Monday, March 30, 2009

Eat Your Vegetables

I am one of those cooks who is obsessed with a particular ingredient or cooking style and will cook and eat one way until I get sick of it and then switch to something new.

My current obsession: roasting vegetables. I love how high heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the veggies and crisps up the edges. Anyone who knows me will tell you that sweet and savory, as well as crispies, are the way to my heart.

Today's culinary adventure was roasting cauliflower. I do not remember eating it as a kid but it has been popping up on all of the food blogs lately. It looks so white and bland, but I learned that it is full of nutrients despite its lack of color. (See other food myths busted). The preparation could not be simpler: sprinkle with olive oil and salt and bake it on a tray for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees. It turned out perfectly.

It makes me wonder why anyone would just boil this vegetable, or any other vegetable really. In the past year I have also compulsively roasted eggplant, brussel sprouts, beets, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, and butternut squash. And to think, I used to be a picky vegetable eater as a kid.

Picture and recipe courtesy of Slashfood via Bon Appetite & Laurel Fan.

1 comment:

kramer said...

Hi Kristina,

Have you ever roasted fingerling potatoes? Your younger North Bay cousins like roasted fingerling potatoes better than french fries. They are delicious and quick. Just quarter them length wise,toss with olive oil and rosemary, and roast in oven . Healthier too!