OMG- Roasted Cauliflower

[vafarmwife]

This is so good! Why haven't I tried this before now? I think I can eat the whole pan. Roasted really makes it have a different taste from eating it raw or in a gratin. Gonna have to go back to the store for another head of cauliflower.

[aching]

So, I have a question that I hope some of you experts can answer - if I want my cauliflower to cook slower and get browner, should I turn down the heat and increase the time, or vice versa? (I know I could do this experiment myself, but I though maybe someone could just tell me!)

[katz66]

Turn up the heat. Time will be up to how brown you want it.

[vircabutar]

I have the same question with this. I used to be an apprentice at this restaurant, and their cauliflower were always brown/a bit burnt and chewy. And I LOVED it. It tasted a lot better than just regular roasted cauliflower as the browner & drier it gets, the nuttier the flavor. I've experimented with high temp-fast cooking time and low-temp-longer cooking time with no luck. I've also made sure that I keep the florettes as big as possible (quartering them instead of chopping), which helps a fair bit. Any suggestions?

[katz66]

Well the tossing in oil helps the browning and if your oven isn't hot enough then turn the broiler on but stay right with it and watch it close.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i've found that roasting for 25-30 minutes at 450 and turning/tossing at least once usually produces nicely browned yet chewy pieces. as katz66 said, oil helps. keep the pieces around the size of 2 or 3 bites each (larger ones don't dry out enough inside, smaller cook too quickly). oh, and as always, don't crowd the pan!

[katz66]

love, love, love roasted cauliflower. I cut it up in small peices and put in a bowl toss with worcestershire sauce olive oil garlic powder and lemon pepper. roast until brown. Everybody loves it. Even the kids who hated it other ways.

[Kajikit]

I never knew there were so many things you could do with cauliflower aside from cheese it! Trying roasted cauli, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes tonight. We need more low-carb veggie dishes to keep DH from getting bored with his diabetic diet.

And they were AWESOME! John loved the veggies. The cherry tomatoes tasted like they were sun-dried and they added so much flavour. I haven't really been eating because I've been sick, but I had my share of these roasted veggies. I'll definitely be doing them again in the very near future. I just seasoned them with a sprinkle of onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin.

[katz66]

Yesterday my son roasted cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli about 10 minutes before they were done he put some chopped up spring onions on top and finished roasting. That was good. We would have added asparagus but forgot to pick them up.

[goodhealthgourmet]

have you made cauliflower faux rice or couscous yet?

[katz66]

I have made the rice. It was good but you have to make sure you drain it well. I put paper towels in a colander to drain.

[goodhealthgourmet]

try sauteing instead of steaming - less moisture, and mimics the texture of rice more closely.

[sweetpotater]

I cut it up small, a little olive oil spray and salt, 300 oven slow till it's brown and awesome. I eat a whole head at once.

[L.Nightshade]

I am completely addicted to roasted cauliflower. Once I make it, it gets snacked up far too quickly. My current favorites are:
For Mediterranean style meals, Batali's recipe with olives, capers, and agrumato.
http://www.culinate.com/books/collections/all_books/molto_gusto/cauliflower_with_olives
And for more Asian or Indian style meals (or just as a snack), Melissa Clark's recipe with cumin, coriander, mustard seed, and almonds.
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/15/1313353...

[kattyeyes]

Ooh, got my eye on the Batali one now--saved, thank you!

[L.Nightshade]

It's absolutely wonderful! Try for the agrumato, but if you can't get it, it's still lovely with lemon zest steeped in good olive oil.

[BabsW]

Oh wow, does that look good! The photo is beautiful, too.

[kattyeyes]

You just reminded me I have a very nice lemon-infused olive oil. Thanks for the education on agrumato, too (an Italian girl should know these things)! Agree with Babs--love the contrasts!

[kattyeyes]

Hello again! I want to make this recipe properly, too, but wonder if you think it would work nicely with grilled cauliflower. I've never grilled it, but there's a first time for everything. Have you?

