Cauliflower is probably one of the most overlooked vegetables and has been given a bad rap since the only way our parents knew to cook it was steam it in a pot, bleh. I distinctly remember the cauliflower being the only thing left on the crudite platter at every single family gathering, so it must be gross right? Turns out, it is delicious if it’s roasted! I could literally eat an entire roasted cauliflower in one sitting, it’s that good!
Eating cauliflower raw is great to preserve the phytonutrients, and if you saw last week’s smoothie post, you know I am a fan. Turns out, cooking it has some benefits too! The cooking process improves its ability to bind together with bile acids, which in turn helps regulate blood cholesterol. There are other colors of cauliflower as well (purple, orange and green) but studies show the common white variety has just as many cancer fighting nutrients as the other colors! It’s also on the “Clean Fifteen” list so you don’t have to worry about buying organic.
roasted cauliflower 3 ways
serves 2-4 as a side
ingredients
1 fresh cauliflower
extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
spices of choice (cumin, turmeric, paprika, sumac, chili powder, ginger, etc.)
directions
preheat oven to 425F. chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment. don’t pile up or the cauliflower will just steam instead of roast. drizzle lightly with olive oil, using a cruet works well. lightly toss on pan. (you can also do this in a bowl but I prefer not to make unnecessary dishes) season with salt and pepper and *desired spices. roast for 30-40 minutes or until tips just start to brown, stirring once halfway through baking. enjoy on its own or throw over a salad.
*roasted turmeric cauliflower
ground cumin
ground turmeric
*roasted paprika cauliflower
paprika
sumac (look for this at your local spice shop)
ground ancho chili (this is not a “spicy” chili)
I don’t list measurements for the spices here because I never measure them. You can reference the photos to get an idea of how much I typically put on. For the turmeric roasted version I like a lot more turmeric than cumin. For the paprika version, I typically use pretty equal amounts of all three spices.
