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Roasted Cauliflower
Four servings
This is an everyday favorite because it deliciously replaces the carbohydrate mouth-feel that many starches provide. Like potatoes, cauliflower has a mild flavor so it goes with everything from delicate fish to hearty beef. But so much better than potatoes, cauliflower is loaded with nutrition and fiber! Two cups of raw cauliflower has only 50 calories and packs 6 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, zero fat, and is a great source of vitamin C plus other vitamins and minerals.
Fresh organic cauliflower is best, of course, but frozen is the weekday winner for me. If it’s not quick and easy, I’ll end up eating empty carbs. Note: if you want to eat healthy for the rest of your life, always have a variety of frozen veggies in your freezer.
The key to good roasted cauliflower is getting the right texture without it being mushy or watery. After testing various recipes and methods I believe a two step process works best. First steam or boil till fork tender then bake to remove excess water and concentrate flavors.
A good serving size is about 2 cups raw. A 20-25oz frozen bag is equal to a large head of cauliflower. Either one will provide four servings. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few days or freeze up to a month.
Step one: heat oven to 350F. In a pot, boil or steam cauliflower until fork tender.
Step two: drain cauliflower well and place in 9×9 baking dish (or whatever you’ve got that’s close), season with salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: if you want a texture more like potatoes, mash with potato masher.
Step three: place in oven for 5 minutes to remove excess liquid.
Step four: remove from oven and make it your way:
• On 5&1 and in a hurry: drizzle with 1Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, season with garlic powder and toss in baking dish to evenly coat then grate 2oz hard parmesan (or other) cheese over top, sprinkle with paprika and return to oven for 10-15 minutes.
• On 5&1 not in a hurry: in a skillet over medium heat sauté minced fresh garlic with 1Tbsp olive oil until fragrant; add cauliflower and sauté 2-3 minutes. (Optional: add fresh thyme or rosemary.) Return cauliflower to baking dish, top with 2oz grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika, bake at 350 for an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Healthy cooking for life: Dr. A’s Habits of Health states that less than 25% of your daily calories should come from fat. Because cauliflower has zero fat grams to start with you’ve got some wiggle room to make it taste good and still be within your daily limits. Take advantage of your fat servings to make this dish something the whole family will want to eat on a regular basis. A little fat can go a long way. I like butter, cream and different cheeses in moderation. The rule of thumb is to never end up with a cream sauce. You should experiment on your own to see how little of each you can get away with and still get the flavors you want.
• My personal favorite, not on 5&1: follow skillet recipe above. Return to baking dish and add 1Tbsp butter and 1-2Tbsp cream. Toss all together and then grate 2-3 ounces cheese over top, sprinkle with paprika and bake 10-15 minutes.