Simple Weeknight Cauliflower

another nice cauliflower recipe i like is to roast it with olive oil and a bit of salt, then puree it and add about 1/4 cup potato buds, and enough liquid to make a mashed potato consistency… then you can go crazy with your fav potato toppings: cheese, sour cream, chives, chili, etc… its a great sub for mashed potatoes!

Wow, made this as written (except that I didn’t have a lemon!) with fresh chives and green garlic from the garden, and I ate an entire (large) head of cauli as a SNACK. Absolutely delicious! Going to make this regularly.

I don’t like cauliflower but couldn’t get the image of this photo out of my head. After reading the recipe I decided to try it, figuring it might convert me to liking cauliflower. Well, it worked. And I ate the entire recipe in one sitting. Only change was using more garlic. Thanks!
HS: Glad you liked it Jackie!

Speaking of cauliflower, my girlfriend and I tried making something I read about last week, “cauliflower rice”. It’s like rice, only 100% cauliflower! Great for low-carb dieters… I didn’t believe it would work, or be like rice. Of course the taste is cauliflower, but when I was eating with a steak and some black beans it felt just like eating rice!

This was the first recipe I’ve made from your blog, even though I’ve been reading your posts and drooling over your photos for a year. I wasn’t disappointed and neither were my fiance and guests – this was DELICIOUS! I added a splash of white wine to the mix as it was simmering – fragrant and tasty. Thank you so much for all you’ve shared!

We made this for Sunday dinner tonight and it was an awesome addition! THANKS!

This seems a lot like gobi aloo without all the yummy seasonings.

I’m sure you hear this all the time, but I must tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I have experimented with many new ingredients because of it and will continue to follow you as so many do. And I agree, cauliflower is delicious. Often I just parboil it and dump it in a pan with some olive oil to brown it.

The cauliflower looks great!
We’ve made your asparagus broccoli salad twice this week. It’s absolutely wonderful.
I received your cookbook for Mother’s Day and we’ve been enjoying that too.
Thanks so much!

i love cauliflower in absolutely any form, but it’s especially delicious pan-fried like this with whole indian seeds (a pinch of cumin, coriander and black pepper) and a few fresh curry leaves.
these all burn quickly, though, so i parboil the florets first or remove them from the pan just before they’re done, toss in the spices and as soon as they’re fragrant (about a minute), add the cauliflower back in and toss. sprinkle little amchoor (dried mango powder) over the top to add a hint of tartness, and you’ll have to stop yourself from eating the entire head!

This looks absolutely delicious! And so simple! I can’t wait to try it.

I love to cook cauliflower in the pan with some extra veggies then throw in some vegetable stock and couscous and let it steep for 5 minutes, absolutely delicious!!

This looks so tasty! Cauliflower is overlooked as a veggie far too often! Yumm!

I loved this recipe but I already changed it.. I added a little chopped asparagus and a little mushroom and onions.. The chives really give it a good taste and colours it. I had some of those little purple bulbs on the chives which I don’t normally use.. but I did this time.. You are making me stretch my skills. Thank you.

Thank you for these recipes! They sound so tasty! Cauliflower is such an underrated vegetable. I love making thick soups out of pureed cauliflowers (especially mixed with gorgonzola cheese).

Made this the other night – absolutely love it! I’ve always found steamed cauliflower to be really bland, but this pan fried version with a few great flavors added was amazing!

Hi,
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. This is helpful for me when I need to prepare a quick dish for dinner. Thanks again. see you next post. -Green

Cauliflower is great in place of mashed potatoes. It’s delicious and most people don’t even notice the switcheroo. I add lots of freshly roasted garlic!
I also love cauliflower florets in a nice curry.
My kids love it plain with just a touch of butter!
Deana

Ahhh the one veggie I never seem to use…as a veggie freak, I will be trying this! Thanks for the great ideas!

Just found this site. Beautiful. Something to aspire to. And after viewing the cauliflower I definitely feel a veggie night coming on.

Cauliflower often seems boring and bland but this recipe makes it golden brown and delicious! Thank you Heidi!

Looks fabulous! I can’t wait to try it! 😀

I have just recently started enjoying cooked cauliflower by itself (without the ever popular broccoli). I have tried it as “mashed potatoes” and roasted. Both were delicious, however the roasted was my favorite –almost a popcorn flavor. This recipe looks like it would be a good alternative to roasting. I am excited to give it a try.

I made this recipe last night. It was great! Thanks for sharing this and all your recipes. I just LOVE your site and your unusual recipes. I was so excited to stumble across your site. I could tell almost instantly that it contained the type of interesting recipes that I can never find anywhere else and wouldn’t have dared try to make up on my own. (LOVE the idea of the black bean brownies.)

