Cauliflower to the Rescue
Full. Busy. Slightly Chaotic. Tired. Wonderful. All of these describe the past three weeks of my existence in Italy. Combining papers, exams, study trips and my parents in town I haven’t had much time to come up for air. Somewhere in between my nose in a book and my eyes crossing at the computer my stomach usually grumbles reminding me it needs attention. It is funny, even though my life is consumed with all things related to the world of gastronomy my dinners as of late have been needing to possess two main factors: Speed and convenience.
That is why I love roasted cauliflower. The current trend in all food blogs and magazines, with one bite you can see why it has earned so much attention. It is rich in flavor with nutty carmelized notes. It is incredibly easy to prepare, easy on the eyes, and lays a great foundation for almost any topping you can whip up. It is the perfect vehicle to clean out a fridge and still maintain happy taste buds. I have topped roasted cauliflower with pepperonata, olive tappenade, and wilted spinach. Pictured below, I took cucumber, tomato, celery leaves, feta cheese and green onions, mixed it with a bit of yogurt to bind and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Regardless of what you pair it with, roasted cauliflower is the best cure for a busy schedule!
Roasted Cauliflower:
1 head of Cauliflower
Oil
Salt and Pepper
Topping of your choice
Preheat oven to 350. Trim the cauliflower and cut the bottom so it rests flat on a cutting board. Cut in one inch “slabs”. The end pieces may not stay in tact, if they crumble save them for something else.
Heat a skillet on medium low. Add a oil to just coat the bottom of the skillet. Place the slabs of cauliflower in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes or until it is golden brown. Check with a fork to see if the cauliflower is tender. If need be, finish the slabs in the oven for about 10 minutes are until you get the texture you desire.
Top. Serve. Enjoy!
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