It’s no secret that I really hate vegetables.
I especially hate vegetables that I have to cook. When I cook them myself, they always taste disgusting.
When I get them out at a restaurant, they are occasionally delicious.
I’m quite sure that has nothing to do with the massive amounts of salt and the butter puddle they sit in . . .
But who wants to hold the butter? That isn’t any fun.
I’ve whined about my distaste for veggies for some time.
A few years ago, one of my clients told me to roast cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper. She claimed it almost smelled like popcorn when it was roasting, and was just incredibly delicious.
I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘incredible’ . . . but it is tasty.
I came up with this dip because Mr. How Sweet and I overdosed on roasted cauliflower a few years ago. After my client had suggested roasting it, we binged on cauliflower for 6 weeks straight.
That may sound healthy, right? I don’t remember, but I most likely had chocolate bar in my other hand. Everyone likes the sweet and savory combo.
The key to ‘crispy’ cauliflower is to roast it at a high temperature – I do it at 425. I’m sure there are some other secrets, but that is mine.
You also have to eat it almost immediately. After a while, it can get a bit soggy. It is still delicious, just soggy.
The dip is just a fabulous treat.
It is cheesey, but has that parmesan-tang to it.
I am thinking it would be a an excellent addition to most vegetables.
And bread.
Because honestly, I’m thinking more of the bread and crackers that I can dip in it than I am about celery and carrots.
Crispy Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoon olive oil, or olive oil cooking spray
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425.
Chop cauliflower into small florets and place on baking sheet. Drizzle oil or spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 45 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating baking sheet after 20 minutes.
Hot Parmesan Dip
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plain, greek yogurt
1 tablespoon parsley
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Preheat oven t0 375.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together or mix with an electric mixer. Spoon into a small ramekin and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly.
I still like the roasted cauliflower on it’s own occasionally. When I say ‘occasionally’, I really mean about once every few weeks.
And when I say ‘like’, I mean I can have about 3-4 bites before getting sick of it.
Unless it is drenched in this creamy dip. Then I love it.
Of course.
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
I love cauliflower (roasted or raw ;)) and the dip looks just amazing. This would be fun to put out at a party too!
Reply
You’ve been posting more and more veggie recipes lately…I think you might be secretly developing a crush on them :-)
Reply
I love roasted cauliflower!! Your recipe sounds amazing ; ) Whatever gets you to eat your veggies, LOL!
Reply
I love raosted cauliflower! Thanks for the recipe :)
Reply
I don’t eat anywhere near enough cauliflower. I LOVE the stuff, but always forget about it.
I think I could get my hubby to eat this roasted cauliflower, especially since their is a dip involved.
Reply
Oh girl, the man would love this! he loves anything cauliflower + cheese and this sounds so good :) i dont tend to eat alot of cauliflower for some reason, but i like it, maybe i need to try to get a lil’ more in my life?
Reply
Yum, I’ve never met a crispy cauliflower dish I didn’t like. Yours looks awesome! Look at you eating your veggies. :)
Reply
Roasting vegetables makes them taste so much better! I see that dip becoming a staple at my house because I almost always have those ingredients on hand, and I love me some cheese!
Reply
My Mom always made cauliflower and cheese sauce for us growing up, and that sounds like the most amazing adult version! I think I would make that parm sauce to go on, well, pretty much anything! Yum! Great job with some veggies!
Reply
So glad you’re ‘comin’ round’ about cauliflower, it was actually the very first recipe I published on A Veggie Venture, the one that started the year-long odyssey of cooking/posting a new vegetable recipe every day for a year. (I’m over it, trust me. But it was fun!)
Another idea to add to your trick bag: cut the florets in half so there’s a flat surface, make sure that most of the flat surfaces touch the pan so that they caramelize. Maybe you won’t even need that dip anymore! :-)
Reply
I actually love veggies and this looks wonderful and easy to make.
Reply
Wow, amazing dip!
I love cauliflower, and I’m pretty sure I would love this combination.
My mom has this amazing dish she makes. First, she cooks the cauliflower, then puts it in a pan and over it goes a beshamel sauce topped with cheese.Then she bakes it until it gets gold and crispy. It’s amazing, maybe you should try it to see if you like it :)
Reply
DROOL. i love roasted cauliflower…and who wouldn’t love cheesy creamy dip?! what an awesome flavor combo :)
Reply
This sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I’m hoping my husband might actually like it too!
http://www.monkeetrouble7.wordpress.com
Reply
Yummm! Will be adding this to my list of things to cook per my “How Sweet it Is” food bible. :)
Reply
The dip looks great! I love vegetables, but this dip would even be good with bread!
