Food and its preparation have long been a source of comfort, connection and control, so it is little wonder that kitchen therapy is now frequently used to treat depression, anxiety and other mental health issues across the world. And in today’s pandemic-stricken planet we could certainly do with a little of that culinary healing. So fluff up your apron, dust down your chopping board and get ready to slice and dice your way to pre-self-isolation sanity.

Two of our signature dishes fall firmly in the comfort food family – Nova’s Copper Pot Cauliflower and Cross Atlantic Flatbread. Bubbling with brown buttery goodness, Copper Pot Cauliflower is a rich, anti-oxidant packed indulgence including a whole head of cauliflower upon a bed of soft potato and garlic puree, peppered with pine nuts and pomegranate. It pairs perfectly with the Cross Atlantic Flatbread, so-named after its primary ingredients of salty Spanish serrano ham and sweet Caribbean mango. Liberally tossed with goats’ cheese and fresh arugula, this flatbread is full of crisp, clean flavor. Now let’s get to some Kitchen Therapy!

Copper Pot Cauliflower

Skordalia Sauce

Ingredients

– 700g Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

– 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

– 175ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( One with a slightly Nutty aroma)

– 200ml Retained water from boiling potatoes

– 1 Blub of Garlic

– Sea salt

– White Pepper

Method

1. To prepare the Skordalia Sauce, start by placing whole bulb of Garlic in tin foil with a touch of sea salt and a tbsp of olive oil warp into a tight pack and place in a pre heated oven at 350f for 40 minutes or until garlic is soft to the touch and slightly caramelised.

2. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for around 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender but holding their form.

3. Drain in a colander and retain 200ml of the cooking liquid.

4. In a Thermomix add the hot potato, red wine vinegar, roasted garlic, blend until smooth, if the mixture begins to cool add a little heat on the Thermomix.

5. Begin to slowly add the olive oil to the potato mixture in a slow trickle as if making mayonnaise. Use the water then necessary if mixture starts to become too thick.

Whole Roasted Head of Cauliflower

Ingredients

– 250g cold butter

– 1 Medium head of cauliflower (works with all variates)

– Juice of half a lemon

– 2 Tbsp of olive oil

– Sea salt

– White Pepper

Method

1. To begin mix 2 tbsp of olive oil with some sea salt and white pepper, brush the whole cauliflower with this.

2. Place a whole pack of butter in a copper pot sit the cauliflower head down on top and place on medium heat, once the butter has melted and begins to brown, (looking for a nutty aroma to the butter), add a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Tinfoil over the pot and place in a pre-heated oven at 375f for around 40 minutes or until tender.

4. Remove the cauliflower and roast in the oven on a tray head facing for a further 10 minutes.

5. Pass off the butter and retain.

Assemble and Garnish

Ingredients

– Sunflower shoots

– Marigold flowers

– Toasted pine nuts

– Pomegranate seeds

– Passion fruit seeds

– Rapeseed oil

– Cauliflower butter

Kitchen Therapy Method

1. To begin heat a copper pot in the oven, once hot add 150ml of warm Skordalia Sauce in the base of the pan, sit the whole head of cauliflower head facing up on the bed of sauce, sprinkle on the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, passion fruit seeds, garnish with some sunflower shoots and marigold petals, then drizzle over a little rapeseed oil and a little of the cauliflower butter.

Kitchen Therapy Caribbean Style 

Mango Prosciutto Flatbread

Dough

Ingredients

– 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

– 296ml warm water

– 360g whole wheat flour

– 13g Salt

– 60ml cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

– Cornmeal

Topping

Ingredients

– 1 ripe mango, sliced 1 cm thick

– 30g goat cheese, crumbled

– 2 slices prosciutto

– 30g arugula

– 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Method – For the Dough

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large bowl. Add the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is soggy. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

2. Sprinkle the salt over the dough, add the yogurt, and knead in the bowl, using your hands, until the yogurt is well incorporated, about 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and wet. This is when the kitchen therapy begins.

3. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

4. Knock back the dough. Lightly flour a surface, and roll out dough into a rectangle, keeping it about 1/4″ thick.

5. Sprinkle the cornmeal over a baking sheet and place the flatbread on it. Cover and rest while you prepare the toppings.

6. Slice the mango into 1 cm thick slices. Crumble the goat cheese. Pull the prosciutto apart into bite sized pieces. Set aside the arugula.

7. Add a light pomodoro sauce, then your mango and goat cheese and a sprinkle of chili flakes.

8. Place in the oven until crispy, pull out and finish with extra virgin olive oil and arugula.

Share your kitchen therapy creation with us by emailing info@oilnutbay.com or tagging us on Facebook!