Roasted Cauliflower

A few weeks ago, central Arkansas Kroger stores had a 99-cent special on cauliflower and broccoli. I overbought, and after a few days of serving raw and steamed and sauteed cauliflower and broccoli, I needed to expand my options. So I consulted a couple of websites, among them epicurious.com, simplyrecipes.com, and eatingwell.com, compared their ideas on the subject, and mixed and matched their suggestions to come up with the following. 

The roasted cauliflower becomes crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and browns here and there, which gives it a sweet, nutty flavor. My only mistake was adding broccoli to the roasting pan. It pretty much burnt to a crisp. Stick with the cauliflower. 

This is a pleasant accompaniment to grilled fish.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide florets
  • Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Freshly ground Parmesan (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Spray the bottom of a cookie sheet or large shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter the cauliflower in a single layer over the pan. Spray the cauliflower generously with the butter-flavored cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and any other herb you might want to use (I like fresh rosemary, which I "borrow" from a big fat bush in my neighbor's yard).

Place the cookie sheet or baking pan in the preheated oven and leave it there for 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower starts to brown.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired, and enjoy immediately (although it's still plenty tasty after it cools off).