The newness of this season makes eating lighter feel more natural and easy, and I think I’m finally onto something in our recent quest to lighten up our meals. Up til now, my first thought for a new meal has been focused on the protein— deciding how to keep it “a smidge healthier,” as my blog pal, Bernadette from New Classic Recipe would say. 😉

It gets exhausting from a decision-making standpoint, though, and then by the end of my workday when I have figured out how to adapt the protein part of a meal, I’m fresh out of ideas for planning the sides. Here’s what happened when I stepped back and redirected my focus onto the vegetables.

What grabs the eye in this photo isn’t the panko-crusted baked halibut, though it was truly delicious and satisfyingly easy to make. It’s the Greek-inspired roasted cauliflower stealing the show here, and no wonder. It’s embellished with tangy feta, kalamata olives, capers and herbs. Packed with flavor, and still very easy to make. 

I chose cauliflower to carry these flavors because it is neutral on its own, suitable for just about any seasonings, and I kept the Greek flavors fresh by adding most of them after the cauliflower was roasted. My florets were drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

It’s best to roast vegetables at a higher heat, so that you get caramelization on the exterior before they have a chance to turn to mush on the inside. Mine went 25 minutes at 425° F, and the result was perfect for this recipe. The cauliflower held their texture and absorbed the flavors I tossed in at the end.

When the cauliflower emerged from the oven, browned on the edges and perfectly al denté, I simply tossed it with the chopped olives, capers and herbs and then gave it a good squeeze of fresh lemon, plus a final drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil. A scattering of crumbled feta finished the dish, and provided a sharp, tangy flavor that was great with my panko crusted halibut. Don’t worry, I’ll have that recipe for you in a few days!

I like this idea of putting the vegetables first, and I made a decision last week that sort of paints me into a corner so that I keep doing it. More on that soon. 😁

Roasted Cauliflower with Olives, Capers & Herbs

• Servings: 4
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: Average
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This dish features all the lovely flavors of the Mediterranean, and is an easy, impressive side to fish or chicken.

Ingredients

• Small head cauliflower, cleaned and broken down into florets
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (use two for roasting, one for finishing)
• Salt and pepper
• A few shakes granulated garlic
• A few shakes dried mediterranean oregano
• 3 Tbsp. chopped kalamata olives
• 1 Tbsp. capers, chopped but not rinsed
• 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• Handful each of fresh parsley and fresh dill, chopped
• A squeeze of fresh lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F, with oven rack in center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Drizzle cauliflower with olive oil and toss with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, then spread out over parchment-lined sheet, keeping a bit of space between pieces for more even browning. Roast for 25 minutes, or until browned edges are visible on most of the pieces. Taste a piece to be sure it is done to your liking.
3. Add the olives, capers and fresh herbs to the roasted cauliflower and toss gently to distribute. Give the mix a light drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to finish, and then transfer to a bowl and scatter feta over the entire bowl.