Healthy food goes Italian
A second cookbook of easy, relaxed, familyfriendly food has appeared from Montrealer Aimée Wimbush-Bourque.
The 100 recipes in The Simple Bites Kitchen (Penguin, $32) have been tested on her husband and three young children.
Readers of her blog, Simple Bites, and her first cookbook, Brown Eggs and Jam Jars, will welcome more of her lively combinations of ingredients — none complicated, all full of flavour.
Handsome photographs by Tim and Angela Chin glow from its pages, including an instructive shot of the author’s refrigerator with its tidy array of fresh and cooked food, much of it protected in her favourite wide-mouth glass jars.
She credits the late Italian cooking guru Marcella Hazan for inspiring the tomato sauce in this recipe, but you could cut corners by using about two cups (500 mL) of a reliable commercial variety.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH QUICK TOMATO SAUCE
Serves: 4
3 lbs (1.4 kg) fresh Roma ■ tomatoes
1/3 cup (80 mL) unsalted butter 1 medium onion, cut in 4 wedges
1 tsp (5 mL) fine sea salt 1 medium head cauliflower
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1/4 cup (60 mL) ricotta cheese (see note) Leaves of fresh basil or mint
1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Core tomatoes and chop coarsely.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add tomatoes and their juice, onion wedges and 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) of the salt.
3. Lower heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture forms a sauce, about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cut cauliflower into medium florets. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with oil until well coated.
5. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt and toss again. Spread in a single layer and roast in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and caramelized and easy to pierce with a fork.
6. Heap roasted cauliflower in a heated serving dish. Spoon hot tomato sauce over the cauliflower. Top with ricotta and basil. Note: A recipe for homemade ricotta is included in the book.