Thanks for the great recipe ideas!!
Here’s a hint for families with picky eaters…
I do mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes…just throw steamed cauliflower in a food processer with your choice of butter, oil, milk, or broth with seasonings.
It is so much healthier than mashed potatoes!!

you inspired me to making something similar last night. i sauteed some garlic in evoo and butter and then added the cauliflower, s&p, and curry powder. cooked it until brown and tender and then finished it with some lemon juice. DELICIOUS! thank you so much for this idea!

I’ve been into cauliflower lately, too. I love those charred bits that your photo so beautifully displays. I’ve been blasting mine in the oven, maybe because I don’t have the luscious skillet that you do 🙂

Made this last night – ,y first foray into cauliflower cooking/eating ever. DELICIOUS!
Cooking the cauliflower definitely took longer than 6 minutes to get brown, but other than that, it was perfect!

This recipe sounds fab in its simplicity. In India, we heat a tsp of oil, fry a tsp of cumin seeds and/or black mustard seeds , add a dash of turmeric and salt and then put in the cauliflower florets to roast.
If you’re feeling really decadent, bung in some freshly grated coconut and chopped fresh coriander at the end.
Takes a bit more time than your recipe, Heidi but it’s to die for! 🙂

Nice recipe and indeed quicker than my current favorite which is to drizzle olive oil and a little veggie oil to allow a hotter roast temp. Some kosher salt, pepper and roast at 425 and turn florets the size of ping pong balls every ten minutes or so until golden brown — um um good.

This looks wonderful. I love how cauliflower is so easy to dress up. I usually make curried cauliflower with peas, which add another texture to the dish. I’d love to try the dry harissa version!

This looks wonderful. I usually roast my cauliflower, which is how I got myself to actually like it. I can’t wait to try this – especially the curry version. Your recipes are always so wonderful!

We adore roasted cauliflower, this seems like similar results in less time. I foresee this on our menu a lot this summer! Thanks for always inspiring me!

I’ve had a LOT of cauliflower in my life, but I’ve just never had it browned in oil (usually it’s steamed, boiled, or raw in salads).. This looks like it’d taste just great the way you did it and this is a definite do!

This reminds me of your Garlicy Greens recipe, which I use constantly. It’s so helpful to have easy ways to prepare vegetables in new ways!

I love cauliflower stir-fired or roasted with a little bit of sun-dried tomato. The lemons and chive seem to be another wonderful way bring flavor to cauliflower. I noticed chives right away, really make the dish visually appealing.

I love cauliflower! This should be a fun new way to try it! Thanks for yet another great idea!

Looks fantastic! First time to your blog,you have a lovely one out here.I love cauliflower…simple and an easy recipe.Thanks!

We definitely do not cook with cauliflower as much as we should. It is a really good veggie.

I think it’s perfect just like this! I love cauliflower!

the picture exudes all the flavors here………perfect………i make indian versions of the stirfry n like to chop them similarly…………sometimes cut them into the pan itself after they are half done………i have a roasted version with green curry paste with my home grown organic cauliflowers posted on my blog…….i am going to try all your versions.

mmmm…this looks great. i recently started to roast my cauliflower and moved it from my “dreaded childhood veggies” to my “favorite quick veggies”. This might further redeem it! Thanks for the inspiration.

You always open new doors and flavours taking so little from an ingredient! I should say that it is nothing more but mastering the art of nurturing yourself humanely and, why not, divinely. I bet this makes great finger food for toddlers. Thank you, Heidi 🙂

You always open new doors and flavors taking so little from an ingredient! I should say that it is nothing more but mastering the art of nurturing yourself humanely and, why not, divinely. I bet this makes great finger food for toddlers. Thank you, Heidi 🙂

Yum! Can’t wait to try it. I just got my hubby hooked on oven-baked cauliflower after a lifetime of hatred. Maybe he’ll find the pan-fried version equally appealing. Fingers crossed!

Looks absolutely mouthwatering!
I don’t know how you do it Heidi… but every dish of yours that I prepare knocks it out of the park. This one is no different, I’m sure. Only thing on par with your delicious recipes is your writing. That opening paragraph pulls me in every time – no matter how busy I am. 🙂
I hope this site remains here for a long, long time! I get so much out of it.
Kylie

In England, Caulflower Cheese rules, but, it is too heavy for summer, especially now that we live in Arizona.
I have often cooked cauliflower with curry spices, but, my children weren’t happy with it.
I’m going to try this method at the weekend. It sounds fabulous.
Thanks for the great ideas.
Myrtle.

I had to laugh at your title, because I’ve never seen a “simple” recipe posted here before! But, I believe this might be it. I’ve never tried anything but boiling my cauliflower, so this looks fantastic!

