Crunchy, smokey and healthy
It’s one month in to 2012 and we’re proud to say that we’re sticking to our goals. Beyond sticking to them, even. We one-up’ed ‘em this weekend.
The original goal is just to get our bums moving and spend some quality time in the running lane down Ocean Parkway, oh maybe three times a week. Throw in some crunches and push-ups for good measure. Nothing too crazy, of course.
Chop coarsely - this is a quick and easy dinner
Inspired by the overflowing bins and cartons at our beloved Ditmas Avenue fruit and vegetables stands, we’re making an extra effort to put the earth’s bounty to good use in our kitchen. We hope to replace a good portion of our refined starches with vegetables. Zucchini instead of pasta. Squash instead of russet potatoes. Cauliflower instead of rice.
We started with cauliflower a few Sunday nights ago. So far, so good. In the past, we’ve roasted the white florets with garam masala spices and served with chickpeas or yellow dhal (rice optional). We’ve tried the saffron seasoned version with nuts and raisins offered up at StoneSoup with great success. Sunday’s version, though, is my current favorite. We skipped heat of masala and used smoked Spanish paprika and sea salt on our veggies. The smoked pepper turned out to compliment both the slightly bitter cauliflower and the pork chops we served them with. A little fresh spinach and apple cider vinegar completed the meal.
Lo, and behold! Two servings of vegetables in a leisurely Sunday evening meal, new year’s plans none-the-worse. In truth, a little better.
Healthy Dinner!
Recipe Notes
- Stem and greens. The greens get crunchy in the oven – they’re almost like chips. The stem can go in the oven, where it tastes and feels almost like the florets. We’ve been keeping scraps for vegetable stock, though, and our stems end up in the bag.
- Seasoning. It’s worth investing in smoked paprika. It can be a little pricey, but sometimes you can score a deal at the dollar stores. Ours came from a serendipitous visit to Bobby’s Department Store. And be liberal with your sea salt.
*****
Smoky Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish.
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
| Ingredients | Local sources |
|---|---|
| 1 head cauliflower | I & D Interfoods |
| Olive oil | ShopRite |
| Sea Salt | Various |
| Smoked paprika | not easy to find in the nabe, ours was a windfall from Bobby’s Dept Store |
| 1. Prep | |
 Chop off the stems and leaves, but keep them! |
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate the stem, head and leaves. Chop all into large bite-sized pieces and florets. Place in a 9x13in baking dish or similarly sized vessel. Wash and coarsely chop spinach. Set aside. |
| 2. Season | |
|
Coat in oil. Spinkle liberally with sea salt and smoked paprika. |
Drizzle cauliflower with olive oil. Toss to coat. Add more oil as necessary. Season liberally with salt and paprika. The florets should take on a rusty red color from the paprika. |
| 3. Roast | |
|
Edges should be brown and crispy when done. |
Roast at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Leaves should be crisp. Edges of cauliflower should begin to brown. Serve hot from the oven over fresh spinach. Toss with additional oil and vinegar until spinach is just wilted. |
