roasted super veggies

Oh cruciferous vegetables. How could I go from loathing you to loving you so thoroughly? Roasting….that’s how! 🙂

I seriously used to DETEST broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. I know how good they are for you and how they are amazing cancer fighters and all that. I know they contain powerful antioxidants that scavenge those nasty free radicals and protect your cells. I know they have loads of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins. I know they help detoxify carcinogens before they can damage cells. I know they reduce your risk of heart disease.

I know.

I choked them down.

I hated the texture, the smell and mostly the taste.

But, then I discovered….. roasting. I can’t get enough of these babies since that defining moment. I make them a few times a week. After enjoying them roasted so much, I even delved into the joy of crunching on RAW broccoli and cauliflower. WOW! I suppose it could be because I’m getting old and my taste buds are dying….but whatever the reason, I LOVE ‘EM.

I also have a great recipe for roasted kale chips (another super cruciferous veggie) ….I need to share that someday…..so good and crunchy.

I found some really fun purple, green and orange cauliflower at the grocery store the other day. Aren’t they pretty?!

I usually use this recipe from Simply Recipes. Sometimes I add more lemon. Sometimes I add no cheese. It always tastes good.

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe

What You need:

1-2 heads of cauliflower
1 head of broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan Cheese

What you do:

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn’t reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.

2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired done-ness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

We like them raw with hummus around here too! (Lucie thought it was especially fun that they were purple this week!)

Gladly my kids love them as much as I do and they don’t have the strange aversion I used to have. Maybe it was all in my head. 🙂