Roasted Cauliflower & Caramelized Onions with Balsamic Vinegar
Some recipes don’t take long to make; others will require a slot in your schedule. When it comes to the time-hungry recipes, though, there are those that require hands-on attention and those that can pretty much fend for themselves while you do something else nearby: relax with a book, check your email, get caught up on your phone calls. This savory and simple dish of long-cooked veggies (one roasted, the other caramelized) falls into the “not-much-tending” needed category.
Cauliflower is a great candidate for roasting: it’s easy to prep, it’s inexpensive to buy, and it takes on an entirely new nutty flavor when left in a 375F oven for about 30 minutes. I like to toss mine with unrefined peanut oil since peanut oil adds to the overall nuttiness and also handles up to 395F. You’ll get a more even browning effect with an oil that can handle the level of heat you’re subjecting it to. (Extra-virgin olive oil goes up to about 325F.) Other good candidates for roasting veggies at 375F would be coconut oil, melted butter, and/or melted ghee.
Roasted Cauliflower & Caramelized Onions with Balsamic Vinegar
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side, especially if you serve a wedge of cheese along with it. Aged, flavorful cheeses like Parmesan and Asiago would be perfect partners for the sweet/nutty flavor of this dish.
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 T. butter, preferably from grass-fed cows
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 T. unrefined peanut oil
Salt & pepper
3-4 campari tomatoes, chopped, OR a handful of grape/cherry tomatoes, halved
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar & extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375F.
Cook the onion in the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (It’s better to use a nonstick skillet for this since the onions will stick to the skillet’s surface as they brown, and it’s easier to scrape a nonstick skillet to bring up these concentrated flavors.)
While the onions are cooking, toss the cauliflower with the oil in a large bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Spread out the florets on two baking sheets that you either don’t mind cleaning thoroughly afterward or have covered with parchment paper. Roast for 30 minutes or until florets are browning.
In a large bowl, toss the caramelized onions and roasted cauliflower with the tomatoes. Season with a drizzle of vinegar and olive oil and toss again. I like to use a 2:1 ratio of vinegar to oil, but you may wish to use a 1:1 ratio. Leftovers will last for 4 days in the fridge.
Enjoy!
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Tags: balsamic vinegar, caramelized onions, cauliflower, Italian cheese, roasted vegetables
