Roasted Cauliflower Gratin with Butternut Squash

Flipping through my past entries, one can only assume I have a squash fetish. It has been regurgitated over the last year in a million different formats and with a myriad of ingredients. The truth is, squash is just that good. When baked, its smokey sweetness is hard not to love.  I feel like I'm nourishing my body when I eat it, as opposed to simply making a meal. As a great source of Vitamins A & B and a solid fiber provider, you too can fall in love. 

This particular dish is a great one for a meatless Monday. Nuts, cheese and veggies make this an almost complete dish. Adding legumes, quinoa, and/or seasoned couscous would complete it for sure. The most notable flavour from this combo is the vinegar-infused cauliflower. Adding a few tablespoons to this veg prior to baking it gave it an unexpected twist. Adding a little chopped rosemary seemed to soften this acidity.


From: http://www.eatlifewhole.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted cauliflower
• 2 cups squash
• 5 T olive oil (3 for the squash and 2 for the cauliflower)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups of Gruyere, grated
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

 Prepare the cauliflower as follows:

Cut the cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces. Add the pieces to a large bowl and toss well with 3 tablespoons of olive oil & the cider vinegar. Generously season the mixture with salt & pepper. Move the cauliflower to parchment-lined baking sheets (you will probably need two sheets to avoid overcrowding). Roast in the middle of the oven until the cauliflower starts to soften and brown, about 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower is in the oven, prepare the squash for roasting.  Slice off both ends and peel completely.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Continue cutting into bite-size pieces. Add the cut squash to a bowl.  Coat the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Generously sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Move to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Roast the squash until it is cooked through but not mushy; about 30 minutes. While the cauliflower and squash are cooking, caramelize the onions.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over low heat in a medium-sized sauté pan.  Add the onions and stir until they are well coated with oil. Stir the onions occasionally until they are soft; about 25-30 minutes. When done roasting, remove the cauliflower and squash from the oven.  Set aside to cool.

Coat a medium cast-iron skillet or casserole dish with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Cover the bottom with 1/2 of the squash and 1/2 of the cauliflower, followed by the onions.  Add the remaining cauliflower and squash.  Top with the cheese, followed by the walnuts and the rosemary. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Put the gratin to the oven to cook until the cheese has melted and started to brown; about 20 minutes.