roasted cauliflower, three ways

Okay, it’s time for some Thanksgiving recipes.

We might think first of turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. (We’re going to show you how to make each of those well in the next couple of weeks.) We might think about stuffing, dinner rolls, and pie. (Sign up here for our Thanksgiving gluten-free baking iPad app! We show you how to make each of those well.) But for me, the most interesting part of Thanksgiving? The vegetables.

Think about it. The meal is the same, every year. Some people are adamant that absolutely nothing change. But the vegetables? That’s a place you can play.

One of our favorite vegetable dishes, in general and for Thanksgiving in particular, is roasted cauliflower.

Here, let us show you.

See how easy it is?

Feel like making cauliflower for Thanksgiving? Here are the recipes.

Master Recipe: How To Roast Cauliflower

2 large heads of cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil (the fruitier the better)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

Preparing to cook. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepping the cauliflower. Break the cauliflower into large florets. (The smaller they are, the faster they are going to cook.) Put the cauliflower florets into a large bowl. Drizzle the oil over the cauliflower, then toss with salt and pepper. Toss the cauliflower to toss.

Roasting the cauliflower. Spread the cauliflower out on the baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower until they are starting to brown and even start to caramelize a bit, about 30 minutes. (You want the cauliflower to still have a bit of a bite. No one wants mushy cauliflower.)

Once the cauliflower is done, bowl them up and serve. You can cover with foil and keep in a warm place until dinner.

Co-Stars to the Cauliflower

Curry Ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 tablespoons ginger powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper

This one is really easy.

Mix your dry ingredients together. After the cauliflower is oiled up, add the dry ingredients and mix well. Roast.

Salted Yogurt and Dried Cherries, inspired by a recipe from Melissa Clark

Salted Yogurt
2 cups yogurt (we like full-fat yogurt)
2 tablespoons toasted cumin seed, ground
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black Pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced

1 cup dried cherries, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Yogurt Sauce
Place everything in a bowl, mix, TASTE, and adjust the seasoning to your fancy. (It’s best if you make the sauce ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator to fully develop the flavors.)

Roast the cauliflower as written above, then finish the dish with yogurt sauce, cherries, and mint.

Dates, Apples, and Olives, inspired by a recipe from Running With Tweezers
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 1/2 cups green olives, pitted and chopped (Picholine or Castelvetrano are best here)
1 cup dates, pitted and sliced
Roast the cauliflower.

As the cauliflower is roasting, set a pan over medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the apples, dates and the olives. Cook until the apples are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Don’t overcook the apples or you will have applesauce for you cauliflower. Set aside.

Toss the dates and apples with the roasted cauliflower and enjoy.

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