Roasted Cauliflower

Growing up we had a beautiful garden full of fresh, beautiful vegetables but around the house I was known for spitting squash out into my napkin and hiding it under the table and for my threats to mow over the exposed asparagus that were outside the garden railroad ties.

I've learned over the last few years that it's not vegetables that I hated but the way that my mom prepared them. Boiled, mushy, and over cooked. My mom is a wonderful cook and baker and considering she prepared three meals a day seven days a week for over 18 years she deserves some sort of award but her cooked veggies are not for me.

A couple of months ago Allen and I went to Mockingbird Bistro and I had the first cauliflower that I've ever loved. I've had some pretty good cauliflower in my adult years but none until now that I'd actually consider fixing at home as a staple. I finally got around to making roasted cauliflower and it's ever bit as good as how it was prepared at the fancy-smancy restaurant -- just without the butternut puree and scallops. If you google "roasted cauliflower" you'll find a handful of similar recipes. I used the most basic recipe (I did not add garlic, lemon or parmesan cheese).

1. Preheat the oven 425 degrees.
2. Break or cut the cauliflower into the medium size florets.
3. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and spread in a shallow baking pan. Or, if you have a misto (or cooking spray), coat with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using a metal bake pan is helpful because you can shake it and mix the ingredients easily.4. Place in oven, stir or shake occasionally, and cook until golden brown (25-30 minutes).



Yum. We made this for dinner with sweet potato and grilled chicken and it was a filling and healthy meal for two!