Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Dijon Viniagrette

Throwing frozen veggies in the microwave is certainly a quick and easy way to get your veggies on the table, but I was getting tired of the slightly soggy and boring result.  Knowing my 11 month old loves cauliflower (let's hope that never changes), I decided to buy a whole head of cauliflower last time I was at the grocery store and try roasting it.  I've roasted many a veggie  before with wonderful results, but never cauliflower.  Turns out, it's even more delicious when roasted.  The caramelization, the fact that it retains a slight crunch, and the lemon dijon viniagrette drizzled on just before serving turned this ordinary vegetable into a side dish that will be joining my regular rotation.  The viniagrette can be optional if you have picky eaters, but my 11 month ate it just as he normally would, and it definitely escalates the dish to a whole new "worthy of serving to company" level.  No longer will I smother my cauliflower in butter! 

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Dijon Viniagrette

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets


• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided


• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice


• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (as always, I prefer whole grain Dijon mustard)


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• Salt and pepper, to taste


• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


2. Spread cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Lightly toss to coat (fingers work best!).


3. Roast in the oven for approximately 60 minutes or until fork tender.


4. While the cauliflower is roasting, whisk together the 1 Tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and garlic.


5. When cauliflower is done roasting, transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with the lemon dijon viniagrette and serve immediately.

*Recipe slightly adapted from this one.  The original recipe was created by registered dietitian, Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN, so you can even feel great about eating it since it's incredibly healthy!