In our household, roasting vegetables is the hands down favorite. Roasting imparts a toasty, caramelized flavor. Roasting is a super easy cooking technique, and it also increases the depth of flavor in your dish. We love roasted cauliflower! I usually default to bite-size pieces, but this recipe works equally well for cauliflower steaks. If you opt for cauliflower steaks, create slices about half an inch thick.
Depending on your child’s age, you can serve the roasted food whole, mash it with a fork, or puree it.
Check-out this post for a recommendation on the perfect ice cube trays to freeze your homemade baby food.
Roasting Tricks & Tips
- Preheat the oven between 375 – 400℉ and cook for 15-25 minutes depending on the size and type of ingredient. (Our oven has a convection mode. My go-to setting is convect roast at 400℉ for 20-minutes.)
- Make sure your sheet pan has a maximum temperature higher than 400, or it may warp.
- Cut veggies to a similar size.
- When it comes to roasting, we usually keep it simple. … a light coating of olive oil and a dusting of salt and pepper.
- If cooking different veggies at the same time, vary the size based on cook time. For example, I’ve found dense veggies like potatoes tend to require more cook time than broccoli. Make the size of the potato smaller than the cauliflower.
Simple Roasted Cauliflower
To prepare the cauliflower, rinse the head. Remove the leaves at the base of the cauliflower to expose the core. Remove the core with a sharp paring knife. Gently break the head into large pieces. Cut florets of similar size at natural breaks in the stem.
The brown discoloration on cauliflower is oxidization. It isn’t appealing, but it is safe to eat. Remove black or mushy spots.
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets of similar size
- 3-5 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 400℉.
Lightly coat cauliflower with olive oil. Add pinch of salt and pepper (optional). An easy way to do this is to combine all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and shake. You can save the plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and re-use it the next time you need to coat an ingredient with olive oil.
Place cauliflower onto sheet pan. For best results, do not overcrowd the florets.
Cook until cauliflower starts to lightly brown (about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the florets).
Depending on your child’s age, you can serve the roasted food whole, mash it with a fork, or puree it.
Check-out this post for more information on thinning your baby food puree.
