Cauliflower is sautéed with pistachios, ham, sage and pears, then topped with a fried egg for dinner. Add or subtract various ingredients and you’ve got a side, a vegan meal or a pasta dish. Recipe below.
I’ve been kind of out of it for a bit now. Up until two hours ago, I hadn’t eaten anything for two days, and the only thing I’d had to drink was water and ginger ale. All in all I have been one pathetic feeble mess. Then an hour ago, our daughter Laurel came home and asked how I was feeling. “Actually,” I said, “I’m feeling hungry.” “Great!” she said. “I recommend a pear.”
That was when I remembered the tray of beautiful pears we’d got at Costco over the weekend. Suddenly, and happily, inspired, I heaved myself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. Pears… and what? Rummaging around in the fridge, I found a nice cauliflower and some beautiful eggs, and I knew we were set.
This makes a fast, terrific weeknight dinner. Omit the egg and it would be great as part of a festive meal, alongside a roasted bird or a grilled chop. You can also make it vegan by using all olive oil and skipping the egg and ham. For that matter, you could toss it with some whole grain ziti for a more hearty dinner.
Twenty minutes later, when we were eating this, Laurel pronounced it “confusing, but delicious.”
Cauliflower with Pears, Pistachios and Eggs
Serves 3 to 4
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small bits
2/3 cup pistachios
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced
1/4 cup minced ham
3 ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
salt, pepper
1 egg per person, to fry
In a big heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter and let it brown lightly. Add the olive oil. Then add the cauliflower to the pan. Let it sit and start to brown for three minutes or so. Add the pistachios, the sage and the ham. Stir together and continue sautéing the cauliflower. You want it to be just tender and nicely browned.
When the cauliflower is fork tender, turn down the heat under the pan. Set out the plates (we used soup plates) and then fry the eggs.
When you flip the eggs, turn back to the cauliflower pan. Carefully add the pear slices and gently stir them in. You want them to just warm through, not to start cooking.
Divide the cauliflower-pear mix among the serving plates. Top each with an egg and serve.
We’ve been spared, but there’s something with nasty flu-like symptoms going around. Glad you’re feeling better! This is a lovely “confusing” dish! Fried eggs make everything better, and truly ripe pears are just wonderful, aren’t they? Very creative combo of ingredients — I know I’ve never made this combo, but it does look quite good. Thanks.
My first reaction to this post’s title is the same as your daughter’s; confusing.
Sunday I was cleaning a cauliflower and wondering what I could do differently with it. Bad timing as this would have been perfect.
Without the egg it would be a nice side dish but I would have it as a main meal with the egg. I bet that browned butter makes the cauliflower really stand out! and the pistachios add to the nutty flavour.
Thanks Marion.
Whenever you shoot an egg, you make it look so delectable.
Yeah, I’d go with confusing too, but it looks delicious! I love eggs and cauliflower, but not so sure on the pears and pistachio, but I’m sure if it’s anything like the picture, it was extremely tasty!