the recipe called for deep frying the vegetable, and Kathy wanted to change it up a bit and make it healthier, so she decided to roast the cauliflower. “It was absolutely delicious,” she says. “Roasting the cauliflower really brings out all of its delicious flavor. And she was right, it’s addicting!” Kathy, a Dothan resident and member of Wiregrass EC, says her family loves the recipe “and we eat it like popcorn… with the exception of my husband. He’s not a fan of cauliflower. But he’s a sweetheart and said that if he did like it, this would be his absolute favorite!” She says the crunchy dish is a favorite to serve to her carb-counting friends, and makes a fantastic appetizer. “I also serve it as a main dish alternative for some of my vegetarian friends and family members. If there are any left- Kathy Phillips and her "addicting" Bang Bang overs, they reheat beautifully. Honestly, it’s good with everything and the Cauliflower. sauce really gives it pizazz.” Kathy says her love of cooking was inspired by her mother and grandmother. “I love how food brings people together. No matter where a party or gathering is located in a home, people always seem to gravitate toward the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home.” She had taught cooking classes in Houston, Texas, before moving back to her hometown of Dothan, and a year ago created a Facebook page, Kathy’s Southern Kitchen, where she shares simple recipes. “I want to help those that feel intimidated in the kitchen know that they can get in there and create something delicious,” she says. -- Lenore Vickrey

Bang Bang Cauliflower

Photo by Brooke Echols

Cauliflower facts

• Cauiflower can be a great low-carb alternative to rice and pasta. One cup of cauliflower contains 5 grams of carbs, while one cup of cooked white rice contains 45 grams of carbs. • Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a compound found in many cruciferous veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, which has been linked to having protective effects against certain cancers. • Cauliflower is rich in Vitamin C! One cup of chopped cauliflower provides 85% of the daily vitamin C recommendation.

SOURCE: Sofia Sanchez, MBA, RD, LDN, Community Health Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension at Auburn University 1 head cauliflower 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon seasoning salt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 6 teaspoons sweet Thai chili sauce 3 teaspoons sriracha 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Cilantro or green onions, garnish

For cauliflower, separate washed and dried cauliflower into large bite size pieces. Add buttermilk to a large Ziploc bag and add all of the cauliflower to the buttermilk. Allow the cauliflower to sit in the buttermilk for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile in another Ziploc bag, mix together panko bread crumbs and seasoning salt. Remove cauliflower from buttermilk and add it the panko mixture a few pieces at a time. Repeat until all the cauliflower is covered with the breadcrumbs and seasoning. Spread cauliflower onto a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions. Serve with sauce below.

For sauce, mix together mayonnaise, Thai chili sauce, sriracha and vinegar in a bowl. Serve sauce with cauliflower.

1 head of cauliflower 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 3 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Separate cauliflower into medium-sized florets. Boil or steam cauliflower until slightly tender (about 5-7 minutes). Drain liquid. Arrange cauliflower in baking dish with rounded part of cauliflower side up. Set aside. In a saucepan melt butter, add flour, salt and dash pepper. Blend, then add milk all at once. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Add 1 cup cheese and stir to blend. Pour mixture over cauliflower. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until golden brown. If not browned in 30 minutes cook a little longer or turn on broiler to get a golden color.

Andrea Blakeman Baldwin EMC

Cauliflower Parmesan

1 small head cauliflower 21/2 tablespoons butter, melted 21/2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups marinara sauce 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Toss cauliflower florets with melted butter and olive oil in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs and half the parmesan, season with salt and pepper, then toss. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees until tender and crisp, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish and top with marinara, mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Broil until bubbling, about 3 to 4 minutes. Donna Hovey Wiregrass EC

Stacey Burkett Covington EC

Donna’s Marinated Salad

1 medium cauliflower ¾ cup green onion, diced 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 cup sliced black olives 1/2 cup chopped pimento

Bring the following to a boil and pour over vegetables:

1/2 cup salad oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Marinate for several hours; overnight is best. Keeps well in refrigerator and serves at least 6.

Buffalo Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower 2 12-ounce bottles wing sauce, cook’s choice 2 cups parmesan cheese 1 bottle blue cheese or ranch dressing

Cut the stem off the head of cauliflower so it will stand. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place cauliflower in an oiled iron skillet. Pour 1 jar of buffalo wing sauce over the cauliflower and bake for 1 hour. Then pour the second jar of buffalo wing sauce over the cauliflower and bake for another hour. Baste the cauliflower every 15 minutes the last hour. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Nancy Sites Sizemore Baldwin EMC

Cauliflower Cucumber Corn Salad

2 cups fresh cauliflower florets 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered 1 red bell pepper, chopped 15 ounces frozen or canned corn, drained 2 green onions 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup fresh dill 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste Stir all ingredients, add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.

