Roasted Cauliflower with Lime Dressing

Roasted cauliflower with lime dressing.

Learn how to make the easiest and best-roasted cauliflower with only a few steps. Light, crisp,  and caramelized, it makes for a delicious vegetarian side dish to any meal.

Fall is here and the Holiday season is just around the corner.

This is the time of year to start assembling all your favorite recipes and adding a new one here and there.

This roasted cauliflower recipe is a winner in my book. Easy to prepare, less than 30 minutes.

It can be made the day before a big gathering, freeing you to enjoy your company. How fantastic is that?

I really enjoy roasting vegetables, and cauliflower is one of my favorites to prepare. Easy to work with, and foolproof,  so many seasonings to play with.

An open canvas.

Our local market had beautiful cauliflower assortments and decided to change things a bit, meaning straying from the usual white and this time, cooking with an orange one.

Same flavor, just different color. I guess more festive for me.

How to Roast Cauliflower

• First of all your oven must be ready to go and be hot, no less than 400 degrees F. You want to create a nice browning and crispy florets.
• Wash your cauliflower and dry it thoroughly. This step will help accelerate the crisping process.
• I like to take each floret and either to quarter them or halve them. Whichever direction you are cutting them, just have them all the same size. I like to slice them, however, if you choose to break them apart, it is also perfect.
• Either you can season them on a cookie sheet or if you prefer, in a bowl.  Whichever direction you select to season your cauliflower ear, make sure that they all are nicely covered.
• I add lime or lemon juice for two reasons. Once, to keep them moist. The second is that the lemon and or lime will remove some of the smell appropriate to the cauliflower. Smell that is not particularly liked.
• Roast in the preheated oven and turn over once.
• Leave space in between the florets and do not overcrowd them or they will not brown and crisp around the edges.
• Do use the core and greens. Slice the core into rounds and roast them alongside the florets. You can always use them in soup later by freezing them.

Lime Dressing

You can enjoy this wonderfully tasty lime dressing with so many roasted vegetables: Carrots, broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, fennel, and even tomatoes.

Grating the garlic will enhance the essence of the garlic. Beware as it may be a bit strong. Adjust to your liking.

It will store well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Roasted Cauliflower Variations

• Spice things up a bit with cumin, coriander, turmeric, capers, and pine nuts.
• Some lemon zest with fresh tarragon, as I have it here, which you can substitute with fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or minced fresh rosemary.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the florets the last 5 minutes of baking, or until the cheese is melted.

Equipment used to prepare this recipe

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