[linguafood]

I've actually tried grilling it before and wasn't a fan. I had cut the cauli into cutlets & painted them with some olive oil & paprika. It was still raw inside after quite a while on the grill. Now -- I like raw cauli, but I like it better cooked. And it's best roasted (imnsho).

[kattyeyes]

Thank you--good to know. Maybe we'll grill some other veggies instead. BTW, do you really soak the capers as the recipe states? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of using something so salty and delish? I ask b/c I'm pretty sure we both roll on the salty side of the street, you and I.

[linguafood]

I didn't soak them. I musta missed that part of the recipe.

And yes, salt friend here, big time :-)

[L.Nightshade]

I have not tried grilling the cauliflower, I've done it for this recipe just as written. Although I think we have put cauliflower florets with other vegetables and cooked them in a grill basket, that seemed alright, as I recall.
I do soak my capers, but I used salt-packed capers that are really crusted with salt. I never soak them overnight though. I just a soak them while I do the other prep, and then a rinse. They're still very salty after that.

[kattyeyes]

Thanks to both you, L.Nightshade, and katz66, for your feedback. I would like to try grilling cauli in the basket, and maybe doing the Buffalo thing for starters. I will try the Batali recipe as written. My capers aren't crusted with salt, so I should be good to go without the soak.

BTW, speaking of grilling vegetables--sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of cinnamon are just so delicious if you didn't already know! :)

[katz66]

I have grilled them in a grill basket and liked them. Just toss them in oil and seasoning and grill in basket as slow or fast as you like. And as dark as you like.

[linguafood]

Yeah, my cutlets were in grill basket, too. Maybe I wasn't patient enough (boy, would that ever be a surprise >cough, cough<), but I just didn't like the half-raw, half sorta-kinda grilled texture.

[kattyeyes]

HA HA! Maybe just cut in smaller pieces rather than cutlets? I do smaller pieces when I make it Buffalo-style in the oven.

[aching]

I've been making simple roasted cauliflower (just tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper) for a long time, and I love it. However, last night I tried this recipe and was blown away:

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_det...

Basically, you roast the cauliflower in bacon drippings and then dress it with an insanely delicious lime juice/fish sauce vinaigrette. I followed the recipe pretty closely except that I had the oven at 400 and I chopped the bacon and sprinkled it on top before serving (because really, at that point, why not go all the way?).

I cannot say enough about how good this dish was - my husband and I ate two huge heads of cauliflower ($12 at WF) in one sitting between the two of us!

BTW, I think this recipe would also be fantastic for brussels sprouts, and possibly broccoli. Yum!

[linguafood]

Wow! Thanks for sharing. I just bought a new pack of bacon even tho I am leaving my house in a week for quite a while. LOVE the simple prep, but am really curious about your recipe.

ETA: Whoa -- and capers? You didn't even mention capers... I am SO making this.

[aching]

Oh yeah, capers - and parsley - so good. I also zested the limes before juicing them. I should mention though, the recipe makes a lot of the vinaigrette and it packs quite a wallop, so I would recommend adding it a little at a time, to taste. Enjoy!

[sqboo]

This looks SO good.
Just had to say that.

Thanks for sharing!!

[linguafood]

I made it, and it's fantastic. You got to like salty things tho, for sure. But I can highly recommend it.

I think it would work really well with blander veggies than cauli -- green beans, or broc, for example.

[katz66]

It does work with them. Also.Brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips.

[aching]

I tried the leftover vinaigrette on broccoli, and it was great. I really think the best combo of all might be brussels sprouts though! I've made a mental note to try it when brussels season rolls around again.

[aching]

@sqboo - You're very welcome!

[nikkib99]

Simple, yet delicious recipe. Thanks for providing this.

[poppybird]

Made Smitten Kitchen's Cauliflower with Almonds, Raisins, and Capers last night: wow, good!

