Veg stands in for pasta in au gratin

The 2019 James Beard Outstanding Chef award-winner, Ashley Christensen, owns several restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her first, Poole's Diner, serves her famous Macaroni Au Gratin (aka: mac and cheese).

There were two things about Christensen's Macaroni Au Gratin recipe that caught my attention: no toasted bread crumbs on the top and no flour in the cheese sauce. I figured that if I could substitute fresh cauliflower or broccoli for the macaroni, this would fit my new lower-carb food plan.

Christensen uses three different cheeses in her au gratin: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Swiss (Jarlsberg brand) and white cheddar. Instead of a white sauce (aka: roux), she uses heavy whipping cream for the base. All good ideas for this new low-carber.

Christensen broils the top of her gratin and since I don't own any ceramic, broiler-safe cookware, I thought that an iron skillet would work.

Christensen prepares the macaroni for her dish the same as everyone else; by boiling. Just like dry macaroni, I was going to have to cook my cauliflower before using it in my new recipe.

If you've ever steamed or boiled cauliflower, you know that when, after cooking, you try coating it with melted cheese the mixture turns into watery, cheese-flavored cauliflower soup.

The reason for that: wet cooking of the cauliflower retains and may even add water to the cauliflower. Since cheese is salty and most rouxes have added salt, the salt in the sauce causes the cauliflower to throw off the water content. Thus, soup.

My solution to the water issue: roasting the cauliflower before coating it with a cheese sauce. Roasting offers two positive points: caramelization and dehydration.

If you've ever roasted cauliflower, you know that cauliflower's flat surfaces touching the roasting pan exit the oven a deep golden color from the caramelization of the cauliflower's natural sugars.

The oven's heat also makes the hot cauliflower throw off water as steam, reducing its water content. I used a touch of olive oil in my skillet's bottom to keep everything from sticking.

As my cauliflower roasted, I made the sauce. I hand-grated the cheddar and the Swiss cheeses and used a micro plane grater to grate the Parmesan. I tossed the three cheeses together in a bowl and then divide them between two bowls: 40% in one and 60% in the other.

About five minutes before my roasting cauliflower was done, I started making the sauce. I brought the whipping cream to a low simmer and then, while stirring, slowly added the 40% cheese. The cheese melted nicely into my smooth sauce.

Next, I removed the skillet from the oven and turned on the broiler. While it heated, I poured the sauce over the cauliflower. Then I distributed the 60% bowl of cheese over the cauliflower and placed the skillet under the broiler. Four minutes later, it turned a beautiful golden brown and out of the oven it came.

Was it as good as I imagined Christensen's Macaroni au Gratin? Probably not. However, mine tasted great and was creamy without being soupy. I loved it.

A week later, using two pounds of broccoli florets and peeled stems, I made it again. It wasn't quite as good looking as the cauliflower version; it tasted like broccoli served with hollandaise sauce.

Comparing the nutritional numbers with Christiansen's I found I'd saved over 100 calories and cut the carbs nearly in half. Yummmm.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at don@theleanwizard.com.

Iron Skillet Broccoli Au Gratin

2 pounds fresh broccoli

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese, grated

2 ounces Jarlsberg, grated (about ½ cup)

6 ounces white Cheddar, shredded (about 1½ cups)

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon sea salt

Place the oven rack in the middle and begin heating to 400 degrees.

Trim broccoli stem ends and rinse broccoli under cold water. Remove florets, cutting large florets in half. Peel the broccoli's stems and then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Add the olive oil to a 12-inch iron skillet and, using the cut side of one of the broccoli florets, spread the oil around the pan's bottom. Distribute the broccoli evenly in the skillet.

Roast the broccoli for 25 minutes or until beginning to brown and a sharp knife inserted into one of the stems slides in easily.

While the broccoli roasts, mix the cheeses together and then divide it 40% and 60% into two bowls. Set aside.

While broccoli roasts, place a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and add the whipping cream, heating until small bubbles begin appearing. Lower the heat and begin adding and stirring in the cheeses from the 40% bowl. When smooth, stir in the salt and then remove from the heat.

Remove the roasted broccoli from the oven, set the oven's upper rack about 4 inches from the broiler and begin heating the broiler.

Carefully pour the cheese sauce over the roasted broccoli. Evenly distribute the grated cheese from the 60% bowl over the broccoli. Broil until golden brown, about 4 minutes; keeping an eye on it to keep it from over-browning. Carefully remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Suggestion: 2 small heads of cauliflower may be used as a substitute for the broccoli. Proceed as directed.

Serves 6

Nutrition values per serving: 450 calories (75.5 percent from fat), 37.8 g fat (23 g saturated fat), 12.9 g carbohydrates (9 net carbs), 3 g sugars, 3.9 g fiber, 18.5 g protein, 126 mg cholesterol, 806 mg sodium.