Tag Archives: Olive oil

Roasted Cauliflower

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Cauliflower.  I know what you’re thinking. Water-logged, bland, mushy.  No, thanks. But you’d be remiss if you didn’t reconsider this powerhouse of a vegetable.  Long relegated to the crudités tray, cauliflower could very well make a comeback with this one.  Roasting the cauliflower caramelizes the edges, reduces the sulfurous taste, and improves the texture.  I’ve found roasting cauliflower also reduces the stomach upset often associated with eating it raw.  Instead of raw cauliflower and ranch, why not roasted cauliflower and browned butter, tahini, hummus, or white bean dip?  Then again, this cauliflower is so good it doesn’t even need a dip and it functions beautifully as a side dish or on top of a salad.  I really do have a hard time eating cauliflower any other way now that I’ve tried this style.

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 head cauliflower, washed, dried, and cut into florets
  • 1 TBSP Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil (or melted coconut, or clarified butter)
  • 1 clove mashed and minced garlic (if you love garlic, up it to two)
  • sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place florets on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic, salt, and pepper.  Toss gently to cover.

Cauliflower

Make sure florets are fairly uniform in size so they roast evenly.

Place baking sheet on the middle rack and roast for 20 minutes.  Turn cauliflower with tongs or spatula and roast 20 minutes longer or until cauliflower becomes golden brown on edges and becomes slightly more translucent but stalks remain slightly firm.  Let cool slightly before serving or cook ahead of time and gently reheat. Leftovers (if you ever have any!) can be turned into a fantastic roasted cauliflower soup.

Roasted Cauliflower

Slight translucence, caramelized edges, and slightly firm stalks mean it’s done. Great news…this can be cooked ahead and reheated gently or leftovers make a great roasted cauliflower soup!

Homemade Mayo…You’ll Never Eat Storebought Again!

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Some may be thinking, “You can MAKE mayo??”.  Why yes, it’s easy, you most likely have all the ingredients, and it takes about 2 minutes. And best of all, it’s like soft, billowy, tart and satisfying, addicting, little cream-colored clouds from Heaven.  Seriously.  I’ve not bought mayo since the first time I made it. Trust me, you won’t either!

Homemade Mayo

  • 2 raw egg yolks (**many sources say children, the elderly, those who are pregnant, and those with compromised immune systems should not consume raw eggs**)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1TBSP vinegar (use the good stuff as there are few ingredients and it will really stand out); for a bit less of a tang, use 2 tsp vinegar or try different vinegars depending on what you’re using it for.
  • 1/8 tsp honey (in other words, a tiny little blob)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups extra light tasting olive oil (or any combination of oils–I’ve even used a few TBSP of bacon fat for BLTs or a little bit of walnut oil to use in almond-tarrragon chicken salad).
  • Cracked pepper to taste (or any other herb you’d like; they’re entirely optional)
  • Wide mouth pint-sized mason jar
  • Immersion blender (I’ve used both the Cuisinart and the Bamix and both work well)
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The humble beginnings of glorious homemade mayo

  • Put all the ingredients into the jar, pouring the oil in gently.  Llet the eggs settle to the bottom (important).
  • Immerse the blender with the head all the way to the bottom (important so emulsification occurs).
  • Pulse blender and ‘clouds’ should start to form after 5-7 pulses. After clouds form, and only after, you can begin to move the stick blender upward, still pulsing. The ingredients should be emulsified within about 30-45 seconds (take your time if you need to–better too slow than too fast).  Do not over-process.
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Note the blender head is at the very bottom of the jar; Also note the billowing mayo clouds forming

  • Once all the oil is incorporated, you can give a few swirls with the blender to create some thickness, but don’t overdo it. Err on the side of too little so as not to cause separation.
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In a couple of minutes you have created Heaven in a jar. Now slap a little on good bread or put a bit on some tomato slices and you’ll never turn back!

  • Put a lid on and store in the refrigerator. I’ve used mine for as much as two weeks but it usually doesn’t stick around that long in my house!