Hopefully you all got to try Buffalo cauliflower over the Super Bowl weekend! A good way to balance out all the junk food.
After my last post I got a lot of comments on cauliflower both good and bad. I love the client that came into the studio and said I inspired her to go buy cauliflower! Other comments ranged from mild interest to downright disgust for the vegetable. In fact, I’m not sure Jason is all that wild about this adventure of trying out new cauliflower recipes.
Whatever your reaction to my first post, keep reading. You may find a new way to cook something that before you thought was gross or smelly or lacked flavor.
My hope with these blogs and future ones is get folks eating a variety of vegetables. Not just sticking to those you have always eaten. I hope to highlight vegetables you have never heard of and to inspire you to eat them.
Speaking of variety there is more out there than just the plain old boring white cauliflower. In fact, there are several different types to try. Since it is the dead of winter I was not able to find anything but the classic white variety. Farmers now grow a big variety of colors, yellow, orange, purple, and green. All of which have added benefits.
For example, orange contains more vitamin A, and the purple variety contains anthocyamnins. These can help regulate blood sugar and lipids, helping to reduce cancer risk. If you see these in the store try using these in your recipes instead.
There is one other variety that is worth mentioning. Romanesco. This technically is not caulifower and is sometimes referred to as Romanesco caulifower or Romanesco Broccoli depending on where you live. It is often substituted for cauliflower in recipes. Although cooking time is longer due to its texture. It is an alien looking vegetable with a yellow/green color and spiky look to it. It is in the stores during the summer and at farmer’s markets.
Last week I highlighted a way to add cauliflower into your Super Bowl Sunday snacks. This week we are looking at roasting cauliflower.
Over the last couple of years one of the ways I started to add a variety of vegetables into our diet was to roast them. It is incredibly easy and brings out flavors you would not expect. I prefer roasting cauliflower more so than steaming.
As most of you know steaming cauliflower brings a smell of stinky feet (as Jason puts it). This is caused by high levels of sulfur containing compounds called glucosinolates. However, when roasted, this does not happen!
For a simple way to throw together a quick meal there is nothing easier than a sheet pan recipe. This type of meal has become all the rage in recent months.
One of the best sheet pan recipes I have tried recently is found on a local Spokane blogger Syliva Fountaine’s: Feasting at home. I can not rave about her website enough. Her recipes are easy to follow with several options on how to change or substitute. She is beyond talented and it also helps that her website is absolutely beautiful. We recently tried her Tandoori Glory bowl. I loved the mix of flavors, and this dish can be prepared as both vegetarian or with meat.
All of my recipes I post are simple and basic and most can be found in some version else where. So, when I stumble upon a fabulous site that inspires me to cook, I must share with others! So, please visit Sylvia’s site and try this very flavorful recipe linked below.
https://www.feastingathome.com/tandoori-glory-bowl
If you want to keep it a little simpler here are some options on how to roast cauliflower.
Basic Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (Some recipes call for 500 degrees F with shorter cooking times)
- Medium sized cauliflower, cored and cut into pieces
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive oil or your fat of choice
- Salt and Pepper
Listed above is just the basics. Here are some add ons that can make it a little more flavorful.
- Onion: Red or yellow
- Garlic cloves
- Thyme: fresh or dried
- Any other veggie you want to add: ie broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, parsnips, potatoes etc.
- Any seasoning you have on hand. One of my all times favorite seasonings to add to any roasted vegetable dish is Nom Nom Paleo’s Magic Mushroom Powder. Check it out here: https://nomnompaleo.com/post/105333542218/magic-mushroom-powder-diy-holiday-gif.
Roast for 20-30 minutes stirring the veggies a couple of times throughout the cooking process. Check to see how tender and browned the cauliflower is. You can finish the cauliflower by squeezing lemon over the top, shrinking parmesan or balsamic vinegar (lightly) after baking.
Here is an example of one way I make Roasted Cauliflower:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (Since I’m cooking with onions and garlic I roast it at a milder temperature.)
- 1 medium size cauliflower, cored and cut into pieces
- 8 garlic cloves (I love roasted garlic!)
- Red onion sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 TBPS of Olive oil.
Toss all ingredients together either in a bowl or on the baking sheet.
Cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Stirring the veggies a couple of times.
If you have a young 12 year old at home or a 43 year old who does not eat cauliflower then you can throw 1/3 cup of parmesan on top and bake for another 10 minutes. Or just have roasted without!
For me this is a perfect breakfast the next morning. Eat with a side of chicken, throw some chickpeas in or a fried egg and you have a balance, nutritious and flavorful meal!
Next week: Buying, storing and another great cooking option for Cauliflower.
