Herb Roasted Cauliflower

We've been eating this recipe a lot lately because the cauliflower has been looking so good in the stores. Even Trader Joe's, who usually only has pre-packaged produce, had whole, fresh, cauliflower so I grabbed one.  I have a bunch of recipes piled up to post and now that we're snowed in,  I'm getting caught up.  It snowed again last night so here we go again! But I did have to go out today for my morning Pilates class that I usually walk to but the the sidewalks were too slushy so I drove the one mile.  I walk to Pilates 3X/week and walk to Barre 3 2X/week.  There is a Barre 3 class everyday that I can go to but I usually just go 2X week because I also go to Pilates.  I feel so lucky that I can walk to everything in our neighborhood.  We even started walking to church on Sundays.  The furthest anything is around here is less than two miles.  We really wanted a neighborhood with a high walk score when we moved back to Seattle and we couldn't be happier with our choice.  And now with my new joints, I can thoroughly enjoy it all.  I feel like I'm getting really good exercise now after many years of trying to figure out what is best for my body.   And I'm still following the eating guidelines of Hannah Freese, RD who I worked with from 2020-2022.  (She has since discontinued her nutrition business.)  She was a dietitian like me so I really related to her.  Plus, she was current on all the latest research and I loved all her advise and tips for promoting health.  She really helped me eliminate inflammatory foods which I needed for my joints.  I feel the best I've felt in years and she was so good at providing the tools I needed to succeed.  Exercise and diet are only two aspect of good health and lately I've been trying to work on the third part which is emotional health.  I recently read  Outlive by Peter Attia, MD  (it was a New York Times bestseller) and I was glad to see that he included mental health as part of his formula for healthy living.  I feel like this is as important as exercise and diet and I was so happy to see that he had a whole section on this.  I really liked this book, although I think it may have been a little too technical for most people but since I have a medical background from all my years of working in hospitals, it really hit home for me.  I'm not sure I'll ever be qualified for the Centenarian Decathlon like he talks about, though.  The Centenarian Decathlon are physical tasks you'll want to be able to do as you age.  I really liked this part of the book and my Pilates instructor is always giving me exercises to do like this.   Some of the things on the list in Outlive are getting up off the floor on your own; picking up a young child from the floor (like a grandchild...); lift a suitcase into the overhead compartment on a plane (so we can keep traveling...); balance on one leg for 30 seconds;  have sex; open a jar; etc.  You get the idea.  There are up to fifty things on the list.  It's not in the top ten but one is to dead-hang for one minute from a bar - way harder than it sounds!  I do this in Pilates and it's really hard.  But my teacher says it's also good for strengthening hand grip.  And for me, it's also good for strengthening my fingers to play my ukulele!  Anyway, it's sort of depressing to think about giving up things we love as we age but I feel motivated to try to put it off as long as possible.  I think that's where keeping a good mental outlook on life comes in.  I'm turning 70 this year which makes me feel so old to say that.  I want to put off feeling old as long as possible!  That's why I want to have a good exercise routine, a good diet, and a healthy mental state.  I think Outlive was the perfect book for me to read at the perfect time in my life since he addressed all three of the things I've been trying to do lately.  All we can do is to keep trying as best we can, little bits at a time.  That's what I kept being told when I went to physical therapy for my joint replacements - little steps at a time result is big accomplishments.  Little steps did not seem like much at the time and it was so hard not to get frustrated and discouraged but I kept going.  Six year later...I would have never imagined I'd be where I am today.  Little steps really do add up to big steps.  We just need to keep plugging along.  So, go ahead and add this one little vegetable recipe to your meal planning and it will be one little step in the right direction, too. 

Serves 4

1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, cut up into florets

Options:  red chili flakes or cayenne pepper for extra spicy kick

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.   Mix first six ingredients in a small bowl. 

2. Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl and sprinkle with olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle the herb mixture into the bowl of cauliflower and mix well to ensure the florets are evenly coated. 

4.  Spread the seasoned cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Make sure the florets are in a single layer to allow even roasting. 
 

5.  Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the florets are golden brown and crisp on the edges.  

Garnish with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon, or use with your favorite dipping sauce such as garlic aioli, tahini, or ranch dressing