the pollen count

When I’ve been to the market lately, the beautiful heads of cauliflower have been impossible to resist! So I’ve been on a cauliflower binge! Could be worse, right? I’m thinking chocolate 🙂

Cauliflower is one of those super foods that we sometimes forget about because broccoli usually gets all the attention and maybe because we think of green foods as more nutritious. But cauliflower has many antioxidants, cancer fighting micronutrients (like sulforaphane), fiber and vitamins galore! It also has less calories than broccoli but who’s counting, right? So  here’s a few ways to binge on this yummy and healthy veggie!

I have made cauliflower soup, cauliflower “rice”, roasted the whole head and, my favorite, roasted cauliflower bites with lots of seasonings. Here are two versions of roasted cauliflower, one using the entire head, the other with the florets separated into bite-sized pieces.  Note: I can easily eat half a head of cauliflower by myself so on serving size I’m erring on the generous side) 😋

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER – 2 WAYS (2 generous servings )

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, washed & leaves removed
• 2-4 TBSP olive oil or coconut oil
• Seasonings of your choice: smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, onion powder, salt & pepper

Directions for Whole Roasted Cauliflower

1. Cut off the stem and some of the core but keep the head intact.
2. Place head in large pot, add about 2″ of water, cover & steam for 15 minutes or until you can stick a knife into the center but not overly soft.
3. Remove from pot, drain well & place on roasting pan. Cover entire surface with the oil of your choice.
4. Sprinkle the seasonings generously over the entire head.
5. Place pan in preheated 400 degree oven & roast for about 30-40 minutes. I like it crispy on the outside so I roast it until that happens but before it overlooks!
6. Remove from oven and serve the whole head on a platter because it looks so spectacular! This would be perfect for a holiday meal. Note: my mom used to steam the entire head, then make a cheese sauce which she poured over the whole thing. It was to die for, but since I am mostly vegan now, this roasting method with lots of spices is almost as good).

Directions for Spicy Cauliflower Bites

1. After washing the head of cauliflower & removing leaves, separate it into florets all about the same size. I cut off any thick stems & save them for soup.
2. Put florets in a big bowl, pour olive oil over them & mix to coat each floret.
   

   
3. Generously sprinkle seasonings over the Cauliflower Bites and toss well.
4. Spread onto a roasting pan, keeping them in a single layer.
   

   
5. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, until they are crispy and very brown but not burned!
6. Remove from oven, place in a bowl & serve these delicious bites warm.  They are a great snack, too, but are best eaten right away which is certainly not a problem in my house😋.