Dinner with the neighbors

Long overdue we met each other over good food and perfect wine. V prepared Pork vindaloo (He'll post that recipe soon) and I made cauliflower with turnips and banana bread to be had warm as dessert with ice cream.

Word of caution: vindaloo does taste better the next day and stuffing yourself with it before heading out to an outdoor art fair in 78 deg weather is not advisable.

Cauliflower with turnip
Serves 6

1 large cauliflower broken into bite sized florets - soak in water and drain to clean
1 medium sized turnip cubed into bite sized cubes - soak peeled and cubed turnips in salt water for 15 mins to remove bitterness
1 medium onion chopped
1 inch pieces of ginger minced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 - 1 tsp ground chilli pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lime
salt to taste

Steam the cauliflower florets and cubed turnips on low heat for about 20 mins. They should be slightly steamed and not completely cooked.

Heat oil and cook onions until they are dark purple to slightly brown. Add garlic, ginger, ground cumin and coriander. Cook until the spices are well incorporated and you can smell the garlic. I learnt a new trick with mincing ginger. I freeze peeled ginger root and used the grater to grate the ginger directly into the pot I am cooking. This minces the ginger quite effectively and the root stays fresh in the freezer for a while.

Back to the recipe - Add tomatoes, turmeric, chilli, lime juice and salt and cook for 7-10 mins. Add cauliflower and turnips with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover, lower the heat and cook until veggies are done.