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/cau...

I didn't use the capers (don't like 'em) and didn't have tarragon; did the rest per the recipe (browned & roasted in a 12" cast iron skillet). Really excellent flavor combination on top of the bliss that is roasted cauliflower.

[Breezychow]

If you want to "gild the lily" with roasted cauliflower, just roast it via any method that appeals to you (making sure to roast it JUST until tender - no overcooking), & fold it into an intensely-flavored white cheese sauce. I particularly like using a sharp white aged cheddar or a good Italian grating cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, etc., etc.) for this. The roasted cauliflower flavor really stands up to the cheese. Fantastic!

[honkman]

Roasted cauliflower goes excellent with pasta. We recently made conchiglie pasta with roasted cauliflower, arugula, sage and prosciutto. A really nice weeknight dinner:

http://twofoodiesonejourney.blogspot....

[alkapal]

honkman, i enjoyed visiting your blog. i like the science discussion intermingled with the food discussion. your photo array was nice, and your finished dish looked great. there is a nice "gloss" on the dish. (did you use any photo staging tricks for that aspect?).

most important, the dish looks like it tastes great.

[honkman]

Thanks, alkapal. No significant photo tricks beside using Gimp to get a better contrast (we are still learning to use our camera better and most photos look dull and so we just improve the contrast. I guess we have to learn how to use the white balance). And yes the dish was really good - a perfect weekend dinner.

[zippy2u]

Emeril Lagasse turned me onto this. We've been eating so much cauliflower lately. It's just wonderful
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em...

[bear]

I'm making that soon. Sounds so good.

[roadfix]

Why did I not think of roasting this vegetable in the WFO before? Glad I saw this thread!

[kattyeyes]

HA HA HA, you must mean wood fired oven, tho' wide freakin' open is funnier. ;)
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com...

[mariab]

we saute garlic in olive oil, melt in some anchovies, toss the cauliflower in that and then roast it. a sprinkle of breadcrumbs when it comes out of the oven is good, too.
leftover the next day is awesome.

[alkapal]

love the anchovies idea.

[golfer1]

Another great way to cook it is on the grill. We take a head, break it up into florets, and then coat it in a mixture of Patak's curry paste and olive oil. We heat the BBQ up, and put the cauliflower into a perforated grill pan, and cook on the grill, cover closed, for about 20 minutes until cooked and browned in spots. This is great!

[Tom P]

I came across this recipe in Food and Wine and it was so intriguing, I had to try it. It was excellent, a variation on Roast Cauliflower:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ca...

[cheesecake17]

I saw this also, and meant to try it. What did you serve with it?

[Tom P]

Cheesecake, I made it just for myself the other evening so I did not make anything else. I think it would be excellent with a salad to start and perhaps a green vegetable with it? Maybe creamed spinach, so there is something a little rich and creamy along with the healthy roast cauliflower and corn?

[cheesecake17]

I was thinking to make it this week with soup and a green salad. But.. it'll have to wait as the cauliflowers yesterday looked kind of iffy.

[Tom P]

That would be great, I think!

[cathodetube]

I discovered this succulent dish earlier in the year. Found lots of recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen website. I do use curry powder (or sometimes just garam masala) cumin and mixed together with olive oil in a boil then add large florets to coat. Try also with za'atar mixed with olive oild as a coating instead. I also love roasted sweet potato fries. Dip them in a yogurt, lime juice and cumin dip.

[Peg]

Oddly - or unexpectedly at least - roast cauli is really yummy with avocado/guac.

[Bryan Pepperseed]

Not exactly roasting, but I've been meaning to try this baked cauliflower from The Frugal Gourmet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aAbQF...

[aching]

I love it too. I recently discovered that it's even easier to roast the whole head (or heads - I usually do two at a time). I just slice off the stem so that it can sit flat in the pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper it, and pop it in the oven. Then I slice it to serve when it's done (it kind of falls apart at that point, which is part of the charm). You don't get as many browned bits, of course, but it is so fast and easy on a weeknight.

