A Month-of-Appetizers: Cauliflower Popcorn

Cauliflower intimidates some people I know. All they know to do with it, is cut it up to bits and sprinkle in salads “because it’s good for you”. If pressed, they couldn’t say exactly how it’s good for you, but that’s what “they” say.

And that head of cauliflower languishes in the veggie drawer between salad making sessions until, turning brown, it is tossed in the garbage. Sigh! Okay, they are substantial in size, true. You get your money’s worth with a head of cauliflower. But not if you don’t use it.

Next time you are overwhelmed with the size of your cauliflower, cut off part and make this really yummy soup from Pioneer Woman http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cauliflower-soup/

Or even better, astound your friends with an appetizer they never considered making. There are two versions of roasted cauliflower--florets and whole. Roasting really changes the flavor of cauliflower. Try the recipe here for the florets, but a good recipe for whole roasted cauliflower (to serve as a dinner side dish) can be found here: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/8821/Forget-florets--roast-the-whole-damn-cauliflower.htm

The recipe for Cauliflower Popcorn comes from a posting at “Cooks R Us”, a Facebook cooking group run by Evie da Boss, but recipes for cauliflower popcorn or cauliflower poppers are all over the Internet.

Cauliflower Popcorn

1 head of cauliflower

Butter-flavor cooking spray

Turmeric

Pepper

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut the head of cauliflower in half and remove the tough core and green parts.

Break the head apart into bite-sized pieces and arrange on the baking pan without touching, if possible.

Spray the cauliflower pieces with the butter-flavor cooking spray. Sprinkle on turmeric, fresh ground pepper, and salt.

Bake 20-30 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

[NOTE: This messy due to the turmeric so serve wet wipes along with the dish.]

Oh, and just how is cauliflower “good for you”? It is one of the cruciferous veggies you should be eating at least 2-3 times a week (1.5 cups per serving). Cruciferous veggies help your body detox, build your anti-oxidant system, and help fight inflammation. Cauliflower is also high in a lot of necessary nutrients. In fact, 1 cup of cooked cauliflower provides more than 73% of your daily Vitamin C requirement. So eat that cauliflower as many ways as you can!

DH’s Rating: 2 Tongues Up  Nah, he prefers it raw in his salad. Too bad!