Roasted Cauliflower with Olives, Capers & Herbs

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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.

This tackled all my flavor cravings. And won!

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. 

Only an ounce of feta per serving, and it brought more than enough flavor.

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.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the raw cauliflower, then toss and sprinkle with seasonings.

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!

Adding these flavors at the end keeps the colors and flavors bright.

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
  • 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.

Lemon-Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts

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My love for Brussels sprouts is not exactly new, but I remember a time when my nose would wrinkle at the mere mention of them. If you were forced to try them, as I was for the first time, from the frozen section of the grocery store and drenched in a nasty, congealed “butter” sauce, then you can probably relate. They were mushy, bland and bitter, and the sauce only made them worse. There should be laws against this kind of vegetable abuse.

Later, when I was a teenager fulfilling my household chore of tending the home garden, I found myself intrigued by these enormous stalks covered in bulbous little cabbage heads. It was the first time I had ever seen them as nature intended, and it pleases me now to see them presented that way at Trader Joe’s, where they are proudly perched this time of year in a large case just inside the entrance.

Cutting the individual sprouts off the stalk can be a bit tedious (I still cringe as I remember doing so all those years ago), and I’ll confess here that I usually prefer to buy them already cut and packed up in the mesh bags. They should be firm and bright green in color, with no wilted leaves in sight. To prep them, you only need to wash them under running water and trim a thin slice off the bottom, allowing the outer leaves to fall away. Cut them in half from top to bottom and toss them in the marinade for a few minutes, then into the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

The sprouts should have tightly layered leaves and a firm exterior. Slice the shallot into rings.

Brussels sprouts are part of the brassica family of vegetables and, like their cousins (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale), they are positively loaded with nutrients. Additionally, they have terrific heft and body that make them an essential part of our Thanksgiving day table.

Last year, I shared a spicy-sweet version of Maple Cayenne Brussels Sprouts, and this year, an alternative for those who like a fresher, tangy twist. The lemon and pomegranate flavors are simple to impart—I love the flavor-infused balsamic vinegars that are available in the boutique oil and vinegar shops that seem to be everywhere these days (or can be found for online ordering). This recipe uses the pomegranate balsamic, plus lemon-fused olive oil and the juice and zest of a fresh lemon. These sprouts are simple to make, and you can roast them in the oven while your turkey is resting. Or, if you are going plant-based this year, they can probably be roasted alongside whatever else you have in the oven.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound bag of fresh Brussels sprouts (cleaned, trimmed and halved)

1 medium shallot, sliced into rings

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus the zest

Pinch of sugar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I love the lemon-fused)

2 Tbsp. pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Whisk the oil into the lemon juice with a pinch of sugar. You want the oil to become emulsified rather than separated, so that the marinade clings to the sprouts.
  • Toss them about in the marinade until evenly coated. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sprouts to a baking sheet, and reserve excess marinade.
  • Give the sprouts a little breathing room, and place them cut side-down on the parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes.
  • Transfer the roasted sprouts back into the bowl with remaining marinade and pour the balsamic mixture over them, tossing to coat.
  • The second roasting helps seal the tangy-sweet balsamic into the sprouts. They can face either up or down for the second roasting, which should be about 5 minutes.
  • The balsamic vinegar will caramelize slightly, and the lemon and pomegranate flavors are a nice balance to the richer foods on the Thanksgiving table.
  1. Heat oven to 400° F, with rack in a center to upper position in the oven.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil in a slow, steady stream into the lemon juice, sugar and zest. Season with a pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper. Do not add the pomegranate balsamic at this stage.
  3. Add the trimmed brussels sprouts to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the marinade. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the bowl, and reserve the marinade that remains in the bowl. Arrange the sprouts, cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Aim to separate them a bit so that they don’t steam from overcrowding. Roast for about 20 minutes.
  4. Whisk the balsamic into what is left of the oil-lemon juice marinade until it is smooth and not separated. Toss the hot sprouts back into the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Spoon them back out onto the parchment-lined sheet and put them back into the oven for about five minutes, just long enough to heat through and add a touch of caramelization.
Delicious!

These lemon-pomegranate brussels sprouts are best served immediately, but you can reheat them in the microwave if you need the oven space for other dishes.

Lemon-Pomegranate Brussels SproutsPrint