Trading potato chips for cauliflower?

Food: Recipe – Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

If you’re one of those self-abusing salty-greasy chip addicts, there’s hope on the horizon in the form of a roasted, old cruciferous favourite: cauliflower baked to perfection with garlic and parmesan

By Louise Crosby

I have a terrible habit of eating potato chips while I’m getting dinner ready, just because I’m starving and can’t wait for dinner, and because they are so good. They’re not the best option for healthy snacking, obviously, so I make an effort to alternate with other foods like roasted, salted cashew nuts, hummus, cheese and crackers, and smoked salmon spread. All good, but the call of a potato chip is very strong. Then I discovered roasted cauliflower.

Yes cauliflower, a star of the healthy cruciferous family. It is delicious divided into florets, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted in a hot oven until the edges are caramelized and crispy and the centre is soft. It’s also good with Indian spices like cumin, coriander and curry powder, or made Middle Eastern with a drizzle of tahini or yogurt sauce.

But this Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower from Bon Appétit magazine is my very favourite. The florets are roasted together with onion slices, whole garlic cloves, sprigs of thyme and olive oil, followed by a showering of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese just a few minutes before they come out of the oven. It’s so good I could eat a whole half cauliflower by myself. And there’s no guilt, just knowledge of the health-giving properties of this beautiful vegetable.

Parmesan-roasted cauliflower can be eaten as an appetizer but it also makes a great side dish, a delicious stuffing for omelettes, and an interesting addition to salads. It could become the basis of a soup, or a pasta dish with cherry tomatoes, breadcrumbs, more cheese. Just do whatever it takes to keep those potato chips in their bag.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium onion, sliced
4 sprigs thyme
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet with onion, thyme, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast until cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes longer, or to your liking.

 

Formore ….