Have you ever tasted roasted cauliflower? It’s amazing! Have you ever cooked it yourself? It’s super simple with just a few ingredients. I always loved cauliflower steamed and covered in grated sharp cheddar cheese. But once I had to give up dairy, without the cheese cauliflower was so bland. Then I discovered roasting. Wow! Roasting just brings out the flavors.
I love to cook but most weeknights it can be a challenge. As a self-employed single mom with an 11-year old that plays baseball, we are busy. I’m always looking for shortcuts without compromising taste. Pop & Cook is one of my favorite hacks to getting a home cooked meal on the table fast. Here’s why:
Pop & Cook is pre-chopped ingredients such as garlic, cilantro, ginger frozen in teaspoon size cubes. It’s found in the freezer section at Walmart. Stored in the freezer, when it’s time to cook, you just pop out the amount you need of ingredient and you’re ready to cook. Two reasons it saves me on those crazy weeknights:
- I can handle making sure I have the main meal ingredients ready to cook but it’s the additional ingredients like fresh garlic or cilantro I might forget
- Chopping everything adds to prep time.
This recipe is super simple. Chop the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. You may need to adjust the recipe based on size of your head of cauliflower – they vary a lot. Lately, they’ve been on the smaller size and this recipe is written with that in mind.
Add the oil and mix. Pop the Pop & Cook cubes on top of your cauliflower and wait a few minutes for them to thaw. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Spread on a roasting sheet and put in 450 degrees oven for about 20 minutes. It’s good to toss them a few times while cooking to get even roasting.
- 1 head cauliflower cut into pieces (about 4 cups)
- 3 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cubes (teaspoons) Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic
- 3 cubes Pop & Cook Chopped Cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Chipotle
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Toss the cauliflower with olive oil. Add the garlic and cilantro and let it sit for a few minutes to thaw. Add remaining ingredients and toss.
- Spread seasoned cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss a few times while roasting.
- Transfer to a platter and serve.
Pop & Cook is found in the frozen vegetable section at Walmart. Super easy to find with several varieties available. I like to always keep a few of each in my freezer so I’m always prepared.
What are your best weeknight cooking hacks?
