by Anne Naumann
The last Good Food Box (small size) I received contained the following: five lbs’ potatoes, one lb tomatoes, two lb strawberries, three bananas, four oranges, one English cuke, one bunch celery, one large bunch/bag of green onions, one head romaine, one cauliflower, one cantaloupe, two lbs’ carrots, two ears corn, three apples, three lbs’ onions, and a recipe for corn chowder with bacon. For this roasted cauliflower recipe, I’m sure you can think of other seasonings to try. Be creative!
Here are a few quick tips and techniques to ensure that your roasted cauliflower turns out perfectly:
Basic Ingredients:
• One large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized chunks
• Two to three tablespoons of cooking oil, such as canola or olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a few shakes of black pepper to taste
Basic Roasted Cauliflower Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove any outer greenish leaves, and slice off the stem to make a flat base.
3. Place the cauliflower on a cutting board, “dome side” up, and slice downward to cut it into four wedges.
4. Slice off the tough inner core, then cut across each piece to make slices about 1 ½ cm wide. You want the cauliflower to have a lot of flat edges, as it will allow those flat parts to caramelize in the oven and create more flavour.
5. Pull apart any florets that are stuck together and spread the florets onto the baking sheet. Try not to overcrowd the pan, as otherwise the cauliflower chunks won’t crisp up. If needed, use a second pan as well.
6. Drizzle the florets with the oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
7. Bake until the florets are golden on the edges, for about 25 to 35 minutes, tossing/flipping the cauliflower after about 15 minutes.
Additional Instructions for Different Seasoned Versions:
• For Indian Roasted Cauliflower: before baking, sprinkle the florets with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of curry powder before baking. Then after baking, top with some chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy).
• For Mexican Roasted Cauliflower: before baking, sprinkle the florets with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of cumin, and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of chili powder. When you take the cauliflower out of the oven to toss/flip them, sprinkle about ¼ cup of raw green pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and return to the oven to finish roasting. Spritz with lime juice just before eating.
• For an Italian seasoned version, sprinkle with one to two teaspoons of Italian seasoning. When you take the cauliflower out of the oven to toss/flip them, sprinkle with about ½ to ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese and return to the oven to finish roasting. Can spritz with lemon juice just before eating.
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