[biondanonima]

I made some this week according to a method/recipe that I found in another post and my husband and I devoured the entire head in about 5 mins. The little florets tasted like potato chips, they got so crispy! The posted recommended cutting it into smallish florets, seasoning with salt, oil and garam masala, and roasting for 2 hours or so at 350. I ended up doing an hour at 350 and another 40 mins at 300. The florets were almost completely dehydrated and super crunchy, but not burnt. AMAZING!!!!

[kattyeyes]

I'm bumping this 'cause all you roasted cauliflower devotees will go absolutely CRAZY for Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower. Just made it last night, with extra hotness, of course. Mm-mm-mm-mm-mmm!
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[alkapal]

THX!

[Indy 67]

I'll keep the bump going by mentioned the tapas we ate Saturday night at Jaleo, Jose Andres' tapas restaurant in Washington, DC.

In spite of my husband's dislike of dates and olives, we ordered roasted cauliflower with diced dates and halved green and black olives. There was a dark sauce in the bottom of the serving bowl that I guess was formed by sauteeing the date and olive pieces in some olive oil. Anyway, my date-olive hating husband -- who had been prepared to eat only the cauliflower -- liked the whole combination.

[alkapal]

oh, i'll bet that was a delicious combination! (i'm a huge fan of dates, and like sweet-savory combinations sometimes). this combination sounds "sicilian" via tunisia. ;-).

as i typed, i thought, "well, are there many date trees in sicily itself?" apparently, there are. this fact may be thanks to hannibal or that they are simply indigenous. i found this historical précis to be of use in thinking about the relationship and "travels" of foods in north africa, spain and the entire mediterranean region: http://books.google.com/books?id=vZDL...

[decolady]

We adore roasted cauliflower! Just about any roasted veggies, actually. But cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are my favourites. Last night I roasted cauliflower, broccoli and diced turnips (on separate baking sheets) for our dinner. I just seasoned all of them with olive oil and kosher salt.

We often get the orange cauliflower and sometimes the purple, but I've never seen Romanesco here. I wish our markets would get that variety.

[peppermint pate]

We roast cauliflower all the time in our house - my little kids love it as well. We do it one of 2 ways, either traditional (evoo, s&p), then drizzled with tahini - inspired by local restaurant Tabule OR cauliflower "popcorn" - toss florets in a mixture of olive oil, s&p, turmeric, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder - roast until a bit crispy. Like healthy crack.

[katz66]

I have roasted it for a few years also asparagus, carrots and brussel sprouts with olive oil and sea salt. I have a son who would not eat them all his young life and was upset that I had not done the cauliflower like that before. I didn't know. : ( I use worcestershire sauce on the caulilower roasting only some times. It's a little different. have used soy sauce and season salt. The cauliflower is a blank canvas. It's wonderful what you can do with it.

[ciccia bomba]

try asparagus this way too. amazing. ALSO I find that adding salt halfway through cooking instead of at the beginning helps vegs get brown before they get wilty.

[laliz]

cauliflower, olive oil, kosher salt, garlic cloves heaven

[MandalayVA]

LOVE roasted cauliflower. I use the Cook's Illustrated recipe and it comes out great--the only difference is instead of olive oil I use walnut or macadamia oil. So good.

[bear]

Hmmm....I have a can of walnut oil sitting in the fridge. Guess I better pick up a head and check it out. Great idea.

[mountaincachers]

Agree. My husband and I can easily polish off a whole cauliflower in one sitting. We only use olive oil and salt, though I have gotten some other ideas for seasoning now too. Thanks, hounds! Our grocery store has been carrying an orange variety of cauliflower...it's even better than the white when roasted. If you have the opportunity to try it, I would highly recommend.

