Cauliflower: He likes it!

I participate in Bountiful Baskets whenever I can and I absolutely adore the program. If you haven't heard of it before, check out their website at www.bountifulbaskets.org to see if they are in your area. The basic principle is every week you pick up a laundry basket full of fresh produce for about $15.  Half fruit and half veggies. The catch is, you don't know what you are going to get! It's really made me get creative in the kitchen, since often we get something we don't normally buy, and sometimes we get what I call "google-able" produce...which is something I can't identify!

This week I was trying to use a head of cauliflower. I have only eaten cauliflower one of two ways...raw and dipped in ranch, or steamed. I tried making it mashed...but unfortunately that did not score ANY Nom Noms on Nik's scale of Nummies. Hubby will eat it, but he doesn't love it. It rates higher than broccoli, but that's about it.

So I found an awesome sounding recipe for Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower from eatingwell.com. From there I made it "Nik Style" which from here out means I threw stuff in a bowl. Recipes are guidelines right?

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

So you need:
1 Head of Cauliflower
About 3 TBSP of Olive Oil (recipe calls for two, but I think I got more than that.)
Marjoram (I put in a bit more than the recipe called for on this too)
Salt
Pepper (I'm not adding amounts, as you know your taste preferences better than I do!)
Balsamic Vinegar (about 2 TBS give or take)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Now, I made an easy baked chicken breast at the same time. If you want to do that as well, you will need :
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (number depends on how many you want to feed)
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder (my secret ingredient)
Turmeric (I don't know that I really tasted this, but I read somewhere that its good for you, and I was experimenting so I thought, what the hey)
McCormick Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt (My other favorite)

My chicken was still pretty frozen (last minute supper planning on my part) but I put it on a foil lined pan and spread some olive oil on them. I gave each breast a generous dusting of garlic powder, and then a slightly more modest amount of turmeric and the Mediterranean Sea Salt. 

Pop the chicken pan in the oven first, especially if it is frozen like mine was. It will take longer to cook than the cauliflower. 

Mix the cauliflower florets, olive oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a big bowl. Mix well so there is a bit of oil on all the florets and the seasonings seem to be evenly spread. Put the mixture on a baking sheet and put it in the oven also.

Bake both pans in the oven at 450 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the pan and add the balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.  Put it back in the oven for about 10 more minutes. Check your chicken for doneness and viola, dinner!  I threw some Parmesan on the chicken as well...hey it was there, and who doesn't like cheese with chicken?

Hubby liked it! He even ate a second helping of cauliflower. I'm going to chalk this one up as a success. The chicken was very juicy and tender, and although the cauliflower had some burn-y spots, it tasted fantastic!