Okay, we say this every week here at HerFamily.ie, but we’re pretty confident we have found our favourite foodie. She’s a chef after our own hearts – making healthy food that actually tastes DELICIOUS.
Hooked? Us too.
Le Cordon Bleu chef and Grazia food writer and author of The Naked Diet, Tess Ward celebrates natural, unprocessed ‘naked’ ingredients and simple, stripped-back cooking. But with tonnes of taste. Her dishes are not about counting calories, but about restoring and nourishing your body back to its naked, most healthy state.
But it’s recipes like these that get us most excited, let’s be honest, the oozy, cheesy centre has us drooling for more. I mean, this is actually healthy. OHMYGODYUM.
We suggest you follow her (and expect to be wowed by her gorgeousness) on YouTube or on her site for more healthy but tasty dishes. We’re obsessed.
Ingredients – Serves 2
For the cauliflower “bread”
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (should yield 3 cups of cauliflower rice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra to grease
- 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 25 g grated parmesan
- 25g grated comte, appenzeller or mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the grilled cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 85g melty cheese. I used a mix of comte and mature cheddar
- 1 large pickled gherkin, or jalapeno finely sliced (optional)
For the Carb-free bread
Preheat oven to 220°C/ 450°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and liberally grease it with olive oil. Set aside.
In a food processor rice the cauliflower florets until they are a fine crumb.
Heat the olive in a large frying pan on a low-medium heat. Add the cauliflower rice (about 3 cups) and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring continually or until soft. You want the water to evaporate as much as possible from the cauliflower without developing colour. The cauliflower rice needs to be almost completely dry, otherwise you’ll end up with mushy dough.
Transfer the cauliflower rice to a mixing bowl, add egg, parmesan, comte, salt and mix well, then spread the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and shape into 4 bread squares. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes, then gently peel them off the parchment paper.
To assemble the Grilled Cheese
Heat a pan over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of cauliflower crust bread and place the buttered side down in the pan. Cover the bread liberally with your chosen cheese, plus gherkin or jalapeno (if using) and top with the remaining slice of cauliflower crust bread, buttered side up.
Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes, then gently flip and cook until golden brown on the other side for the same time.
Serve with spicy hot sauce, maybe a salad (then we are really being healthy) and your condiments of choice.
Best enjoyed when hot and oozingly melty.
