Gluten-free Roasted Paprika Cauliflower

… Taking This “Diet” Food to a New Level!

Cauliflower often gets a bad rep. Too often it’s still thought of as a “diet food”. But there’s so much more to cauliflower if we take our blinders off … in flavor opportunities and health benefits, while often still keeping the “diet”, and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, properties intact. Are you ready to move cauliflower into a tastier food group? Let’s get started …

Quick cauliflower nutritional benefits 411: One average-size head of cauliflower provides our bodies with 11 grams protein, one and a half grams of fat, no cholesterol, only 146 calories and 29 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of fiber (yep, for the whole head). That’s a solid one-third to one-half of your recommended daily requirement of fiber. Not enough healthy stuff yet? Let’s tack on (that same one head of) cauliflower reaps a whopping 450+ percent of Vitamin C, 50+% Vitamin B-6, 22% Magnesium, 13% iron, and roughly 12 % calcium to your RDA intake. (These stats refer to cauliflower in its raw state.)

Steaming or raw used to be the most popular ways of dealing with this vegetable. I’m good with eating cauliflower raw. I love its crunch and subdued sweet, earthy flavor. Steamed cauliflower on the other hand is ehhh. I can completely do without it – unless, of course, it gets turned into something else. We’ll explore more on that in another veggie post.

Today, roasting is where we’re going with this lovely white cruciferous vegetable. Roasting brings out additional inherent sweetness, while gaining crisp textures on the thinner pieces and perfect tenderness to the thicker ones.

Seasonings can be modified completely to your personal preference. I particularly love the combination of herbs in this recipe. The pairing of cumin and paprika, mixed with the robust olive oil and slight charring scattered throughout, give this roasted cauliflower smoky, grassy flavor notes – in only the best way.

This recipe is not a labor of love … it will just be love. Three easy steps and 15-20 minutes (including prep and roasting), and you’re ready to indulge. And indulging in this roasted cauliflower is guilt-free. Win!

Roasted Paprika Cauliflower

Servings: 3-4 cups roasted cauliflower

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Roasting Time: 8-12 minutes*

Oven Temp: 450 °F

No
Gluten No
Dairy No
Egg No
Meat No
Soy No
Corn No
Peanut No
Tree
Nut No
Shell
Fish No
Fish Vegan

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Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, rinsed, patted dry
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - choose good quality oil for more robust flavor
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450ºF. (I use convection bake, but conventional baking is fine too. Roasting time may take just a little longer. Watch closely.) Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
Cut stump with leaves off of head of cauliflower. Remove any additional leaves and discard. Cut head into florets of similar sizes.
Add cauliflower florets to a large bowl. Drizzle oil over cauliflower. Stir to distribute over all pieces. Sprinkle in onion powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake in preheated 450ºF oven on center rack for 8-12 minutes. Test for your desired doneness with fork. Serve immediately.
Store any uneaten roasted cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Can easily be added to salads or soups for added texture and flavor.

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™