Foodie Friday: Cauliflower Popcorn

Photo credit: Michelle Loy. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Earlier this week, I wrote a post about "dry" foods, and how these foods can sometimes sabotage the diet. If you ever crave savory snacks and want a more nutritious and satisfying alternative to what you've been eating, you may want to try out Cauliflower Popcorn.  I love the ease of this dish.  It's great as a side dish for a main meal or even as a snack.  Cauliflower is heaping with nutrients, including vitamin C, K, B6, folate, and fiber.  This creamy-white cruciferous vegetable is also a fabulous source of potent phytochemicals, such as indole and quercetin.  While this dish doesn't necessarily taste exactly like real popcorn, it definitely is capable of satisfying some of those cravings for something both crunchy and salty.  I really love this dish, and I hope you do, too.  Enjoy!

Cauliflower Popcorn

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Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized florets

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Place the florets into a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Toss well to coat.  (Try other seasonings, such as paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, turmeric, or garlic powder, if you like.) 
3. Transfer the florets to the baking sheet, spreading in a single layer.  Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and tender-crisp.  
4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and enjoy!  

Serves: 6

Nutritional Information: 

Calories: 64   Carbohydrate: 5 g   Fat: 4 g   Saturated fat: 1 g  Monounsaturated fat: 2.7 g   Protein: 2.7 g   Cholesterol: 2 mg  Fiber: 1.7 g  Sugar:  2 g   Sodium:  82 mg

Excellent source of: vitamin C, B6, folate

Good source of: omega-3 fatty acid and calcium