Side Dishes

Classic Roasted Cauliflower

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Our Roasted Cauliflower recipe from Our Southern Odyssey is absolutely delicious.  And with only four ingredients extremely simple to make.  Cauliflower on its own, has a bold taste.  However, when you roast the cauliflower in the oven with olive oil, black pepper and pink salt the taste of the cauliflower changes to become less pronounced and similar to salted cabbage with a nutty taste.  Bruce (Vanessa’s husband and Valancie’s Dad) said it reminds him of popcorn. 

Of all the ways to prepare cauliflower this recipe is one of my favorite.  Not only does it make a great presentation it’s also easy to prepare.  This recipe is one of those that you can put into the oven and forget about it until the timer goes off.   I have found that people who say they do not like cauliflower seem to like roasted cauliflower.  It’s amazing what a little bit of seasoning will do to a vegetable.  Cauliflower is very good for your health, so every time I get a chance to fix it, in one way or another, I welcome the opportunity.

To begin with you need to choose a fresh cauliflower either from the supermarket or the farmers market.  Or if you are lucky enough from your own garden.  When selecting a cauliflower from the supermarket be sure to choose one that is fresh.  The head of the cauliflower should be firm and compact to the touch.  The heart of the cauliflower should be surrounded by bright green leaves. 

When purchasing a cauliflower you will want it as fresh as possible.  Because the fresher it is the stronger and better the flavor.  A good indication of the quality of a cauliflower are the leaves that surround the heart.  If the leaves are an off color, say yellow, the cauliflower is old.  If the leaves are rubbery when bent then the cauliflower is also old.  If the cauliflower is missing all of its leaves then keep on walking.  It is definitely old.  Because a cauliflower should always have leaves surrounding and protecting the heart. 

The heart of the cauliflower itself should be without damage and a bright white.  Don’t just grab a cauliflower in the store and throw it in your buggy and expect it to be the quality you want.  Take time and really examine the vegetable.  The better the vegetable the more nutrients you will receive.

Follow our step-by-step guide below if you need additional information on how to cook Roasted  Cauliflower.

Instructions:

Before you start you will need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  That will give your oven time to get to temperature while you are preparing the cauliflower.  So you do not have to wait on the oven to get to temperature.  Note: If you forget to preheat the oven that is okay, too.  Still turn your oven on to 400 degrees and wait until the oven preheats before placing your cauliflower in the oven. 

You will need to begin by removing all the leaves from the cauliflower and washing the cauliflower under cool water.  Then pat the cauliflower dry with a dish towel.  Place the cauliflower on the cutting board and with your chef knife begin slicing the cauliflower vertically in half inch slices.  Don’t worry if the cauliflower does not stay together.  That is okay.  It will eat and look great. 

Now place the cauliflower on a stainless steel baking pan lined with non bleached parchment paper.  Make sure that the cauliflower is spaced evenly and in a single layer.  Brush the cauliflower with olive oil with a basting brush.  I like to pour my olive oil in a small bowl, that way I can stick my brush into the oil and coat the cauliflower. 

Next take freshly ground Tellicherry Pepper and Pink Himalayan Salt and sprinkle the cauliflower to your liking.  Place the cauliflower in the oven and cook for 20 minutes the temperature should still be on 400 degrees.  Set your timer and when your 20 minutes is up, remove the cauliflower from the oven and with tongs turn the cauliflower over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and place on a plate or a platter to serve.  That’s it!  Simple, right…?

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If you ever find yourself needing another vegetable on the table, you might want to think about using cauliflower.  Cauliflower is one of those simple versatile foods.  For that reason we have many recipes that involve cauliflower.

I hope you enjoy our Roasted Cauliflower recipe that is slightly nutty with a salty flavor.  It might just turn out to become one of your go to recipes, like it is for us.

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