Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower

auliflower is currently my "it" veggie.  Most people probably don't think so, but cauliflower is an incredibly versatile ingredient and can take on so many different flavors.  My go-to method is the easiest by far, taking cauliflower coated in olive oil, marjoram, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and roasting it in the oven.  You really can't beat the ease and taste with this recipe.  

A couple of other cauliflower recipes have been on my radar: these Crispy Cauliflower Tacos from Ashley at Blissful Basil, or this healthy Cauliflower Crust Pizza spotted on Greatist.com, and perhaps most amazing of all, a Creamy Cauliflower Sauce that is promised to taste as good as alfredo sauce (!!!), from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 cup of Balsamic vinegar (or more depending on how Balsamic-y you like it)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp marjoram flakes

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°.
2. Break cauliflower head into florets.
3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and dried marjoram.  Coat cauliflower florets with mixture and place on parchment paper or directly on a baking sheet, spreading apart evenly.
4. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, turning over halfway through.
5. Remove tray from oven and spoon balsamic vinegar over cauliflower.  
6. Return to oven for another 5 minutes.

What are some other ways you have prepared cauliflower?  I'd love to hear!

Kiss Me, I Eat Kale!

VEN THE BEST junk food can not rival a fresh selection of vegetables as far as I'm concerned. As a vegetarian, they're the largest part of my diet, but even when I ate meat, I remember feeling like the meal was lacking without them. Naturally, my love for vegetables and animals made a plant-based diet an easy decision. My latest endeavor has been learning about and finding different ways to prepare veggies not currently in my repertoire.

I was never too fond of kale because of the sulforaphane in it that makes it smell the noxious way it does, (and all cabbages, the family to which kale belongs) but once I read about its health benefits and tried a couple of good recipes, I had a change of heart. Sulforaphane, I learned, actually triggers the liver to produce enzymes that help detoxify carcinogens. There are lots of studies that confirm this and discuss its implications for cancer prevention too.

I pulled out the food processor I received for Christmas and whipped up a healthy St. Patrick's Day treat for vegans and non-vegans alike:

Leprechaun-approved!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups chopped kale
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp. miso paste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Blanch kale in 1/4 cup of water for approximately five minutes or until leaves are tender. Reserve water for later.
2. Toat pine nuts on low heat until slightly brown.
3. Combine kale, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and miso paste in food processor.
4. Slowly add olive oil and water used for kale, and pulse mixture until you reach desired consistency.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pita chips, on crostini, in pesto tortellini or pastas... you can work it into just about any meal! 

Bon Appétit,

Margaret