I love cauliflower but never seem to put it in the limelight that it deserves. Instead, unintentionally I hide it in soups, stir fries, or salads…but it is about time it was center stage. Thanks for the inspiration!!( as always)

This looks so great and such a wonderful alternative to steamed cauliflower! That is all I have ever tried and will definitely have to branch out with this recipe!

I LOVE roasted cauliflower! I always have to make more than I need for a recipe because when it comes out of the oven all golden, I start eating it like popcorn and can’t stop…

This sounds lovely.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables and I always like to find new ones to prepare it.

I love roasted cauliflower! I could eat the whole head prepared that way, but I usually try to restrain myself.

Gotta love the cauli! I love how you can do it so many delicious ways and the flavor of the cauli still shines bright. Nutmeg sounds gorgeous. Other variations are 1) steam it along with garlic, tomato sauce peperoncino and basil 2) it so good with curry, too!!! i also add anise seeds, black mustard seeds and onions. Thanks for all the ideas!

The nutmeg idea is so simple and obvious — and yet I’ve never done it. It’s beautiful in spnach of course, and yet I’ve never thought to add it to other vegetables (I did add it to an egg spinach cake that I posted about recently).
I’m looking forward to the purple and orange cauliflower, but that seems to come later in the year.

LOVE cauliflower. And what lovely little pieces your honey cuts it up into! Love the idea of parmesan…I tend to throw indian spices in (cumin and ginger are great) or sometimes go the more italian route with capers and tomato sauce.

This looks declicious and easy. Would you ever blanch the cauliflower first or leave it crunchy?

My family loves cauliflower cooked in small pieces like this with lots of garlic and hot pepper flakes. We then have it on top of our sauce (Italian Sunday gravy) and pasta. If I make the sauce meatless, this adds a great extra zing to what can be just plain sauce and pasta.

Samuel,
Those purple buds are chive flowers, I think. Last time I picked up a bunch of chives at the farmer’s market, they had big purple flowers on the end. They’re intensely flavored and yummy!
Heidi, this looks great! I love how easily it can be changed up.

Guillermo loves Cauliflower and we hardly ever prepare it–this one will be on the top of our list! Thanks, and beautiful as always.

Thank you Heidi, I can’t wait to try this. I love your simple vegetable dishes (like your garlicky greens–one of my all-time favorites of yours). Please keep them coming!
I read your website all the time, but this is my first time posting. Two of my other favorites are your mushroom casserole (so comforting and yummy) and the lentil-almond stir fry (such an incredible combination of flavors).
You truly enrich my life, Heidi! Your warm writing makes you feel like a friend, and you’ve given me so much inspiration in the kitchen (as well as better health). Thank you, thank you for being a wonderful gift to us all!

Would you use broccoli in this recipe instead of cauliflower?

This looks like a simple but delicious recipe. Anything with a golden brown crust like that sounds fabulous to me.

You’re right: the egg sandwich idea does sound weird! But, the cauliflower itself – especially the curry version – sounds fantastic. Love the way you add the chives with the bud ends attached!

I love califlower! and I cook it very often. I’ll try all your recipes. Do you know greek califlower (chou-fleur à la grecque)? you cook it only 5mn with white wine, vinegar, olive oil, coriander and fennel, and cool it in frige all the night. You eat it cold with grilled meat or for “apéritif”

Looks fabulous! I love that you gave all those variations. Cauliflower is one of those simple, humble ingredients that can become absolutely luxurious when done just right.

I do this kind of simple saute often as well- With Cauliflower, I usually add cubes of raw sweet potato-they cook about the same time and go together so well while adding valuable nutrients. A sprinkle of tumeric adds needed minerals and a great color if you are not using curry.

Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for couple of months, and I love it!! Thank you for sharing your ideas! Greetings from Croatia, Snjezana.

I am a fairly new reader to your blog and I love it! So many good ideas for veggies.
I would always just make aloo gobhi (curried cauliflower with potatoes – a great and yummy staple dish!), but this post gives me lots of fresh ideas. 🙂
I like hearing about other people’s “food routines.” You may have posted something like this earlier on, but can you tell us more about how often you go to the farmer’s market, your fave shops in SF, when you cook, etc.?
I get a produce bag every week and am often overwhelmed with trying to finish it all before I get the next one, so I am interested in how other avid cooks and committed produce eaters do this!
Your recipes often feature using up the odds and ends left in the fridge, so I assume you struggle with this sometimes as well….
Thanks!

I grew up with steamed cauliflower served with melted butter or else raw in the crudite tray – I love your variations that you shared. Thank you!

I generally eat traditional steamed cauliflower with salt & pepper. But I sometimes roast my cauliflower in the oven as Heidi describes with the skillet version, which gives it a similar golden quality. It is a great vegetable and versatile, not to mention, good for you too!

This recipes looks fantastic ! Can wait to try.
Thank you !

