I like when the Hubby has plans, and I am left to my own devices for dinner; partially because I’m an introvert and love the “me” time, but also so I can make Roasted Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. It’s become a tradition of mine. The Hubby actually likes this particular recipe, but the problem is, I don’t want to share. Yep, I prefer to eat an entire head of cauliflower for dinner, all by myself, because that’s not weird. Most folks would make this as a side dish to their main course. Not me. It’s my whole meal, and I love it. Besides, if I had to share, I’d have to make something else.
And the best part about this recipe, other than the taste, of course, is the entire thing, the whole head of cauliflower plus the vinaigrette, is only 360 calories. Bam!
- 1 large head cauliflower, leaves trimmed
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/8 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon minced scallion greens
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Cut cauliflower into quarters. Remove any extra woody core from the ends, but keep the quarters intact. Brush with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes. Turn so the opposite cut sides are down. Continue roasting until tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, blue cheese, vinegar, water, scallion greens and pepper in a small bowl. Serve the roasted cauliflower drizzled with the vinaigrette.
- I didn’t have any scallions on hand, so I used chives instead, although any mild onion would suffice, and I swapped out the white vinegar for champagne vinegar (fancy). Last, since I chopped my cauliflower up into bite sized morsels, I only needed to bake it for 12 minutes a side. Our oven also kicks ass. That helps.
For more nutritional info on cauliflower: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13
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