The Best $2.49 I'll Likely Spend This Week

As a woman who loves a bargain, I’ve translated the process I have with clothes - often times bragging to my friends that my whole outfit was purchased for $27.76 on a high fashion Old Navy day - into grocery shopping. The thrill of turning the pages of a circular and glancing at signs that read FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49 A HEAD - it gets my motor running. 


I love to grocery shop for the hunt of a bargain, my eyes flooded with color as I walk past the many produce markets in my neighborhood. This walk I take to grocery shop, well, I also consider it part of my physical fitness routine because hauling bags chock full of giant cauliflowers, sweet potatoes, squashes and the like - it’s a full-body workout. I’m also exhausted, which means some sorta physical fitness likely happened - right? Then I tally up the time standing to cook and recognize that this week I purchased all of my fruits and veggies for $28.98, which is way less expensive than some pilates classes and certainly less expensive than 1 brunch, a dinner or 2 days of NYC prepared lunch salads. A real bargain all around.

FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49 A HEAD 


It was meant to be mine. Perfectly green, giant leaves almost fully covering her face, I bent over the rows of perfectly placed spinach to pick her up. 

FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49 A HEAD 


Instantly, my mind went to soup, roasting, pasta, those leaves - what could I do with those leaves? I imagined if I roasted her, she could be used for salads, pasta, grain bowls and even to top my beloved spaghetti squash. Her possibilities were endless. I got her home, peeled back each leaf, trimmed, sliced and put them aside in a neat pile - right at the corner of my butcher block. The decision was made to whole roast because I was tired and didn’t feel like fussing over cutting florets. And the most glorious part of roasting a cauliflower whole is that it beautifully falls apart on its own with no need to do much work before hand.

CAULIFLOWER

  1. Poor girl, she has a reputation for being gassy, but when eaten in moderation - she’s certainly a-ok on the digestive tract. In fact … 

  2. Nutrient dense and fiber packed, she will fill you up with one small cup! And real fiber that comes from fruit and veggies is great for digestion.

  3. She can be roasted, riced, made into pizza crust or even hummus (forget the beans, roast and process with lemon, olive oil and garlic to make your new favorite spread) steamed and bathed in cheese. I try to avoid the latter (dairy and my digestion as I get older is so real and can be bloaty based on monthly madness, TMI, I know) although a little cheese never hurt a woman. 

FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49 A HEAD 


Whole roasted and those giant leaves also didn’t go to waste …

CAULIFLOWER LEAVES

  1. You might think, let me throw these out, but I’ll beg of you to think differently. These leaves are yet another way to get an additional green veggie in your life. 

  2. They taste sorta like cabbage slept with kale and with a little olive oil, salt and a hot oven, they’re transformed into these thick stemmed, crunchy leaved bites that pair well with beans or a side to a burger. 



FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49 A HEAD 


I got quite a few meals coming from this one head of cauliflower and her leaves, at least two dinners and maybe a snack if I make a spread this week. Worth the walk, the time to roast and the joy one is capable of experiencing when they eat their vegetables. 

Get to the market and get in the kitchen. Learn how! Keep scrolling beyond the stunning cauliflower photos.

XO


Whole Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, leaves trimmed and put aside
1 tablespoon of olive oil
¼ cup of water
Salt 


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place whole cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet or in a cast iron pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Add water to the tray or pan, this will help simultaneously steam the cauliflower from the bottom while roasting the whole top. Roast for 40-45 minutes, watching not to burn the pan and adding any more water as needed. 

Roasted Cauliflower Leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim thick bottoms off of the leaves and slice in half. Place on a roasting tray and toss to coat in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes until thick stems are fork tender and leaves are crunchy and crispy.

  • Serve alongside meat or fish of choice as side

  • Eat right off of the pan (my personal favorite) 

  • Serve with a spread, like hummus

  • Pairs well with roasted chickpeas and toss to make a lettuce-less salad

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