[Beckyleach]

LOVE the orange cauliflower...so much so that I tried to grow it last year, but it was one of my few failures. :-( Our silly rural area has Bad Food Taste and when the grocery store got in a huge shipment of both orange AND purple cauliflower, last year, NO ONE would touch it. "OOooh, scary vegetable."

So, I got to haul home pounds and pounds of the stuff for 50c a head. Alas, I did NOT know to roast it, at the time....but we had some marvelous curries while it lasted

No strange veggies entered the store, this year. Nitwits.

[mountaincachers]

Wow. I thought I had it bad in the grocery store arena...We have terrible grocery stores, but a small, growing group of shoppers who want more interesting foods. When the orange cauliflower hit the shelves, it was like offering water to people in a desert. It was snapped off the shelves and they sold more in our store than any other. You might think the store would respond by always having it, but the store manager says that it's up to the distribution center (and not the store manager) what they send. So, they have it intermittently (ditto on purple). Nevertheless, I buy it when I can, and hope they keep getting it. Most of the year, I try buying the majority of my produce at the farmer's market, but it's slim pickings this time of year in Virginia.

[danna]

were they horribly epensive? When my Whole Foods got purple and orange cauliflower last year, the heads were the size of my fist for $4. YIKE!

[mountaincachers]

I think they are about $3, but a regular size head.

[sunshine842]

by the way, keep an eye out for something called Romanescu -- it's green like broccoli, but looks like cauliflower that has overdosed on Fibonacci numbers -- very, very cool-looking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesc...

Cook like cauliflower, and enjoy -- it's delicious.

[redwood2bay]

LOL on "cauliflower... on Fibonacci numbers"... that is so exactly right! I always thought of Romanescu as the vegetable form of fractals, but I like your description as well.

My kids always want to buy them just 'cause they like the way they look.

[sunshine842]

that's how I got my oh-so-slightly-geeky kid to try it...and the flavor kept him hooked.

[linguafood]

How does the orange cauli differ in flavor from the white kind? We have some orange cauli at Wegmans here, and I think I even saw a purple one.... just curious!

[mountaincachers]

Though there is still a definite cauliflower taste, I think it's a little milder. There also is a different flavor (particularly when roasted) that almost tastes a little like corn. The bonus is that it looks prettier on the plate. We also tried the purple, but I didn't like it as well.

[luckyfatima]

I love cauliflower, too. I have tried roasting florets before, but they threw off a lot of water and didn't brown well. I see some good tips above, like flipping them and also the 425 heat. What else can I do to improve the roasting?

[lawmann]

For better browning, I always wash and soak my cauliflower the night before and let it air dry in the refrigerator overnight. If I'm rushed for time, after washing I dry as well as I can and then put the florets in a 325 degree oven for a few minutes to get rid of the moisture. Then I proceed to dip it in the seasoned olive oil. Then I get the oven back to 425 and roast. Other good vegetables for roasting are asparagus and carrots.

[cheesecake17]

I wash the caulifower the night before also. I set it in a colander over a large bowl so any water that's left in the crevices drips into the bowl below.

I also find that starting the cauliflower out dry then adding some oil makes it browner and less soggy.

[luckyfatima]

great tips lawmann and cheesecake17, will try next time. Bought a big head of cauliflour yesterday due to this thread.

[lawmann]

Great! Let us know if you have achieved cauliflower bliss :)

[luckyfatima]

yes I cut it, washed it, and set it in the colander to drain overnight. I was surprised how much water was below the colander the next morning. I also made sure not to crowd the baking sheet (I think that may have contributed to my problem before). The cauliflower was crisp with golden brown bits. Delicious. thanks again.

[eight_inch_pestle]

To be honest, I usually just brush the cauliflower a la mushrooms---at least when cooking them.

[dmd_kc]

Next you need to roast it, let it cool to room temperature, and serve with either a tahini dressing or my favorite, a garlic and herb yogurt sauce. Definitely one of my top ten side dishes.

