Follow along as Dr. Nishanga Bliss, chef at 18 Reasons, walks us through a healthy and delicious roast cauliflower dish, maximizing the cauliflower as well as making the most of herbs, greens and other bits and pieces she has in the kitchen.

Oven Roasted Crispy Cauliflower with Carrot Top Salsa Verde

Crispy Cauliflower

Crave-able cauliflower!  The entire Brassica family of vegetables (broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, etc.) are at their best when oven-roasted in olive oil with salt unil crisp. This cooking techniue tames the bitterness and brings out their subtle sweetness. 

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower    
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Trim the leaves from the base of the cauliflower and add to a large bowl. 
3. Cut the florets off of the stem and core and separate into 1-2” pieces. 
4. Slice the stem and core into ½ thick slabs. 
5. Combine the florets and cauliflower pieces with the leaves in the bowl, and sprinkle with the olive oil and salt. 
6. Mix thoroughly so that each piece is lightly coated. 
7. Spread onto a cookie sheet, and bake 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until the florets are browned and crispy on the edges. 
8. Serve with the Carrot Top Salsa Verde.

Carrot Top Salsa Verde

This zesty sauce adds color and vitamins to many a dish, and is a great way to use the tougher stems of culinary herbs. Using the preserved lemon inoculates the sauce with probiotic bacteria and can help preserve the bright green color of the sauce.  You can find preserved lemon in markets or easily learn to make it yourself.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coarsely chopped carrot tops
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley, stems included
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced preserved lemon or zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. 
2. Season to taste. 
3. Use right away or if you’ve used preserved lemon, you can also cover and let sit overnight to ferment slightly, then refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Nishanga Bliss is a passionate home cook and avid fermenter by night, and an integrative physician and professor of Chinese medicine by day. Her mission is to spread deliciousness and to connect personal and planetary health. She is the author of the Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health and All-Day Energy. Visit her on the web at https://nishangabliss.com.

18 Reasons is a Chef Partner of the Stop Food Waste campaign. They are a nonprofit cooking school on a mission to empower our community with the confidence and creativity needed to buy, cook, and eat good food every day.