Roasted Orange Cauliflower

Boy, oh boy has it been a busy week.

Whenever I come home from work exhausted or find that I haven't the time to plan (let alone execute) a well thought out meal, I turn to such simple cooking methods as roasting.  Roasting works well with almost all vegetables, but few better than cauliflower.

The result with cauliflower is a sweet and warming caramelized satisfaction that hardly resembles a vegetable.  It helps that orange cauliflower, which I used, is by nature already sweeter than its white counterpart.

Now I know that cauliflower isn't exactly in season anymore, and the truth is I made this dish quite a while ago, but maybe you can let this one slide, and save this recipe for future use.  If you happen to have any cauliflower leftovers, which is probably unlikely, but if you do, you could cut it up and throw it in a bowl with, say, some beans, onions, mushrooms, and basil.  Just a thought.

Roasted Orange Cauliflower

1 head orange (or white or green or purple) cauliflower, trimmed of any outer leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower in half and then slice crosswise.  (You could also break the cauliflower into florets, but I prefer to cut it this way - I think it's easier to eat like this.)  In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with a few glugs of olive oil and season with salt.  Place in a single layer on a large cookie sheet or sheet pan and roast until crisp and caramelized, about 20 minutes, turning the slices once about halfway through.  Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Cauliflower and Bean Salad
I literally threw this salad together, so the measurements aren't exact.  Feel free to improvise and edit to suit your own taste!

leftover roasted cauliflower (at least half a head's worth), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
half a red onion, sliced or diced
a handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
a couple of mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and sliced
a spoonful of whole grain mustard
a splash of red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat.  When hot, add onions and mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms are just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, beans, onion and mushroom mixture, and basil.  Toss with mustard, vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.