Curry Roasted Cauliflower

See!  I wasn't kidding about the healthy stuff.

I asked my trusty readers and Facebook fans yesterday what veggies were intimidating to them and I got some good answers: eggplant, jicama, mustard greens, fennel, celery root, parsnips and cauliflower.  Little did you know that I had eggplant, parsnips and cauliflower in my fridge already!  I'm excited to show you some ideas on what to do with them.

I used to be a picky eater, but I've always been pretty friendly with cauliflower in my life.  Maybe that's because my mom was a big fan of the frozen veggie mix, but who's to say (love you, Kath!).  There are lots of ways to use cauliflower- you can steam it, puree it into a soup, mash it as a substitute for potatoes, eat it raw with hummus or dip, make a gratin or do a simple roast.  Roasting is an easy way to incorporate veggies into your diet with lots of flavor and not much work.

I chose some Indian spices for this cauliflower; mostly because I used to go to this amazing pita spot in Philly where they had roasted cauliflower and this is as close as I can get to tasting it.  I'd encourage you to try these spices even if you don't think you'll like them- the blend is mild and not too spicy.

If you're looking for another pairing, here are some ideas:

cauliflower + bread crumbs + brown butter + parsley

cauliflower + cilantro + cloves + cumin + turmeric

cauliflower + curry + apple

cauliflower + roasted garlic

cauliflower + anchovies + red pepper flakes + garlic

(Courtesy of The Flavor Bible- don't know what I'd do without this book.)

Endless possibilities!

For another take on curried cauliflower, check out my Cauliflower and Lentil Curry, a nutritious and filling vegetarian meal.

And for my absolute favorite way to eat cauliflower, make this Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup.  Blow-your-pants-off amazing.  I need to go buy some more cauliflower.

Keep sending your veggie suggestions to me and we'll face your fears together!

Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Oven Love

1 head cauliflower, rinsed and chopped into florets
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (maybe 1/4 teaspoon each)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray (for easy clean-up).

In a small bowl, mix the spices.  Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil.  Add the spice mixture and toss again.  Spread onto the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring half-way through, until cauliflower is tender.  Serve immediately.