Nobody puts cauliflower in the corner

I had a series of failed meal attempts recently. There was this corn chowder using 2% milk - good, but not great.


There was an attempt at a basic version of mac and cheese involving, yet again, 2% milk (sensing a trend?). (This, oddly enough, was better as leftovers, nuked in the microwave.)


Oh yes, and a chicken tikka masala also using - you guessed it - 2% milk.

There is a reason why these recipes call for whole milk or cream, calories and all.


These meals weren't inedible so of course I ate them (and the leftovers they produced) diligently, as I was raised to do. But they definitely needed improvement and certainly didn't deserve their own blog posts.

Besides 2% milk, the other commonality between these three meals was cauliflower, as a side dish.

My co-workers have been raving about eating roasted cauliflower, and seeing as it is all over the farmer's markets these days, I tried it out. Oh my heavens. Like with brussels sprouts and broccoli, roasting brings out another dimension altogether. And it's pretty versatile too - simply roasted in olive oil with salt and pepper is fantastic, or sprinkled with some spices like cumin, coriander and cayenne makes it a great addition to an Indian-inspired meal. Or, add a squeeze of a lemon wedge. Wow.


So, cauliflower, stop hiding behind the main dish. Tell that mediocre chicken tikka masala to step aside. Get out from under the shadow of that lame mac and cheese. It's time for you to give up your role as a supporting cast member and become the star of your own show - er, meal.


My current favorite way of having roasted cauliflower is inspired by this parsley-caper dressing. Based on how much cauliflower I am roasting, I mash together a small clove of garlic with some capers. If I have parsley, great! But if not, I will skip it.


When the cauliflower comes out of the oven I dump the garlic-caper mash and parsley right on top (in the pan but if you're more civilized, you could do this in a bowl), then douse it with a little lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste, and a little extra olive oil if needed.


Mix well to coat (this is why a bowl would have been better, but I like having one less dish to wash). I try to get all of the lemon-garlic-caper goodness embedded into the little gaps in the florets.


I just ate this for dinner - with a side of chicken tikka masala.

Cauliflower, you're a star.

My roasting method

• In a toaster oven or regular oven, 400-450 degrees
• Anywhere from 25-45 minutes, depending on how small the florets are
• If they start to char too much before cooking through, turn the heat down
• Give the pan a shake part of the way through