One afternoon a couple of weeks ago I was at Wegmans, minding my own business, looking through the nice display of huge heads of cauliflower and searching for the perfect head that was destined to come home with me.
I noticed a woman checking out my head (talking about the cauliflower head here) as I approached the produce scale to get my bar code sticker. She commented on how beautiful it looked (I was hopeful she was talking about the head attached to my neck now…) She then told me how much she loves cauliflower. I agreed and we went on to discuss the various ways we like to eat cauliflower… steamed, raw, roasted or standing on our heads (cauliflower or otherwise), we’ll happily eat it.
This lovely stranger then went on to describe a cauliflower pie recipe that she loves and makes frequently. She told me this recipe has a crust made with shredded potatoes and the potato crust is filled with sauteed cauliflower and cheese. From her gestures and movements I could tell she wanted to write the recipe down for me, but then suddenly with excitement she said “It’s in the Moosewood Cookbook! Do you know it?”
Sort of. I knew that The Moosewood Cookbook was from Ithaca, New York – a city about 2 hours from here. That was all I really knew of it though, I’d never looked through it or had even seen it for that matter. I told my Cauliflower Sister that I would look for the recipe online and thanked her for the idea.
I’d almost forgotten about this conversation until this afternoon. Today while visiting a girlfriend and perusing her collection of cookbooks, I spotted The Moosewood Cookbook! The cauliflower conversation came flooding back as I snagged the book off the shelf. I flipped to the index and sure enough, there it was! Cauliflower Cheese Pie.
And my inspiration for tonight’s dinner was born.
It turns out that all the recipes in The Moosewood Cookbook are vegetarian! I had no idea! It was originally written in 1977 and is based on the cuisine of The Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca.
While all the recipes are vegetarian, most of the recipes contain large quantities of cheese, eggs, milk and butter. I took the original Cauliflower Cheese Pie recipe and made some tweaks to make it slightly healthier and a little lower in fat and calories.
Here’s my adapated version of the Moosewood Cauliflower Pie Recipe that I made tonight.
Crust:
1 large sweet potato, peeled (optional) and shredded. (I swapped out white potato.)
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, shredded
Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Add shredded potato and onion to beaten egg, stir well to combine. Grease 9 inch pie pan and form potato mixture into crust. Bake crust for 40 minutes.
Filling:
4 – 5 oz shredded cheese
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 cups of spinach, trimmed and washed
1 glove of garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 eggs
1/4 milk (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
thyme, basil, paprika
In my version, I swapped out 3 tablespoons of butter for 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and a half cup of vegetable broth. Add olive oil, diced onion and minced garlic into a pan and sautee until soft. Add herbs and spices to mixture and stir well until veggies are well coated.
Add broth and cauliflower to pan and cover, cooking for about 10 minutes. Add spinach to pan and cook for 5 minutes. The original recipe didn’t call for spinach but I wanted a little bit of green in this pie!
The spinach reduces down to almost nothing when cooked so don’t be shy throwing a couple handfuls in.
In a separate bowl beat two eggs and add milk, set aside.
When the crust is ready, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 F.
Layer half of the cheddar cheese on the bottom of the cooked crust.
Top with cauliflower/spinach mixture.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of veggies and finally pour egg/milk mixture over the entire pie.
Bake pie at 375 for about 35 minutes.
Time to eat.
My math tells me this entire pie contained 1302 calories. Cut into 6 slices, 217 calories per slice. I expected it to be much more so this was a pleasant surprise.
I thumbed through Moosewood Cookbook while the pie was baking and I can’t wait to try more the recipes in this book, so many great ideas! I snagged another book from my friend Tara’s house when I was there too, oh boy I’m gonna be busy.
Dear Stranger From Wegmans,
Thank you so much for recommending this recipe to me! It was delicious and nutritious. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. In fact, I think I might even make this for our main course at Thanksgiving while our carnivorous family members dine on turkey. Even if you only complimented one of the two heads I had with me on that fateful day, I am grateful for our short conversation. I liked your head too.
