Broccoli and cauliflower are often eaten reluctantly at the dinner table, as many people consider them bland and unappetising, despite their health benefits. However, the real reason these vegetables are often seen as boring is that they are usually cooked in the wrong way, as boiling them will just make them mushy and tasteless.
When broccoli and cauliflower are boiled it causes them to lose a lot of their natural flavour and also cause a lot of vitamins to leach into the water, so much are their nutritional value is lost. Instead, Stacey, a recipe developer and founder of Garlic Salt and Lime, explained that a much healthier and tastier way to cook them is to roast them in the oven with extra virgin olive oil.
Stacey said: “This roasted cauliflower and broccoli recipe is simple, scrumptious, healthy and super versatile. It can be paired with TONS of different main dishes and requires only five simple ingredients! It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Broccoli and cauliflower will naturally taste sweet and nutty if roasted, as the high temperature will caramelise them. This will make them golden and slightly crispy so they are much more appealing to eat, especially if you are cooking for any children or picky eaters.
Roasting also helps preserve more of the nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, antioxidants and fibre.
How to make broccoli and cauliflower tastier
Ingredients
- 225g of broccoli florets
- 225g of cauliflower florets
- Three tablespoons of extra virgin oil
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, sesame seed or red pepper flakes (optional)
It is best to roast broccoli and cauliflower in extra virgin olive oil, as it has a high smoke point, which means it can withstand high temperatures without burning.
Stacey added: “A high smoke-point option is important so we don’t cloud up the oven! I like to oil my veggies generously. You can use a little less if preferred but don’t skimp too much because oil adds excellent flavour and keeps vegetables from sticking to the pan.”
Instructions
To begin, preheat the oven to 200C. If you have bough whole heads of broccoli and cauliflower, then chop them up into evenly sized floret pieces.
Place the florets in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper until the broccoli and cauliflower are fully coated. You can also add any other seasoning if you wish.
Then, line a tray with baking paper and arrange the florets on the tray evenly on a single layer. Make sure there is space between each floret so they caramelise evenly.
Place the tray in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the florets are golden brown. Once the time if up, your broccoli and cauliflower will be crispy and much more flavourful as well as being a lot healthier.
You can also cover the vegetables with other toppings such as parmesan cheese, soy cause, sesame seed or red pepper flakes when they come out the oven to make them even tastier.