Yes, the children do in unison shout “Mum, it looks like a human brain! Why are you making us eat brain?”. Please be reassured dear readers, I have not fallen to such depths of culinary despair, it is in fact the everyday, beautiful cauliflower that my children take such strife to. It's white and green, tasteless, yucky and “eeeee yuk”, for the want of a better word uttered by the three year old, are just some of the comments when this lovely vegetable appears out on to the table. But, as their mother I have indeed got the better of them. I have used cauliflower, brain-like food, as they refer to it, and created a truly scrumptious dish, which even my offspring grudgingly admits to being delicious. An accompaniment to a main meal or even a main meal itself, this cheesy cauliflower is one to torment your children with, just because even though it's a vegetable, it tastes SO good! 

Ingredients 

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets 
1 cup whole milk 
1 egg 
2 tablespoons flour 
2 teaspoons salt 
1 cup of cooked shredded chicken 
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
1 tablespoon minced parsley, optional 

Method 

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and preheat your oven to 350°F. Boil the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes, or until slightly softened, drain. 

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and egg. Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Toss in the cauliflower and chicken and stir to combine. 

3. Pour this into a 7×11″ casserole dish and top with the remaining mozzarella. Bake in the upper half of the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. 

4. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately. 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe