Roasted Cauliflower

I’ll admit it: I don’t like cauliflower. Or should I say, I didn’t like cauliflower. I still don’t like raw cauliflower. Or boiled cauliflower. Or steamed cauliflower. If a restaurant serves mixed vegetables and part of the mixture is cauliflower, I’ll eat it, but I won’t enjoy it.

So I was less than thrilled to be served cauliflower recently. We were visiting our friends Eurydice, Chris and their children while we were on vacation in Chicago. We had a great time catching up, and then it was time for dinner. Chris cooked chicken, sweet potatoes . . . and cauliflower. It had been years since I had seen Eurydice and I had just met Chris, so I wanted to be polite. I took as small a serving of cauliflower as I thought I could get away with without appearing rude. To my surprise it was good. Really good. Fantastically good.

Once we got home, I replicated the dish. And it was good, really good, fantastically good. Even if you don’t think you like cauliflower, you’ve got to try this simple and delicious recipe. Trust me. It just might change your mind.

Makes 4 servings

1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Break cauliflower into flowerets using a sharp knife. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Add the oil, salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Mix with your hands till the ingredients are well combined. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden. Serve immediately.