The Chef Within

There is one vegetable that may not seem like an obvious choice for roasting and that is cauliflower.  This may be hard to believe but if you’re not particularly fond of cauliflower it’s because you’ve never roasted it.  If you will try this just once you will feel differently about this vegetable.  Here’s how you would tackle the roasting of cauliflower.

First, preheat your oven to about 400 degrees.  While that’s warming up take a head of cauliflower, cut out the core and cut or break off all the major florets.  Slice the florets into ¼ inch slices doing so that all the cut pieces resemble the silhouette of a tree.  Put all the cut pieces in a bowl and then drizzle the cauliflower with a little oil and toss it around a bit.  I would use about two tablespoons for a medium-sized head.  This would also be a good time to give the pieces a good sprinkle of salt and pepper (I do like the coarse Kosher salt, but that’s not essential).  Toss again to distribute the seasonings evenly.

Then, get a baking sheet.  Put the cauliflower on the pan, spreading the pieces out so that they can all touch the bottom.  One thing you want to avoid is overcrowding.  So if you have a smaller pan and a big head of cauliflower roast the vegetable using two pans, not just one.

Take the pan to the oven for about 15 minutes.  Then - check the vegetables to see if their bottoms are browning up.  Leave them in the oven until they develop a deep caramel color.  That color on the bottom is important.  The darker the bottom the nuttier and richer the flavor will be.

Easy and delicious.  Please try this!