Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Ingredients

• 100g breadcrumbs (wholemeal)
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 small head of cauliflower
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 100g vegetarian mature cheddar (grated)
• 200ml whole milk

Method

1. Fill a large saucepan full of water and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the cauliflower (make sure you chop it into smaller florets before adding). Boil the cauliflower for 5 minutes and then add the broccoli to the pan (again, make sure you chop it into small florets first). Simmer for a further 5 minutes and then remove the vegetables from the pan and rinse in cold water.
2. Add the cauliflower and broccoli to your food processor along with a pinch of salt and pepper, then whizz them up roughly for a few second. Don't overdo it here - you don't want to create a paste, you just want to break it all down into tiny pieces. Once you've done this, put the bowl to one side.
3. Take a small saucepan and heat it over a medium heat. Add the knob of butter, and once it's melted add the garlic. Cook the garlic for around 30 seconds, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Now add the flour and mix it into the butter and garlic to make a paste. Once you've mixed it together, add around 30ml of the milk and stir everything together. Add another 30ml of the milk and put your wooden spoon to one side, replacing it with a whisk to ensure that all the lumps are removed from the mixture. It's really important to make sure that you're constantly whisking the mixture lightly so that you end up with a smooth sauce. Keep adding the milk in small portions until it's all gone.
4. Once all the milk is mixed in, turn the heat up slightly and bring the sauce to a boil. Once you've got it boiling, turn the heat down low and add half of your cheddar. Mix in the cheddar and leave on the heat, stirring regularly, for 2 minutes. Now take the pan off the heat and put it to one side.
5. Go back to your cauliflower and broccoli, which should be nice and cool now, and add it to a large mixing bowl. To this bowl, also add the breadcrumbs and parsley (finely chopped), then mix it all together. Add the sauce that you've just made and stir this in with a wooden spoon.
6. Empty the contents of your mixing bowl into a deep baking tray and scatter the remaining cheddar over the top.
7. Place the baking tray into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the top has crisped.