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3 Delicious Cauliflower Recipes You've Definitely Never Tried

Author:

Julie Dargan

October 06, 2016

Written by

Julie Dargan

Photo by Stocksy

October 06, 2016

Cauliflower is the hot new star of the veggie world. Cauliflower joins the ranks of other vegetables that our great grandmothers would have loved and eaten; like Brussels sprouts and Swiss chard, cauliflower is the latest brassica to shine.

Even though cauliflower is popping up on menus and Pinterest alike, it may not be recognized as the powerful superfood that it is — and it's available all year round and is relatively inexpensive.

With its creamy florets and a flavor that ranges from the robust to a milky, sweet mildness, cauliflower is also grabbing the limelight due to its versatility. Great things happen to the humble cauliflower once is it exposed to direct heat, which helps to bring out a nutty, earthy flavor.

Roasted cauliflower has a nice outside crust while maintaining a strikingly tender texture on the inside. The best way to roast a cauliflower head is with just salt and olive oil so it creates a blank slate to add any topping of your choosing.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower
½ to ¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt for seasoning

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Trim away the leaves and carefully cut out the stem and tough core, but be careful to keep the head intact.
With your hands, rub the oil onto the top and bottom surfaces of the cauliflower until it is well-coated. Season liberally with sea salt.
Place the cauliflower, florets-side up, in a roasting dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Place the prepared cauliflower into the oven, on the middle shelf and cook for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, taking away the aluminum foil and return to the oven, cooking for 1 hour.
You should see the cauliflower creating a golden brown head. The cauliflower is ready for serving once a knife is able to slide in and out without any resistance.
Transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish and drizzle with one of the toppings below.

Below are my three favorite way to eat it:

1. Over Hummus

Serve the bronzed head of cauliflower on a bed of hummus and covered with parsley and chopped olives.

2. Simple Salsa Verde

Ingredients

10 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ medium red onion
¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
5 mint leaves
2 tablespoons to ¼ cup lime juice (1 to 2 medium limes, juiced), to taste
salt to taste

Preparation

In a food processor or blender, combine the chopped tomatoes and onion, parsley, mint leaves, and 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt.
Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if desired.
Drizzle over the cauliflower as soon as it leaves the oven, allowing for the juices to infuse before serving.

3. Spicy + Sweet Mexican Sauce

Ingredients

6 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 spring onion stalks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons lime juice

Preparation

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Then spoon all over the cauliflower, allowing it to run down into the baking dish, in the last 15 minutes of cooking time. The sauce should be bubbling hot and ready for serving.