Kirk Vantrease Cullman EC

Donna's Marinated Salad | Photo by Brooke Echols

50$ Please send us your original recipes, developed by to the winning Cook of the Month! you or family members. You may adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as the amount of one ingredient. Cook of the Month winners will receive $50, and may win “Cook of the Month” only once per calendar year. To be eligible, submissions must include a name, phone number, mailing address and co-op name. Alabama Living reserves the right to reprint recipes in our other publications.

Themes and Deadlines:

February: Chicken | November 5 March: Irish Dishes | December 3 April: Pecans | January 7

Online: alabamaliving.coop Email: recipes@alabamaliving.coop Mail: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124

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Biannual reminders

Iappreciate the comments on these articles. For the most part (about two-to-one), the comments I receive are encouraging, positive and supportive.

For example, one reader says, “…kudos to Gary Smith for writing such an insightful, timely and informative piece! And kudos to Alabama Living for publishing this article.”

Another reader says, “I have repeatedly found Gary Smith’s monthly articles to be informative and stimulating. His column always has the basis of ‘How it is.’, not ‘How I wish it were.’ This month’s, ‘Watch this,’ was no exception. I write to compliment you, everyone on staff, for your consistently excellent publication. It is a cover-to-cover must-read every month. While I have not always enjoyed the pen of CEO Gary Smith, I have always read him and considered his declarations. The favorite expression of my physics professor was, ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch!’ Never has it been truer. Never have more people with ‘bold and progressive ideas’ so disregarded practicality, especially costs, in their proposals.”

The final positive comment says, “The August issue is particularly well done. The piece by Mr. Smith is poignant, thoughtful and inspiring. In these uncertain times, this is exactly the remedy for our present malaise. The gentleman may not have sought my good opinion, but he has certainly won it.”

These are a sampling of the supportive comments I receive each month. I also get positive feedback face-to-face from people who at least say they enjoy the articles. However, not all the comments are positive or supportive.

A common theme is that some readers demand that my articles be removed from the pages of Alabama Living. Some readers call me names, and others criticize my logic or conclusions.

One reader says, “…it seems to me that so many of your articles consist of ‘throwing red meat’ to your audience (attempting to satisfy or excite certain followers, as one throws red meat to a lion to rouse its hunger). It seems obvious which followers you mean to excite, as you often refer to ‘Progressive Democrats,’ ‘liberals,’ etc., with disdain and satirical jabs.”

Another reader says, “The magazine regularly publishes this guy’s propaganda. It’s shameful!”

The final negative comment says, “I object to the monthly column of Gary Smith, the CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. Mr. Smith’s columns do not provide information or material that has to do with the mission of Baldwin EMC or other electric cooperatives associated with Baldwin EMC. Rather, they are purely political statements by and of Mr. Smith.”

The last comment contains a recurring theme from several readers that comes around about every two years or biannually: “The article does not provide information or material that has to do with the mission of electric cooperatives.” Those statements couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The mission of electric cooperatives is to provide reliable and affordable electricity to the members that own them. The issues I write about always ultimately relate to the reliability and cost of electricity that electric cooperatives provide to you. What could be more connected to the business of an electric cooperative than reliable electric service and cost?

We have already seen the erosion of electric reliability because of policies in some states to aggressively move to intermittent renewable resources without a viable plan to back up those resources with controllable generation that, at least today, will be provided by fossil fuels. Also, the cost of an over-aggressive renewables policy will increase the cost of electricity to the people electric cooperatives serve.

Germany has staked out an energy plan to reduce fossil fuel generation, shut down nuclear generation (carbon-free by the way), and aggressively move to renewables. As a result, the residential retail price of electricity in Germany in 2020 was 36.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) or $435 per month for an average electric cooperative member who uses 1,200 kWh per month.

California has made an aggressive move to renewables while shutting down fossil fuel and nuclear generation. Extended power outages are now the norm there, instead of the exception. California residential retail electric costs have also risen to 21.43 cents per kWh or $257 per month for an average electric cooperative member.

Your average cost of service from your electric cooperative is $109 per month for 1,200 kWh. A mandated aggressive move to renewables as included in the Clean Energy Power Plan, which is part of the $3.5 trillion Reconciliation Legislative package, would move your electric bill more closely to those in California and Germany and reduce your reliability.

You may be supportive of the bill and an aggressive renewable portfolio. That is certainly your right and your prerogative. You may be able to afford the higher electric costs and may not be disturbed by more frequent, if not routine, power outages. However, many poor cooperative members can’t easily afford those increased electric costs and no businesses can easily afford reduced electric reliability.

One other factor to be considered – while the average residential electric usage in Alabama is 1,200 kWh per month, residential consumers in Germany and California use only 500 kWh per month. It will hurt you more than them.

I believe some action is needed to address climate change. However, the radical moves being promoted will damage electric reliability, increase costs, and do nothing to change the carbon dioxide levels on earth. We need a better plan that helps people instead of imposing increased costs and decreasing reliability.

This is my biannual reminder: If my articles bother you, don’t read them. We will both be better off. I hope you have a great month.

Gary Smith is President and CEO of PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

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