• Cooking Time: 25
• Servings: 4
• Preparation Time: 30
• 300 g Brussels sprouts, broccoli or cauliflower
• 40 g butter
• 40 g whole wheat flour
• 250 ml heavy cream or milk
• 1 tsp. vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth powder
• 1 pinch pepper, white
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• herbal salt, to taste
• 50 g Emmental cheese, coarsely grated
• 3 - 4 eggs, separated
• butter, for gratin form

1. 1. Cut broccoli or cauliflower in florets, large Brussells sprouts in halves. Cook in steamer for ca. 5 - 7 min. until almost done. Drain and set aside.
2. 2. In a large sauce pan, cook butter until foaming. Add flour and cook over medium heat for 1 - 2 min., until slightly browned. Remove from heat and stir in cream or milk. Add herbal salt and spices, then bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened. Set aside.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C. Warm up high gratin form in oven for 5 min.
4. 4. Place Brussels sprouts, broccoli or cauliflower in food processor. Chop finely (or use with big knife). Stir vegetable into cream mixture. Add cheese and egg yolks and mix well. Season with herbal salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
5. 5. Remove gratin form from oven and melt a piece of butter, tilting it so that bottom of form is greased (don't grease sides!)
6. 6. Whisk egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Fold into vegetable mixture. Transfer to gratin form, smooth top with rubber spatula, and immediately place into middle of oven.
7. 7. Bake for 20 - 25 min., or until top is well browned. Cool in switched off oven with door slightly ajar for 5 min., then serve immediately.

This recipe is an adaptation from "Aufläufe aus der Vollwertküche" (Johanna Hinschmann). When I visited my 92-year old mother in Hamburg, I wanted to cook a light, tasty meal with her.