Your Truly,
Two Headed Mama
OH My Mama!
how was the sweet potato crust? looks divine!
do you eat reg cheese? or is it another version…I am still looking for a cheese sub I like, so I do both!
Some cauliflower conversations at the store are meant to be! And friends with veg cookbooks are the BEST!
moosewood cookbook was actually my very first cookbook, in college, when i was a vegetarian. i remember making the eggplant moussaka and being very proud.
What a great way to get an inspiration for a meal!
The pie looks & sounds amazing!
Yum. Sounds and looks delicious. Adding this one to the recipe folder. Won’t be long till I need a folder just for your recipes :-).
Libby
Can’t wait to try this. I was just up looking up recipes for a “cauliflower bake” to take as a side for a birthday dinner on Sunday. I was wanting something I could make the night before as I am crazy busy the day of. What do you think? Could I do the crust the day before and then just add the premade filling and bake?
And love that you used yam instead of white potato. Much better!
OMG That is the best looking food I have ever seen on your blog. Period.
Well except for desserts and mama bars and such
But for an entree that takes the cauli cake! I love cauli and you’re right, does sound like alotta work but for a main for T-Day that’s perfect! The cheese & egg thing, not sure how I can get around that. But honestly, just the cauli + spinach look incredible. Wow.
I have heard of the Moose cookbook too in random vegetarian circles…it’s got some clout!
Send me some links of stuff you’ve made lady if you want it on my Reader Tribute Post tomorrow!
yah stranger! What a cool recipe- looks like it turned out truly perfect! Cheese, potato, cauli? How could it be bad? Yum
Moosewood is my all-time favorite cookbook, hands down! ๐ SO glad you fell upon the cauliflower-loving stranger, because you’re going to love the recipes moosewood has to offer. ๐
I have to add, the herbed carrot soup recipe is one of my faves in the book. So simple, but so good. Oh, and the Gypsy soup. I could go on forever. ๐
I’m making this cauliflower bake soon…it looks wonderful!
I remember that you love the Moosewood Cookbook too! Thanks for the rec.
A friend of mine from America bought me the Moosewood cookbook years ago, I must look it out again! I don’t think it’s available to buy here in the UK. Thanks for the reminder. That cauliflower cheese pie looks so yummy!
What a great looking recipe and I love your changes! Sometimes people are so nice, aren’t they? Especially when complimenting your produce!
Ok…my mouth is WATERING!!! That looks sooooo delicious!!
Nest what you can find out in a grocery store from a stranger:)
Amazing recipe, can’t wait to see more from that recipe book!
I’ve heard loads about this cookbook! I did not know it was veggie though! I might have to add it to my christmas list…
Ali
seems like a tad bit of rosemary would make this kick moose a$&!
Oooo that does sound like a good herb to add! Next time for sure!
this is awesome! i will for sure be showin my momma and telling her to make this! Thanks girl!
This looks so delicious!! And fortuitously (yes, I used that word correctly at 10:37 at night after a class of wine!) my friend’s boyfriend was making raspberry bars from the Moosewood Cookbook yesterday! I had never heard of it either, but twice in one week has to be some sort of sign!?
“Class” of wine! Classic!!
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I am making this tonight!
Somewhere on one of my blogs, I have a picture of my Moosewood Chookbook. I bought it for 25 cents at a yard sale about 20 years ago and it’s in sad shape…and some of the pages are really gross. My daughter remarked that she could tell where the good recipes are by the amount of food on the pages. yeah…ew.
COOKbook. Sheesh
It is a totally cool cookbook, definitely worthy of being christened with lots of ingredients! Enjoy the cauliflower casserole, thanks for the reminder on this one – I should make it again soon too!
I fixed this one tonight – with a few more tweaks:
I added broccoli and diced carrots.
This made for a terrific “must-eat-before-the-fresh-veggies-go-bad” meal.
BIG HIT! I thank you so much for this new recipe in our repertoire.
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