Roasted Cauliflower

For years I ignored cauliflower. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because I don't particularly care for it raw and I subconsciously decided that meant I didn't want to eat it cooked. But that's some really faulty logic because there are all kinds of vegetables that I love cooked and am not a huge fan of raw.

Well, we can't always be rational, now can we?

About a year ago, my husband and I ate at an Afghani restaurant in San Diego. I had the kofta challow (a middle eastern meatball dish which I will post in the very near future) and it was served with cauliflower. I loved the cauliflower. Really, really loved it. Every time I make kofta challow now, it means that I have to buy a head of the stuff.

But sometimes, cauliflower heads are huge. Gargantuan huge. So, I found myself the other day. What do I do with the left over? Roasting vegetables tends to bring out their best, so I thought I'd give it a go.

You. Must. Try. This.

A. S. A. P.

The cauliflower gets tender and creamy and has the most wonderful flavor. The browned bits are absolute perfection. And - unlike some vegetables - they roast up very fast.

It almost seems silly to post such a simple thing, but if you're like me, maybe you just never thought about roasting cauliflower... and you really should.

Roasted Cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Make sure that the pieces of cauliflower are well spread out on the sheet. Place in the oven and roast until it becomes tender and nicely browned, about 20-30 minutes.