Reply
Great dip! I’d probably go for the bread too. ;-)
Reply
I think that the key to eating veggies is to roast them. All with you on that one! I don’t mind raw vegetables, if they are accompanied with a dip, of course… :)
This dip looks killer!
Reply
YUM! I love roasted cauliflower and I’m sure my husband would love the dip!
Reply
my husband always buys cauliflower but i am not really a fan. however, anything with parmesan dip, or cheese is usually amazing… so i will try this next time! your pictures look amazing, and i am drooling now!
Reply
I’m making baked cauliflower tonight…if I have cream cheese, I’m totally making this! Yum!
Reply
yum, i can’t wait to roast some cauliflower! but i have to agree with you who doesn’t like but, everything is better with butter :)
Reply
Sounds fantastic!! I love roasted cauliflower and that dip sounds amazing. I think it’d be an awesome appetizer with some crostini too :)
Reply
Hmm.. I generally detest cauliflower. YUCK. But it sounds good like this!!!!
Reply
I adore this, and totally understand how you can OD on roasted cauliflower – it really is THAT GOOD. I do mine the same way – at 425F – but I am so trying this dip next time!!! YUMMMMM.
Reply
That dip looks to die for.
Reply
I make a spicy spinach and artichoke dip that calls for an unearthly amount of mayo in it. It never occurred to me to substitute Greek yogurt. I will have to try that!!! Thanks!!
Reply
This sounds amazing!!!
Reply
This looks delicious! YUM!
Reply
It’s kind of unusual, but I actually LOVE cauliflower! It’s one of my most fortunate healthy quirks :) This recipe looks great, I’ll have to try it.
Reply
I’ve never been a fan of warm cauliflower before, I prefer them raw BUT maybe I should try your recipe and see if it’s something for me :)
Reply
Cauliflower is definitely not my favorite vegetable, but I love it roasted! Raw cauliflower makes me gag.
Reply
Yum, it looks great!
Reply
I love veggies, but I am supremely lazy when it comes to cleaning and cooking them. But I think I saw some pre-cut and washed cauliflower at the store recently. So perhaps I shall try this.
Reply
I love cauliflower!! And that dip sounds so good, love that it has greek yogurt in it!! Hmmm, now you’ve got me thinking chocolate covered cauliflower…
Reply
This looks delicious! I’ve never roasted cauliflower before!
And that dip! YUM!
Reply
Good gosh…YES! Jess you never disappoint!
Reply
Ive never had roasted cauliflower! Bookmarked :)
Reply
this is the thing with your blog.
well, actually, this is the multiple things with your blog…
1) im addicted to it.
2) my “recipes” section of my gmail is filled with your posts. there are a VERY few sprinkled from selected other blogs, but mainly, its howsweeteats, all the way. (FTW!)
3) i always try to think of something witty to comment on your posts.
4) it usually goes pourly when i realize that whatever you said in your post is so much more witty than I could ever try to think of “on the fly”
5) so i sit at the computer, and stare at the screen, waiting for an inspired witty thought to pop into my head to allow you to have some comment love.
6) what really happens is my mouth starts watering and my tummy rumbling because I am staring at photos of your yummy recipes for hours on end.
7) or at least minutes.
8) then i just get sad that I do not have my own mini-Jessica living in my kitchen cabinet available to pop on out and cook whatever meal/snack/treat i am coveting at the moment.
9) you’d have to be quite little to fit into my kitchen cabinets.
10) although all 5 foot barely anything of you may fit nicely in my pantry.
Reply
i really dont like that 8+closed parentheses= that sunglasses smiley man. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
(if you want to laugh, imagine how i first spelled “parentheses” before I went to google to tell me “did you mean parentheses” … ill give you a hint- no t, lots of I’s and S’s. ahem. this would explain why I NEVER won a spelling bee. ever.)
Reply
Have you tried mashed cauliflower? That’s definitely my favorite way to eat it!
Reply
I looks really tasty!
Reply
Oh, yea. Everything is better with cheese (and chocolate)!!!! I like the way you think!
Reply
drool.
Reply
I always by pass cauliflower at the food store, I need to make this. You love veggies I think ;)
Reply
looks delicious! we’re fans of roasted cauliflower too, its addictive! we like to roast the yellow ones and add a little parmesean cheese right out of the oven, but we’ll have to try this dip as soon as the farmers market rolls around!
Reply
This looks delicious! YUM
Reply
Good one! Maybe you do like veggies more than you realize. =)
Reply
YUM! What a great idea!
Reply
yum! thank you! I saw cauliflower at whole foods the other day and wanted to make some sort of something with it! serendipity that I came on your page!
Thanks
Katherine
whataboutsummer.wordpress.com
Reply