Sautéed Cauliflower: Our Unexpected Crave

Y'all, an unexpected thing happened to our family this winter.  We fell in love with cauliflower. I have always liked it, but never would I have thought that the words *cauliflower* and *crave* would be used in the same sentence.  But now, I crave it, and it shows up on the grocery list every week.

Here's how it happened: I was making the Cauliflower Soup that my friend Lindsey had been raving about.  It is a creamy (from the veggies, not milk) blended soup with bits of roasted cauliflower nestled on top as a garnish.  As I was sautéing the garnish, we tested one to check for doneness and flavor and then we started nibbling.  I swiftly went back to the refrigerator to cut up some more to add to the pan because it was clear none was going to make it to the soup. We ended up loving the garnish even more than the soup. (Though the soup is a winner.)

As we were chomping, we recalled a time we went with friends to the Tavern in midtown and got a buffalo cauliflower appetizer that was incredible.  It made me think about dipping them in some buffalo sauce.  The next time we sautéed cauliflower we tried it and it was yummy- especially to my guys.

Now sautéed cauliflower has become a main dish, a side dish, and a snack at our house. This week we made brown rice bowls layered with sautéed cauliflower and roasted kale, and rotisserie chicken with a drizzle of buffalo sauce and crumbles of blue cheese.

Herb Salted Cauliflower (Roasted or Sautéed)
You can oven roast or sauté depending on the time you have and amount of cauliflower you are making.
If you are making a bunch (a large head or more) you might rather roast on a baking sheet.
If you need it faster, you might choose sautéing in a frying pan.

Wash and chop cauliflower into small pieces.  Toss in a drizzle of olive oil.  Sprinkle with herb salt, or coarse salt and some dried rosemary and/or basil.

For sautéing- place in a pan on medium high heat and stir occasionally until tender, transparent and the edges are golden. Sprinkle with salt or herb salt.

If roasting- place on rimmed baking sheet and cook at 375˚ for 20-30 minutes, stirring a few times here and there.  Remove from oven when cauliflower is tender, transparent and the edges are golden. Sprinkle with salt or herb salt.

Let this simple, nutrient-packed, savory treat inspire your next meal!