Wow, that looks fantastic! What a delicious way to prepare cauliflower. I can’t wait to try this!

What a lovely recipe – perhaps some flaked toaste almonds would also go well with this. Probably a lot healthier than my favourite way of cooking cauliflower which is cauliflower cheese!

Heidi, you make everything look delicious, even for a non-veggie lover like myself. It makes me want to go out and fill my fridge with delicous fresh veggies and cook everything on your website! I’ll definately have to give these a go sometime soon, for, as you put it yourself, they are endlessly adaptable and throw together easily. Thanks for the inspiration!

I feel like cauliflower gets such a bad rap! I personally love it, and will definitely be trying this. My typical way of cooking it is to toss it with a good amount of olive oil and sea salt, and roast it for about an hour until it is brown and caramelized. My other favorite is cauliflower and green apple soup — earthy, a little sweet, a little tart — delicious!

this is the only way i can get my family to eat cauliflower. i add a little onion and fennel/fennel seeds to the oil sometimes, but otherwise my recipe is pretty similar.
why, oh why, though, did i never think to add cheese? mmm. thanks, heidi!

cauliflower is my new obsession (that’s funny). i’ve been making it like this lately w/o cheese but adding chopped capers, grn olives and chilli flakes. i’ll be trying your parmesan recipe on an open face sandwich asap! yummie!
heidi, thanks for your wonderful site, recipes and photos. it’s been exciting for me to be a part of this community you’ve created. i’m inspired to use whole, beautiful ingredients in new ways. (LOVED the pea pillows, banana choc cookies, etc etc!). thanks again!!!

i love roasted cauliflower with gruyere and carmelized onions or leeks. great by itself or especially yummy in quiche.
quick tip when i roast cauliflower, i keep the head intact but carve out the core, then stick a head of garlic underneath the “cap” of cauliflower. both roast together and the smell and flavor is wonderful.

I do a similar version to this, but I roast it in the oven, at about 425 degrees, with olive oil, scant sprinkling of salt and lots of cumin. The key yo the flavor is the carmelization, it adds a nuttiness to the flavor that can’t be beat!
Your version would be great for the hot summer days when I can’t face turning on the oven!

I’d serve this with some guacamole–great combination with roasted cauliflower!

I love the suggestions! roasted cauliflower is a favourite of mine. I usually toss it with some olive oil, salt, pepper and garam masala, and often instead of roasting i’ll cut it into bigger pieces and grill it on the BBQ.

I have always liked raw cauliflower but never liked it cooked. Maybe because it’s always been blanched or steamed to death. I can’t wait to try it this way, I think it will change everything. Thanks!

That looks absolutely fantastic!
Roasted cauliflower is one of those dishes that always makes me wanna sing!
Can’t wait to try your version…
…thanks, Heidi!

I love cauliflower. My husband wasn’t a huge fan until I started to roast it in the oven (tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper). By the way, we found some amazing fava beans at our local farmer’s market and used your method to grill and they were delicious!

I am always, always hoping for recipes to bring my family closer to liking the ‘good things for them’, and this one makes my list!
P.S. Love the new look of the comments section, and the blog overall too! (not sure if I told you that before!)

I do a Sicilian version that has black olives, chili flakes, lots of garlic, capers and anchovies. If you don’t eat fish, you could probably toss some Parmesan on at the end instead.
It’s a wonderfully versatile vegetable, and surprisingly full of vitamins (well I think it’s surprising because I somehow associate high vitamin content with bright color!)

Hmm, I’m not very learned as far as garnishing is concerned — what are those purple buds? Some kind of herb flower I imagine…
This is a great thing to do. I’m pretty hooked on this and broccoli cooked in the same way, then put through wholemeal pasta with lots of parsley. If I’m feeling decadent, it gets a bit of pesto, otherwise I add roasted eggplant and a tomato sauce I make with cherry tomatoes and chilies.
Since going vegetarian, cruciferous vegetables have turned into a mega staple!
HS: Hi Samuel. Those are little chive buds. Sometimes the chives at my market still have them. I love sprinkling them over salads, soups, and vegetable plates like this one.

Yum, cauli is so under-rated! We love it roasted in the oven – it doesn’t even make it to our plates!

Oh, I’m really in love with cauliflower lately. I’ve been oven roasting it with garlic, olive oil, panko, and cheese. The best are the brown parts!!! Can’t wait to try this new easy skillet version and with all the variety ideas you’ve provided. Seriously yummy stuff!!

how beautifully and neatly the florets are cut!
i am always looking for new recipes for cauliflower. these are so easy and they look good too.

I love recipes like this – they’re simple yet wonderful and open to endless variations depending on what one has on hand. Cauliflower in particular is a great vegetable for playing with different spices and flavors. Thanks for your beautiful pictures and delicious recipes, as always!