I like cauliflower. My family is still on the fence regarding this oddly-shaped, white veggie. And I admit, in it’s raw state, it can be a little hard-core for a kid. Not me, though, I love it in all of its forms.

And given its pale color (as opposed to other screaming-antioxidants-at-you colored-veggies), one would almost wager a guess that maybe it’s not a nutritional goldmine. But this darned thing is so very, very good for you. Particularly women, I’ve come to discover…

-It is a cruciferous veggie (like broccoli) and these are thought to help lower the risk of some cancers.
-Contains lots of potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese and Omega 3 fatty acids
-Great source of B1, B2, B3 B5, B6, B9 (Bingo!)
-Contains Glucosinolates-these compounds give it the pungent smell and flavor BUT they activate the body’s detox systems and we like that.

While it has it’s culinary uses, it is a bit challenging to prepare in an interesting fashion. You can mash it, you can use it a LOT in Indian cuisine, you can bake it with a breading and make it seem (weirdly, yet deliciously) like buffalo wings, but then I hit a wall. I love it but what the heck do I do with you??

(how many times have you said that to a loved one?-ha!)

Let’s try the simplest thing that I’ve read you can do to it and see how it goes. Remove the stem and greens, rub the whole bugger down with good olive oil, sprinkle with briney kosher salt, sit it on a baking tray, pop it into a 450 degree oven and bake for about 1.5 hours. Maybe twenty minutes before the end, tent the sucker somewhat snugly with aluminum foil to steam it and soften it up.

Here’s the before (so boring)…

And *After* (so golden and not boring)!

End result: Kids and husband gobbled it up. Husband, mid-reach for seconds, even said “I NEVER go back for seconds on cauliflower. I barely like the firsts usually.”

Simply delightful.