Easy Roasted Cauliflower in under 30 minutes

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This is a long overdue blog post, so I have to explain my absence from my blog. I’ve been developing new recipes, and this one-woman show got busy with her full-time job and full-thyme blogging. So, my apologies, but I have plenty of new recipes for this month that you can feast your eyes on.

Click here for the recipe for ‘Roasted Cauliflower’

You only need a little olive oil for this dish, and you can add salt and pepper if you please. Try roasting broccoli, asparagus, parsnips, etc. Whatever crazy vegetable you hate, I bet you if you roast it, you’ll begin to eat it. The paleo diet, or the so-called caveman diet, has gotten quite popular (is it an international phenomenon, or just a West Coast fad?). I’ve seen a TON of paleo recipes that use cauliflower as a substitute for carby potatoes and rice, so consider this for your paleo diet. Cauliflower is low in carbs and rich in fiber and Vitamin C, so get some! Btw, check out my facebook page for regular updates. 🙂

Here’s what you need:

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A medium-sized head of cauliflower and olive oil. Some salt and pepper, too, if you like flavor.  That head probably weighs 2-3 pounds, so aim for that size…ish. Oh, and adjust your oven rack to the middle level and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

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Okay, what are you supposed to do with a head of cauliflower? Well, first off, pull off those little leaves on the base. You can discard them, but do me one better — you can totally eat them raw. Cauliflower is a lot like cabbage. You can chop up the leaves and toss them in a salad or soup.

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Okay. Now cut the head in half, like so.

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Then cut the halves in half. Basically, cut the head in quarters. Followin’ me?

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K. Now use a large knife and cut the tough stem off each quarter of cauliflower. Cut at a 45 degree angle, like this. The stem can be tough and not kind to eat. Throw it in your compost bin.

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Now cut up some florets! You can cut each quarter of cauliflower into florets that are about 1.5 to 2 inches wide.

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Use a knife to divvy up the florets. It’s easier. I tried using my hands at first to break florets off, but this is better.

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Now lay all the florets on a large baking sheet. Line it with aluminum foil for E-Z cleanup. One layer of cauliflower on your baking sheet(s) will ensure even browning.

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Drizzle on a few teaspoons of olive oil on the florets. Try to measure rather than eye-balling the olive oil because you may be adding tablespoons of olive oil rather than teaspoons. You really don’t need THAT much oil. Aim for non-greasy coasted rauliflower, yeah?

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Toss the florets all around. Your hands are your best tools.

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Nice and lightly coated with oil. Lovely.

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Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top. Not too much. The salt flavor intensifies in the oven, so just about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of salt works wonderfully.

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Lovely. Add pepper if you want. Now stick it in the pre-heated oven.

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After maybe 10-15 minutes of roasting, remove the pan from the oven and flip the cauliflower over if you want even browning. If you like even browning, don’t skip this step. Now that’s what I call DCC = delicious colorful caramelization.

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It’ll take any where from 20-30 minutes total in the oven for you to end up with perfect cauliflower(this total time includes the cooking time before you flipped them over). It really depends on your oven, so check it after 20 minutes to see if the veggies float your boat. Enjoy!

[print_this]

Roasted Cauliflower

Total time: 29 minutes
Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower (2-3 pounds)
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle level and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the leaves off base of cauliflower (save leaves for a soup or stir fry, or even eat them raw). Cut the cauliflower head into 4 quarters, and cut the tough lower part of stem off at a 45 degree angle, and discard stem. Divide each quarter into about 6 to 8 florets measuring about 1 ½ inches wide.

Transfer florets to a large baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Toss with olive oil and salt and spread cauliflower in a single layer. Roast cauliflower, turning over once on the other side after 15 minutes, and cook for a total of 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. To test for doneness, pierce the cauliflower with a small sharp knife. Knife should slide in and out easily. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.[/print_this]

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