cauliflower is cool.

I may have lost a few of you already. Cauliflower and cool in the same sentence?

I know, I know, you want the good stuff. The monster cookies. The oh-so-good chocolate chip cookie recipe. A slice of crazy cake. Who do I think I am showing up here and talking veggies? On a Tuesday.

I’ll tell you who I am. I’m the girl who ate her way through Denver — gluten-free style this weekend.

It was Duo on Thursday night. Barely touched down and we were off to dinner. And wine. And mojitos.

Friday I had a date with my Valentine at Udi’s Cafe in Stapleton.

She really had nothing to do with me now having to eat vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner this week. But isn’t that the sweetest face you’ve ever seen?

You should have seen my face when I took my first bite of this Udi’s Club.

And yes, those are sweet potato fries. Once you get a sandwich with bacon, there is no turning back. (for the record — two of my very best friends helped with the fries)

One would think that I might have slowed down by Saturday.

Not a chance.

Family dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory — Mizithra Cheese & Brown Butter pasta.

And a trip to D-town wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Lala’s. (yes, it’s the Nonna, I’m a creature of habit)

And you thought I didn’t eat any veggies this weekend?

So now you know why I am in need of a little healthier menu this week. And why there was no way I was going to skip the gym tonight. (I’m on Week 8 of the Couch to 5k program, can you believe it? Never made it past Week 2!)

If you are still with me, and didn’t go into a food coma after all these pictures, let’s move on.

Roasted Cauliflower

This one is easy, just chop up your head of cauliflower into wedges. Toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add any other seasonings that make your taste buds happy. I went with Bangkok from Penzey’s. Place foil on sheet pan or baking dish. Cover with foil and roast at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. (the bottom will get dark, but you’ll thank me once you bite into it) Remove foil, carefully flip the wedges over and bake for another 10 minutes. Boom. Done. Enjoy.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Another simple recipe. I used about half the head of cauliflower for the roasting, and the other half for this soup. Saute 3-4  chopped leeks and two cloves of garlic in  a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.  Not so much an exact science here, I was just throwing things together and it worked out wonderfully.

Add four cups of chicken stock and your chopped up cauliflower. (it can be half a head, a whole head, potatoes, whatever you’d like) Bring to a boil and simmer until cauliflower is tender. Using an immersion blender, puree soup to nice, smooth consistency. You may have to reduce it down, if you want a thicker soup. (or you could use some cornstarch or rice flour to thicken) Topped mine with some more Bangkok seasoning.

Some for now, and some for later. Perfect kind of soup to freeze. I try to keep a few options in the freezer for the mornings when I’m too lazy to make my lunch. Or comb my hair.

Any other cauliflower fans in the crowd?

Anyone?