Roasted Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts, with Options

This is the simplest of the side dishes in this week's parade, but if you haven't had these vegetables roasted, you must. Today.

Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are everywhere these days, from farmers' markets to the grocery store. I love the crazy wild purple and yellow cauliflowers from the farmers' market and the stalk of Brussels sprouts from Trader Joe's.

Roasting cauliflower and Brussels sprouts gives them a deep, rich flavor that is more than worth the 10 minutes it takes to prepare the vegetables and toss them with a bit of olive oil. I am convinced that roasting is the reason that all three of our kids love cauliflower. It hasn't won them over on the Brussels sprouts, but as you know, I do not give up easily. I keep trotting roasted Brussels sprouts out onto the dinner table and one of these days, I expect that, like their mother, they will eat these right out of the pan because they can't wait the three minutes between pulling the pan from the oven and sitting down to dinner.

If you already have enough strong flavors on your Thanksgiving table, just roast some cauliflower or Brussels sprouts with a bit of garlic and salt and, I promise they will not disappoint. But if you want to try something a bit more creative, I've got options.

The first is to toss the roasted vegetables with parsley-lemon-garlic just before serving. It will add freshness and brighten up the flavors, a nice contrast to the earthiness from roasting.

Or you could roast some onions alongside the vegetables, slice them, and toss them with the vegetables and some toasted almonds for a riff on the standard green beans with onion and almonds.

Finally, if you add some pimenton to the vegetables before roasting them, they will develop a deep smoky flavor while cooking. Toss on a few toasted pumpkin seeds after the cooking process and you have a fantastic, but very simple, side dish.

You could also mix it up for Thanksgiving. Serve half of the veggies with the one of the optional enhancements and the other half au naturel. It would be interesting to see which disappear first.

Roasted Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts

 You can, of course, roast both Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, but cook them in separate pans because the cooking times will vary. The vegetables can be roasted ahead and reheated just before serving. Be sure not to overcook them during the first roasting so that they don't become overly mushy when you reheat them. If you are going with one of the options, add the parsley-lemon-garlic mixture or nuts after reheating.

Serves 8 as a side dish
Approximately 10 minutes preparation time
20-30 minutes roasting time

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets or 6 cups Brussels sprouts, with the ends trimmed off
olive oil for drizzling, approximately 2 tablespoons
2 garlic cloves smashed
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large roasting pan, arrange the cauliflower florets or Brussels sprouts in a single layer. Drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top, and mix everything together with the garlic cloves.

Roast until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. The time will depend on the size of your florets or sprouts, but start checking for doneness at about 20 minutes. The vegetables should be easy to pierce with a knife.

Option 1: With Parsley, Lemon, and Garlic

1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Follow the instructions for roasting above.

While the vegetables are roasting, mix the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. After the vegetables have finished roasting, toss on the parsley mixture and stir gently to completely coat the vegetables.

Option 2: With Roasted Onion and Almonds

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, peeled and sliced lengthwise into eighths
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Follow the instructions for roasting above, but add the onion to the roasting pan and roast it alongside the cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts.

While the vegetables are cooking, toast the almonds in a sauté pan over medium heat, tossing them a few times, until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden, 2-3 minutes.

When the vegetables have finished cooking, remove the onion chunks. Let them cool for a minute on a cutting board, then slice them into bite-sized pieces. Toss the onion pieces and almonds back into the vegetables and serve.

Option 3: With Smoked Paprika and Pepitas

2 teaspoons Pimenton (smoked paprika)
1/4 cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

In a small bowl, whisk the smoked paprika with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle the olive oil onto the cauliflower or Brussels sprouts and roast as instructed above.

If the pepitas are not pre-roasted, toast them in a sauté pan, tossing them a few times. Cook until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, add the pepitas and serve.

Print Recipe

Comments

[Sarah O'Herron]

It is so gorgeous, it doesn't even have to taste good! :)

[Margy]

I am loving all these fall colors, too, but that purple is like a pop of something else, isn't it?