I’m a picky eater. There are so many things that I don’t like to eat, or will only eat if they are prepared a certain way. Another personality quirk to add to one of my lists, right? Here’s an example: I don’t like cheese. I won’t eat a cheeseburger or a grilled cheese, but I will eat pizza and lasagna. When the hubs and I were dating, rather than tell his mother that I’m a loony tune, he told her that I was allergic to cheese.
Then we had pizza for dinner that night. Talk about a great foundation on which to build a relationship, right?
When I set my mind to eating more healthily, I try to incorporate more veggies into my meal prep. However, the finicky person that I am, there are only certain vegetables that I want to eat. It’s not that they have to be fried, swimming in butter or dressing (and definitely NOT topped with cheese). I like my veggies well seasoned, steamed, roasted or raw. The short list of acceptable veg?
Broccoli/broccolini
Brussel Sprouts
Green beans
Peppers
Asparagus
Celery
Collards
Kale
Carrots
Potatoes
Corn
Tomatoes
Onions
Well, maybe that’s not a short list after all, but when compared to the myriad of vegetables that exist in the world, this is really kind of sad. That coupled with the one or two vegetables that the girls will eat, it can mean some very clever culinary acrobatics to get well rounded dinners on the table. If Mo had her way, it would be sushi every night. As for Co, she’s a snack-a-holic, so if it involves anything resembling crackers, cookies, or bite sized goodness, she’s all about it.
So how do I get the recommended five a day covered for all of us? Here’s a hint: it starts with “p” and ends with “-interest”.
There are a crap-ton of recipes that I’ve pinned, most of which I’ve tried. As I culled through them, I realized that most of them are for one pot meals that involve few to no vegetables. The ones that were heavy on produce mostly involved avocado or brussel sprouts, two things that I’ll eat with reckless abandon. The rest of the family? Not so much. So, I was looking, looking, looking and saw something that looked easy, flavorful, and worth a go.
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Cauliflower? I know, it is an unlikely choice, but with the olive and garlic it was awesome. Well, at least, I thought so. The girls gave it a courtesy bite and then kindly moved onto the rest of the food on their plate. I should have cut it up and speared it with toothpicks. A little touch of fancy always get things consumed. As for the hubs, he was wavering between me and the girls with respect to his enthusiasm over it. I think he couldn’t get past the cauliflower part. More for me! Even still, the olives and garlic dressing would be great over some roasted asparagus or green beans. I’m gonna get some greenery into our systems one way or another!
Happy Friday, y’all!
Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe found here)
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe adapted slightly from a recipe by Melissa Roberts for Gourmet Magazine.)
Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower
2 T olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
pinch sea salt
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped kalamata olives
Preheat oven to 450F/200C.
Instructions:
Start cauliflower roasting while you make the vinaigrette, and let it roast 15 minutes without turning.
While cauliflower roasts, mash garlic and sea salt in a mortar and pestle (or use a fork and a bowl), then rinse the garlic and salt mixture into a bowl with the lemon juice. Stir in the olive oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in olives and let the vinaigrette ingredients blend while cauliflower continues cooking.
After about 15 minutes, carefully turn cauliflower pieces with a large turner. Put back in oven and roast 10-15 minutes more, or until cauliflower is slightly crisp and nicely browned, and done to your liking. Serve hot, with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette drizzled over cauliflower.