I've often felt that cooking cauliflower is no-win situation. Either you serve it "healthy" - say, steamed with a little salt and lemon juice - and it tastes like packing peanuts (well, packing peanuts with lemon juice), or else you smother it with cheese or butter or creamy curry sauce and completely destroy its virtue. But recently I have seen the error of my ways. The key to cauliflower that's delicious and healthy (and easy): Roast it, with just the tiniest bit of bacon.
I simply toss the cauliflower florets in a mixture of olive oil and mustard, throw them on a baking pan with a handful of whole peeled garlic gloves and some chunks of slab bacon, sprinkle on a little salt and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. The cauliflower gets soft on the inside and crisp and caramelized at the edges, the mustard-olive oil mix gets condensed and flavorful and a little sticky, the garlic cloves become pungent and golden. The bacon, barely more than a condiment, adds depth and crunch (though it could easily be omitted). This, with some garlicky lentils, has been my go-to weeknight meal for the past month. Try it - you won't be sorry.
What are your favorite cauliflower recipes?
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