Meatless Monday: Roasted Curry Cauliflower with Brun-Uusto Cheese, Peas & Cilantro Almond Couscous
You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can’t take the Wisconsin cheese outta the girl. Plus, it’d be super gross if you tried. This dish doesn’t sound like it would be all about the cheese. No, it sounds like it’d be about the spices, the nutty cauliflower, the fluffy couscous or that spicy sambal topping. Well, it is all about the cheese. Oooey, gooey, crispy cheese.
If you're unfamiliar with Brun-Uusto, get acquainted. I had the luxury of living a few blocks from the massive farmers market in Madison, WIsconsin where Brunkow Cheese divvied out melty hot samples of this dairy delight every Saturday morning during the outdoor farmers market. This bread cheese, also known as Juustalepia in Finland, when pan fried, becomes melty in the middle and crusty on the outside, similar to cheese that spills out on a panini press and then turns into a crispy cracker. Who doesn’t love that?! The Kitchn has actually written about the glory that is Brun-Uusto, calling it the Midwest Crowd pleaser. It's an old aritcle, but it still holds up.
The bulk of this dish features flavors hailing from India so paneer would be a satisfactory and sensible substitute if you can’t get your hands on some Wisconsin Brun-Uusto. Luckily for you, though, it's easy to find in local (MN + WI) grocery stores and Whole Foods! If you're not lucky enough to live in the Midwest, it's also available online.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower with Brun-Uusto Cheese, Peas & Cilantro Almond Couscous
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower, florets removed & separated
2 tbsp. light oil (I used a canola-coconut blend)
3 tsp. curry powder, divided
2 tsp. turmeric, divided
1 tsp. cumin
cooking spray
1 block Brun-Uusto cheese (or any sort of bread cheese made for pan-frying; paneer or halloumi would work, as well), diced into ¼-½-in. cubes
1 c. frozen peas
½ c. sliced almonds
¾ c. couscous (I used whole wheat, or French-style, couscous)
1.5 c. broth (I used chicken)
1 tbsp. cilantro, paste or fresh minced
sambal matah, for topping (for details on sambal, see this previous post)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large stainless steel or glass bowl (the curry powder and turmeric will likely stain plastic), add cauliflower florets. Pour in 2 tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. of curry powder, 1 tsp. of turmeric and the cumin. Stir until cauliflower is well coated in all of the above. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place cauliflower on pan. Roast in oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. If the cauliflower finishes before you’re done with the rest of the dish. set aside to cool, but do not cover.
2. Meanwhile, add broth and cilantro to a sauce pot. Bring to a boil and then add couscous. Stir and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for about 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
3. While the couscous is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add almond slices and shake in the pan to toast until just golden. Immediately remove from skillet. Let cool briefly and then add almonds to couscous.
4. Add cheese cubes to hot pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with the leftover teaspoons of curry powder and turmeric. Stir around in pan to coat and then brown cheese on each side.Once browned, move cheese cubes aside in pan and pour in frozen peas. Stir everything in the pan continuously until peas are heated. Add in cauliflower and give one last stir. Remove pan from heat.
5. To assemble dish, place cauliflower, cheese and pea mixture atop a bed of couscous. Top with sambal matah.