[amoncada]

If you like roasted cauliflower, you'll love roasted broccoli, leeks, and brussel sprouts with olive oil, kosher salt, and finished with fresh grated reggiano parmagino (a touch of butter works well too, optional).

Roasted Veggies can be an elegant side dish all year long. They are a great holiday dish or even for a summer bbq. I add roasted slivered almond or chestnuts to the above recipe over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. You can cook it on a veggie grill pan on the grill too. I like to add balsamic red vinegar when grilling the veggies.

[jfood]

You'll love this simple recipe A if you like fish, and jfood makes a lot with salmon.

Preheat oven to 400. Get a pan hot on the stove with a little EVOO. Place the salmon skin side up in the pan and bring to a nice crust about 2-3 minutes. Flip. Add some brussel sprouts, mushrooms, cauliflower and onion (some of the veggies need a par boil or MV first) to the pan. Place in oven for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of fish. S&P. Careful with the handle though. VERY hot.

[cheesecake17]

Last night I roasted leeks, red onions, carrots, potatoes, celery root, and sweet potatoes. Came out awesome. Would definitely recommend roasting leeks- great carmelized flavor.

[jnk]

I'm glad I asked!

[lawmann]

I've been roasting cauliflower for years and have made quite a few converts--people who never liked cauliflower until they tasted it done this way. In my version I combine the olive oil with salt, pepper and about 6 cloves of minced garlic. Great flavor!

[jnk]

I made a large head tonight, fantastic! Two adults and a 15 yr old boy and I guess I should have made 2 heads. Thanks all.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Awesome. Did you go with a plain version, or spiced or herbed or garlic?

[jnk]

Stuck with the simple version last noght (olive oil, salt, pepper). It was the perfect companion to the fish and avocado w/mango salsa. As I said, one head just wasn't enough.

[Beckyleach]

We had this last night, as well (although not with the intriguing fish with avacado/mango salsa...recipe?) and my teen aged daughter literally went back out to the kitchen to LICK the skillet.

[sweetpotater]

I like a low slow roast on my cauliflower, 300 degrees. Tiny pieces. I eat the whole head at once. (But it shrinks!)

[scubadoo97]

It is good, isn't it. My wife and I can polsih off a whole head of cauliflower when it's roasted. It skrinks down quite a bit after roasting.

[mickeygee]

I agree. I drizzle oil, sprinkle salt then squeeze a lemon and toss it all with my hands. Oven, whatever temp whaterver else is in, or if nothing, between 350 and 450 and just wait till it gets brown. Can eat bowls of it.

[breadchick]

When I was first married, our best man had a little old Italian grandmother that rocked when it came to cooking fab foods. I learned to pan fry my cauli with garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and olive oil. She didn't use cheese, and I didn't either - not at first. I added cheese when I had some great parm reggiano and was using it for something else that night.

My kids, when they were little, LOVED that cauli, and their friends were all "yuck." Until they tried it.

I haven't tried the roasted method yet, but based on all your raves I'm going to give it a go. My only question is this: doesn't it dry out a bit - or is that a good thing? My pan method is to steam it lightly in the fry pan while covered, then drain, and then add the olive oil, the other stuff, and pan fry until carmelized.

I love roasted veg, so will try it this week.

[smtucker]

I love to roast cauliflower and then mash it into a puree. Wonderful substitute for mashed potatoes under braised lamb shanks or duck legs. The braising juices coat the mash and it is delicious.

[PattiCakes]

Glad you posted this, Smtucker -- it's one of my faves. The only problem is that I have to roast twice as much caulifower as I really need because I keep snacking on it before I have a chance top mash.

Want to try yummy? Roasted asparagus.

[jmckee]

@PattiCakes: Want to make even yummier? Mix the asparagus with green onions trimmed to the same length, about the same amount. Top with just a little parmegiano and good olive oil. And maybe a poached egg for a main course.

