At times I think that my mission on this blog with never be complete until I roast just about every vegetable in the world and tell you what my feelings about it are. Roasting is, after all, how I have come to discover that I actually like some vegetables and I don’t just have to chew on baby spinach leaves every night out of obligation.
And every roasted vegetable seems to be a little different. The flavors of vegetables change in different ways, in ways you might not expect. And my tastes are refining. That squash I made oh so many months ago, doesn’t hold a candle to the broccoli or the butternut squash.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with roasted cauliflower, considering I’ve never eaten much cauliflower in general. And the only thing I’ve read about it is that it’s like popcorn when it’s roasted. Honestly, I don’t quite get that reference. But I did think it was delicious…in a non-popcorn way. It smelled delicious as it was in the oven, as if something starchy was inside that left that wonderful aroma of comfort. And out of the oven it was just as good…a little browned on the edges, perfectly tender without being mushy and with a bit of sweetness in the flavor. A perfect dinner side dish.
Roasted Cauliflower
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Serves 2-4 (depending on the size of the cauliflower)
1 large head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using a large knife, cut the stalk away from the bottom of the cauliflower. This may have to be done in several segments, and you may need to peel back some of the leaves as well. With the stalk gone, cut the cauliflower in half, and then cut each half into small florets. Place the florets on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the cauliflower around on the baking sheet so that each floret is coated in olive oil.
4. Bake cauliflower for 30-35 minutes, using a spatula to turn it about halfway through, until it is tender and some of the edges are beginning to brown. Serve warm.
This is one of my favourite ways to eat cauliflower!
Isn’t it funny how people try to turn caulilower into so many different things…like popcorn? Or the other day I saw cauliflower that was supposed to taste like shrimp..I just like it to be cauliflower and roasted sounds perfect to me. Looks yummy!
I actually made (and blogged about) a recipe that was titled “Cauliflower Popcorn.” I totally agree that cauliflower is wonderful in its own right & doesn’t need to be made into anything else. I think that people associate it with popcorn because it kind of looks like it (white fluffy blobs) and if you do it right, it’s just as addictive.
Gretchen–I think maybe you’re right. It certainly was good! :)