Today is such a special day, and not because of this Cauliflower Quinoa and Kale Gratin, although it is pretty special in itself, but because its my husband’s birthday! I am so blessed because of this man. He is strong and courageous, yet kind and fun-loving. Hardworking and wise, yet humble and gracious. Not everyone gets to see these sides of him, but I have the privilege of seeing and knowing them all. And now to watch him be Daddy to out little boy, it just deepens my love for him. SO before we talk about the food, I want to wish a special Happy Birthday to my loving husband, Josh. I love you and I love life with you!
NOW. This cauliflower gratin. Oh my!
I’m so happy to be teaming up with Sprouts to bring this recipe to you as part of their Friendsgiving Feast Campaign. For those of you who are not familiar with Sprouts, this place has truly become my favorite spots for groceries. They have so many organic brands and products, a huge assortment of produce, and the best bulk bins. Arrowhead Mills and Spectrum Organics are a few of the brands I used in this dish to make it almost 100% organic.
AND, Sprouts has graciously offered a $25 gift card to be used at any of their locations. Be sure to scroll down below and enter for your chance to win!
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it’s the perfect time to start finalizing your menu. And while you no doubt have your yearly go-to’s and staples, should you need another veggie side option, let me highly recommend this Cauliflower Quinoa and Kale Gratin. This dish is saturated in color, nutrition, and best of all, bold-creamy-cheesy-goodness!
Not exactly sure what a gratin is? It’s essentially any dish topped with a browned crust, often made using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. I ditched the breadcrumbs and egg for this one, but the cheese and cream are most certainly not to be missed, bringing rich, bold flavor.
A few years ago, I made a Sweet Potato Gratin that has become a Thanksgiving favorite and all around crowd pleaser. Being that cauliflower is another favorite of mine and a great replacement for potatoes, I wanted to experiment with using it in a gratin. This cruciferous vegetable is full of nutrition, and so versatile in flavor. And with such colorful options available – purple, orange, green – it adds a great pop of color to a meal that often lacks much variety in the color department.
Aside from the benefits cauliflower has to offer, this gratin is loaded with organic quinoa, chopped kale, coconut oil and an array of dried herbs. And then of course covered in aged white cheddar and Romano cheese…for protein, right? ;)
BENEFITS OF CAULIFLOWER:
- As an excellent source of folate and vitamin C, cauliflower is an immune system booster.
- Great source of sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which help prevent cancer as they increase the body’s production of enzymes that clean toxins and carcinogens out of the system before they can damage cells
- Anthocyanins, a health-enhancing flavonoid that give many berries their intense color, is also found in purple cauliflower and is one of the most important nutrients for eye health and may help ease certain inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, due to their strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Yellow and orange cauliflower varieties get their bright colors from carotenoids, vital nutrients that help keep your skin, mucous membranes, and eyes healthy..
- Helps decrease cholesterol, particularly LDL, or bad, cholesterol due to it’s excellent source of dietary fiber. In addition, folate-rich vegetables, such as cauliflower, are considered heart-protective because folate helps to lower the amount of circulating homocysteine, an amino acid linked to cardiovascular disease, in the bloodstream.
- A good amount of vitamin K, another nutrient believed to play a key role in keeping your heart and overall cardiovascular system strong and healthy.
Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win!
Cauliflower Quinoa and Kale Gratin + Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 heads of organic cauliflower chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups organic sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp SPECTRUM organic coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp Sprouts organic unsalted butter
- 3 cloves organic garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Arrowhead Organic All Purpose Flour {gluten-free}
- 2 cups organic whole milk
- 2 cups aged white cheddar cheese shredded {organic if possible}
- 1 tsp organic dried basil
- 1/2 tsp organic dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups organic kale stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups cooked Sprouts organic quinoa approx 2/3 cup uncooked
- 3/4 cup Romano cheese shredded {organic if possible}
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add bite-size cauliflower pieces and minced onion to baking sheet, drizzle with melted coconut oil, toss to coat and roast in oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove and set aside.
- While the veggies are roasting, add the organic butter and minced garlic to medium sauce pan, cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted and garlic begins to brown. Add the gluten free flour and continue stirring until butter, garlic, and flour are well mixed.
- Whisk in organic milk, stirring continuously until all is blended with no clumps, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it has thickened, stirring occasionally. Watch to ensure it does not boil over. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the shredded white cheddar cheese, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the cooked quinoa and roasted veggies to oven-safe casserole dish, {approximate 10"x10"x2" or equivalent} spreading evening. Add chopped kale, and toss to combine.
- Pour cream based sauce over veggie, quinoa, and kale mixture and stir until combined. Sprinkle with freshly shredded Romano cheese and place gratin in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
- Garnish with fresh chives or green onions if desired, serve hot!
This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Lemons and Basil in action!
Nutrition Benefits taken from LIVEstrong.com and healwithfood.org.
