I'm still not sure how I'm going to come to terms with the amount of time I've ever wasted chopping up florets of cauliflower, meanwhile I could've just been spicing up and roasting the whole head! Along with Sweet Potato Toast and Smoothie Bowls, Roasted Cauliflower Heads are taking over the Instagram food scene (and I ain't mad about it!).

Let's just talk about the number things we can do with cauliflower for a moment ('cause there's a lot of them!):

1. Cauliflower Pizza Crust

2. Cauliflower Rice (my recipe is coming in a couple weeks!)

3. Cauliflower Soup

4. Roasted Cauliflower (see recipe below!)

5. Cauliflower Buffalo Wings 6. Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"7. Cauliflower Steaks8. Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie

I wasn't kidding. There's a lot you can do with cauliflower. With that said, I think I just added 8 new things to my already long-winded to-do list, as I'm sure you'll be wanting to see those recipes at some point, won't you?

While you can typically find cauliflower year-round, it's usually best in Ontario from July - November. This cruciferous vegetable is known for it's sulphur-rich composition, which is the third most abundant mineral in the body, half of which is concentrated in your muscles, skin and bones. It's used to make up essential amino acids which are used to create protein for cells and tissues, along with hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Nevertheless, just eat some dang cauliflower, okay?

I will caution that it's cruciferous nature also makes it a "goitrogenic" food" which can disrupt thyroid function for those with pre-existing conditions. I'm not saying you have to avoid all of these nutritious goitrogenic foods altogether (including broccoli, kale, turnips and collards), but either limit your consumption or cook them to eliminate the goitrogenic factors. Of course, please do speak with your health care practitioner before making any drastic changes to your diet if you have a specific condition.

With that said, cruciferous vegetables are difficult for most people to break down, hence why it's best to cook them (especially if they're causing you digestive distress like gas or bloating). Now don't be do quick to plop your head of cauliflower in a pot of boiling water – you'll zap half the nutrients! Roasting or sautéing for a short period of time, or steaming is typically best to retain the nutrients in cauliflower. Like anything, there's a lot of debate on this. Some say that there can be a loss of water-soluble nutrients when cooking, while others note that there can be an increased bioavailability from freeing up the nutrients that remained inside the cells of raw cauliflower.

My take? Just eat the cauliflower based on the desired consistency you're going for. For every study, there will always be a study that counters it. Evidently you aren't going to sauté the whole head of cauliflower as is, though it would be quite hilarious to watch. If you steam it, you'll likely be left with a big ball of mush. Roasting it is! Go ahead and preheat that oven to 450 degrees F.

Roasted Cauliflower Head

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp honey dijon mustard
3 tsp chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Wash cauliflower and peel or cut leaves off. Place cauliflower head with base down on baking sheet.
Prepare remaining marinade ingredients in a separate dish or measuring cup. Scoop marinade over cauliflower and massage into cauliflower with your hand.
Place in oven and roast for ~40 minutes or until golden. If you want it a bit more firm, decrease the cooking time. If you want it a bit softer, increase the cooking time.

What's your favourite cauliflower-based creation to date?