[lexpatti]

I'm officially in LOVE with roasted EVERYTHING!! I roast veggies prob. 4 times a week. Last night was roasted grape tomatoes and brussel sprouts halved or quartered, then tossed in chopped bacon when I pulled them out.

I love red onions, broccoli, mushrooms, summer squash, zuchinni, cauliflower, cabbage is awesome too, carrots, OMG red, yellow and orange peppers!!! sometimes it's just olive oil, S&p but sometimes I add other herbs, or a splash of balsamic or soy or lemon juice and last minute, some parm or crumbled blue cheese (great on roasted potatoes)

[AmyH]

Oven roasted green beans are great, too. Especially slightly older, thicker ones. I did some flat Italian green beans last night that came out delicious, especially because of the extra contact with the bottom of the pan. Tossed with olive oil and a couple of cloves of smashed garlic, roasted at 450 for 15 minutes. Yum!

[BigSal]

I love roasted cauliflower with olive oil and seasoned with salt, but this is also a nice variation with black pepper and soy sauce (http://www.chow.com/recipes/11204).

[crt]

Ina Garten of Barefoot Contesa fame is famous for oven roasting veggies drizzled with olive oil. I tried her recipe for oven roasted Brussels sprouts. Freakin' amazing taste! Great with my GFG garlic powder encrusted steak!

[missmar79]

agreed i make this 3x a week- hubby loves sprouts this way!!! and they are sooo healthy

[BabsW]

Oh yes! Those sprouts are amazing.

[jfood]

jfood had the pleasure of eating an incredible gnocchi dish in MSP which also had slivered roasted cauliflower. Unbelievable flavors.

[kookiegoddess]

Mmm I know so good.

I made aloo gobi from Smitten kitchen last week and followed her suggestion to roast the cauliflower with cumin where it would normally be fried - great flavours. I added some fresh tomato and lemon juice to the mix but can really recommend this dish.

Also see her cauliflower tart posted recently, I used the idea but made a frittata (trying to cut carbs) and it was scrummy.

[HillJ]

Roasted with olive oil, cumin & curry powder and I'm so there! Leftovers we stuffed inside chicken breasts and served with Indian butter sauce and I was queen of the kitchen that night.

[jnk]

So, how did you make it? We make a cauliflower soup but steam the cauliflower, this sounds like it would be even better. Thanks in advance for the directions

[eight_inch_pestle]

Don't know about the OP, but I coat the florets with olive oil (hands work best if you don't mind getting them all oily), sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 for about 25 minutes, turning once about halfway through as the side facing the pan will brown faster. Give a taste when they start looking pretty. Raise the heat a bit if they seem to be getting tender before they brown. Can't really go wrong.

Also, mushroom caps tend to take about the same amount of time, and the two make a rockin' pairing either as a side or as a first course on some lightly dressed greens---especially if finished with a drizzle of fruity olive oil or a nice nut or truffle oil.

[vafarmwife]

Yes that is what I did too. I added some Parmesan cheese after it came out of the oven. So good...

[QueenB]

Just a recommendation...I've found that if you cut the cauliflower head into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, instead of florets, you get more surface in contact with your pan, which gives more browning and flavor.

[boyzoma]

Oh my, all of this sounds so good. I'm going to have to run out and buy some cauliflower now! Thank you all for the recommendations!

[chowser]

I like it sliced, too, for more browning (and so much easier than cutting into florets). And, it's great with different spices and condiments--from curry to dijon mustard to cumin... I add it to salads, too. It's one vegetable my kids fight over. Or, to add color, broccoflower works just as well.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Great recommendation, QueenB. I do this sometimes as well with both broccoli and cauliflower. Figured it out after one too many sauteed broccoli dishes where the base of the stems and side of the florets browned while the top of the stem stayed undercooked (altho partially covering helps that too).

[sqboo]

I KNOW!! :)) Isn't it crazy great??