The Wonders of Cauliflower

Growing up I never really gave cauliflower much thought – it wasn't part of our regular routine maybe my mom didn't like it. We did have a lot of salads tho, actually I once threatened to run away from home if I had to make ONE MORE SALAD. To which my mom replied "Would you make a salad before you leave" – funny girl.

I didn't really start eating cauliflower until I was in my 30's and I usually steamed it with broccoli, carrots and zucchini and that was great for a long time. In the last 8+ years however, I've become known as the veggie queen by my husband's family and I roast veggies and it is my  favorite way to eat them.

With a head of cauliflower in the fridge I wanted to try something different. I've done the grilled cauliflower steaks, which are good, but I wasn't in the mood for that I was thinking sweet and savory. I recalled seeing a whole roasted cauliflower recipe online so I dug that out and altered it (because I never have everything they call for in my pantry/fridge but I'm good at substitutions) it was simple and delicious.

I started by removing the leaves and stem from the head of cauliflower so that it will sit firmly on a flat surface. Rinse the cauliflower and pat dry.

Combine 2 T. spicy mustard (I used a spicy brown mustard), some olive oil and a splash of maple syrup in a small bowl.  Using a basting brush cover the head of cauliflower and then liberally add salt (pink sea salt) and fresh ground black pepper.

Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet or a stone and bake for about an hour in a 450-degree oven. It's done when you can stick a knife in it and it no longer feels hard. Remove it from the oven, add a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and if you have any of the basting sauce left over drizzle it on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

You can pair this with a nice green salad (we did) or some vegan sausages, or whatever sounds good. 

Thanks for stopping by!