Roasted Balsamic Golden Cauliflower

I conquered cauliflower a few weeks ago and loved it so much I continue to buy it! I always avoided buying cauliflower because I was intimidated by the fact that it's basically as big as my head and I some how needed to cut it into little pieces. However, I came across a yellow cauliflower at the farmer's market and I couldn't pass it up. I knew that I could find directions on how to cut it up somewhere online without cutting off a finger and I did and all of my fingers remain intact!

Here's how you do it:


Tear remaining leaves off
Cut around thick stem, which will cause smaller pieces of cauliflower to break off



Cut out the center or "plug" of each additional piece
Break each piece into desired size

 and Voila! You have cauliflower florets.

This recipe calls for very few ingredients and things that should be staples in your kitchen, which makes it super easy. I got my inspiration from a bottle of expensive balsamic vinegar in my pantry that we bought at a specialty food store in Carmel, CA. I've never tasted such a rich, syrup like balsamic vinegar before and now I'll never go back to the cheap stuff! I was anxious to use it in a recipe and thought this was the perfect time to experiment.

Roasted Balsamic Golden Cauliflower

1 large cauliflower (any variety)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Parmesan cheese (optional)



Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix cauliflower florets, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl

Spread out on baking sheet, preferably one with a higher rim
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until soft and turning golden brown

Remove cauliflower from oven and mix with balsamic vinegar
Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes

and enjoy alone or a very small pinch of parmesan cheese.

Lesson learned from this experiment:
The internet has the answers to almost everything, so don't be intimidated to try and prepare/cook new things! Maybe next I'll conquer bok choy or fava beans...

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite healthy cooking websites: Eating Well. I decreased the amount of olive oil, left out a spice and did away with most of the cheese, as it didn't need it.