Roasted Cauliflower
Cauliflower sounds like it should be the prettiest, most amazing vegetable in the world, but growing up, I wasn’t a fan. I thought that cauliflower should only be on my plate if it’s lying under a blanket of creamy cheese sauce. Now, cauliflower is a celebrity in the food world. It can be transformed into cauliflower mash, rice, pizza crust, and even oatmeal. The health benefits weigh in its favor as well. It’s low in calories, but high in vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, and a good source of antioxidants. If made the right way, it doesn’t have to be covered in cheese sauce.
Since cauliflower is like a blank canvas, be creative when blending spices and herbs. This recipe is my personal favorite as it keeps the flavors pretty straight forward and pairs well as a side dish. You could easily do cumin and chili powder and garnish with cilantro for a Mexican flavor or blend curry and garam masala for an Indian dish. It’s a great opportunity for you to experiment with flavors.
Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 pound Cauliflower
- 1/4 cup olive oil Plus 1 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves minced garlic
Extra toppings:
- lemon zest
- Italian parsley
- capers
- toasted bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub to coat shallow baking sheet with 1 tbsp of olive oil. If you like, you can line pan with aluminum foil. I don't recommend using parchment paper as the cauliflower will not get crispy
- Cut up cauliflower so all the florets are approximately the same size and place in large mixing bowl.
- Mix all of the spices together in a bowl with ¼ cup olive oil
- Toss spice mixture with cauliflower and spread evenly on pan
- Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, until desired doneness. I like my cauliflower to be firm
- Serve warm topped with chopped parsley and lemon zest
