How to roast a whole head of cauliflower (yes I said a whole head!) in the oven. It comes out all brown and nutty and dramatic looking, easy enough for a weeknight, impressive enough for your mother-in-law. Weight Watchers? All this for just one Weight Watchers point!
So isn't it gorgeous?! There's just something so spectacular about cooking a whole head of cauliflower. I am my mother's daughter after all, she loved to cook a head of cauliflower and top it with cheese sauce. (Who remembers Whole Cauliflower with Homemade Cheese Sauce?!) But this is even more dramatic looking, thanks to how the florets get all toasty brown in the oven. It's like a cross between the comfort food of Mom's cauliflower and ease of Roasted Cauliflower, which was the very first -- first! -- recipe published on Day One of A Veggie Venture back
RECIPE for WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER with LEMON VINAIGRETTE
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours
Serves about 6, depending on size of cauliflower
Time to table: 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours
Serves about 6, depending on size of cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of a lemon
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon small capers
Preheat oven to 450F.
Wash the head of cauliflower under running water. (Why? Always wash fruits and vegetables!.) Trim off the outer leaves. With a sharp knife, remove a cone-shaped piece from the core, keeping the head intact. (Need an illustration? How to clean and trim a cauliflower.) With your fingers, rub a little olive oil into the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish, rub the remainder on all over the cauliflower, working the oil into the crevasses as best you can. Sprinkle with salt and place core-side down in the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour or 1-1/4 hours, until the exterior is brown and crusty and the center soft. If you like, transfer to a serving dish.
Meanwhile, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients. With a spoon, drizzle the vinaigrette over the top of the cauliflower, slowly to let it soak in as much as it will. Serve and savor ...
ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe called for 2 tablespoons of oil for the head of cauliflower, I actually tried to use this much, it just didn't soak in. The inspiring recipe calls for 4 tablespoon oil to a tablespoon of lemon juice. Certainly, this is the proportions of a classic vinaigrette. Trouble is, only so much vinaigrette actually soaks in. 
MORE FAVORITE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES
~ Curried Cauliflower ~
~ Cauliflower Spanish 'Rice' ~
~ Cauliflower Cream ~
~ more cauliflower recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes' ~
~ Quick Cauliflower Soup ~
~ Cauliflower Risotto ~
~ more cauliflower recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column
~ Curried Cauliflower ~
~ Cauliflower Spanish 'Rice' ~
~ Cauliflower Cream ~
~ more cauliflower recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes' ~
~ Quick Cauliflower Soup ~
~ Cauliflower Risotto ~
~ more cauliflower recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column
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