Oven-roasted Curried Cauliflower

Cauliflower, that creamy-colored, brainy-looking, long-wait-'til-harvest veggie, just doesn't get enough publicity these days, and I can understand why: with the exception of its cousin broccoli, cauliflower is in a class of its own, and a lot of people simply don't know where to start. I say fear no more! Not only is this cruciferous vegetable loaded with nutrients such as vitamins C and K, folate, potassium, and fiber, cauliflower is quite versatile; you can steam it, sauté it, roast it, bake it up in a casserole... you can even cream it with other starchy vegetables to make a mashed creation or serve it raw as crudités (pronounced "kroo-di-tey;" French for raw veggies and dip). Here we make a simple combination of cauliflower, onion, and chickpeas, drench it with an Indian-inspired vinaigrette, and roast it for about a half hour. As usual, don't be afraid to let out your inner chef and experiment with different combinations or amounts of ingredients. Cooking doesn't have to be an exact science... unless we're talking baked goods such as breads, cakes and cookies. But that is for another day!

The Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, broken down into florets (those mini cauliflower "trees" that make up the entire head)
• 1-2 onions, quartered with layers separated
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  
• 1/4 cup vinegar (white, red wine, or apple cider work well)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp curry powder
  
• salt to taste (1 tsp should do)
• sprinkle of red pepper flake (optional)
• fresh cilantro, chopped
  

How to Make it:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse off the cauliflower, remove its outer leaves, and gently it break down into large florets (this is most easily done by working from the bottom of the head, where you can see and cut the "tree trunks" of the floret off of the core). Quarter and separate your onion layers; add the florets, onions, and chickpeas to a large casserole dish and put aside. Whisk all other ingredients together except the cilantro; pour over the vegetables and gently mix them to coat (depending on the size of your cauliflower head, you may need more or less vinaigrette than what our ingredient amounts provide). Place the dish in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2011).
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.

Cooking in the CLG: Curried Vegetables

Preparing vegetables for cooking (above)

In trying to encourage kids to sample new fruits and vegetables as well as exotic dishes, we prepared curried vegetables with rice as an example of a healthy meal they could share with the family. Our variation on curry is low-fat, vegan, and gluten-free.

We included the following ingredients in our curry:

Curry on the stove top (below)

Fresh produce:

• carrots, sliced
• onion, diced
• garlic, crushed and minced
• zucchini, sliced
  
• summer squash, sliced
  
• kale or Swiss chard, cut into strips
• chickpeas, canned and rinsed or dry and cooked prior
  
• cilantro, chopped
  
• thyme, chopped

Curry sauce:

• Indian curry powder
• cumin, ground (not whole seed)
• water

Essential extras:

• olive oil
  
• garlic salt or sea salt
• cooked brown rice
  

We first washed and cut/chopped our vegetables and herbs, keeping each item in a separate bowl. Over medium heat, we added our oil, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs (cilantro and thyme) to the pot. As the onions started to become translucent, we added our curry sauce (combine curry powder, cumin, and just enough water to make the mixture a liquid) to the pot and let it simmer for a minute or two. We then added the vegetables in the following order, so as to achieve the best texture for each item: carrots, chickpeas, kale/chard, summer squash and zucchini. Be sure to allow about 5 minutes between each addition; the summer squash and zucchini cook quickly and should be added last. Serve the curry over rice and enjoy!

Due to food sensitivities and taste preferences, we did not make our curry spicy. At home, feel free to liven things up by adding fresh hot peppers (diced) or ginger (crushed and minced) to the pot OR adding powdered ginger, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to the curry sauce. Just be careful when adding spicy ingredients; what may seem like a little can result in a lot of heat!

Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.