I can’t get enough of cruciferous vegetables, which if you read this column on the reg, you well know by now. They are easy to prepare, full of health benefits, and if you apply a bit of knowledge and technique, taste amazing.
I know, I know…many of you aren’t buying that last statement. I was one of you for most of my life. To this day, if you present me with a tray of raw broccoli and cauliflower chunks with a bowl of Ranch dressing, this is my reaction:
That would still be my reaction if the poor vegetables were boiled away into mush. However, something magical happens when you crank up the hotbox and roast this family of flowering plants. It doesn’t matter which one you pick. Cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, rapini, they all become an amazing dish after spending some time at 400 degrees with some spices like smoked paprika.
The health benefits are too numerous to list. Here’s a link to an article from The Cleveland Clinic that details all the reasons to add more of the brassica family of plants to your diet. For a short and sweet version, if you prefer things like feeling good and being healthy and aren’t so keen on feeling bad and getting cancer, these are the foods for you.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/crunchy-and-cruciferous-youll-love-this-special-family-of-veggies
I needed a quick, yet substantial meal for my food prep this week. I still had some leftover ingredients from the recipe last week and I’m a waste not want not kind of dude when it comes to the grocery budget, so I decided to make use of what I had as a base. That’s the great thing about cauliflower. It’s fairly neutral in a flavor profile and is more than happy to taste like whatever you need it to be in the moment. If you don’t like how the cauliflower tastes, that, my friend, is on you.
Even just making this one up as I went along, it turned out fantastic. As a kid, the only vegetable I liked was a box of French fries from McDonalds. Now, I would take roasted cauliflower and broccoli over those fries 100% of the time on taste alone. Crazy, I know. I wish I could go back and tell that chubby kid that felt terrible most of the time how wonderful real and healthy food could be…along with a few other things. Instead, I’m telling you now. If you still think you hate cruciferous veggies, forget what you know, clear your mind, and be open to giving this one a chance. You might find that it becomes your new favorite. It’s never too late to learn new things.
Roasted Cauliflower Turkey Caesar bake
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey 93%
1 head organic cauliflower
1 package mixed baby potatoes (purple, red, gold)
1 package organic shiitake mushrooms
1 yellow onion, diced
4 ounces grass fed cream cheese, softened
1 cup Primal Kitchen Caesar dressing
6 oz grass fed cheddar cheese
3 slices no sugar or nitrate added bacon
3-4 bunches of baby broccoli
Instructions:
Wash and dry the cauliflower and potatoes. Cut into bite sized pieces. Toss in a large mixing bowl with 1 tbsp of avocado oil and 1/2 tsp of sea salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Roast for 20 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wash and dry the baby broccoli and toss with a splash of avocado oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 20 minutes, stir and rotate the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook an additional 10 minutes along with the broccoli on another baking sheet:
While the veggies are roasting, brown the turkey meat on the stove with 1/2 tsp of salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Once the meat is cooked through and browned, add the onions and mushrooms, cook until soft. Drain any excess moisture:
Transfer the turkey to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same skillet, melt the cream cheese and add the dressing, whisk to combine. Add a few ounces of the shredded cheese to thicken. Pour the sauce over the cooked turkey and mix well. Transfer the cauliflower and potatoes to a casserole dish, then spoon the turkey mixture over the veggies:
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of dried chives and then cover with the rest of the shredded cheese, then crumble the cooked bacon on top. Throw it back in the still warm oven just long enough to melt the cheese:
Serve with the roasted baby broccoli:
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.