Today's easy cauliflower recipe: Just large florets of cooked cauliflower tossed in a lemon-cilantro vinaigrette. Low calorie. Low carb. Weight Watchers friendly, just 1 point for PointsPlus! Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". ~recipe & photo updated 2014~ ~ more recently updated recipes ~ When I tried this simple cauliflower recipe for the first time on just Day Six of A Veggie Venture in 2005, well, honestly, I was un-impressed. "Maybe" I said, then conceded "probably not". I found it filling but oddly unsatisfying and time-intensive for a weeknight supper, all in all, not a promising combination. When I tried it again nine years later, wow, what a difference: I loved its taste and found it very easy to prepare! It's a simple way to serve cauliflower. Large florets are cooked and then doused with a simple lemon-cilantro vinaigrette. I served it at room temperature, more cauliflower salad than cauliflower side vegetable. Frankly, two

~ recipe updated & photo added 2007 ~ 2005: A keeper! The basic technique is a great way to skillet-steam/sauté broccoli, then add other flavorings. I will definitely do again in other ways. Frozen broccoli crowns might work too. But: this veggie business takes time! This took only 20 minutes but it was hands-on the whole time. Perhaps vegetable "recipes" are best planned for nights when cooking tasks are shared, when the rest of the meal is super simple like heating up leftovers, something in the oven, omelets or sandwiches? 2007: Agreed, this is a keeper! I skipped the sesame seeds. I toasted fresh garlic (gorgeous) in just a tablespoon of oil (which drops the calories and Weight Watchers points) and used lemon zest instead of orange. Next time, I'll use either the garlic or the oyster sauce, instead of both, with the zest. SAUTÉED BROCCOLI WITH TOASTED GARLIC, ORANGE AND SESAME Hands on time: 20 minutes Time to table: 20 minutes Serves 4 generously 2 teaspoons sesa

~Recipe updated & photo added in 2007~ A favorite! Unfortunately for those of us who love shortcuts, frozen carrots don't work, nor do those little pre-peeled bags of carrots. But good news: it takes only 6 minutes to peel two pounds of carrots! (Yes, I've timed it ...) No cilantro? Try honey and black pepper, or honey and curry powder, or honey and chive, or honey and basil as pictured. 2007 Note: This recipe was first published on only Day Four of A Veggie Venture, before I'd figured out standard serving sizes for vegetables and so the recipe specified 2 pounds of carrots for four (generous) servings. It's likely the quantity came from the source recipe, which unfortunately wasn't documented. But it wasn't too many days later when I determined that my standard would be, one pound vegetables = four servings, and so it continues to this day. HONEY CARROTS Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 30 minutes Makes 8 servings 2 cups water 1 teaspo

Today's vegetable recipe: Simple steamed asparagus with a lemon-garlic butter. Weight Watchers 1 point. Low carb. ~ recipe updated & photo added in 2008 ~ 2005: Tonight I learned about a new must-have for the kitchen: an asparagus steamer. The spears cook upright, spears down, tips up. So even thick spears didn't need peeling, which is a pain. Even though it's a single-purpose tool, for my money (and space) it's a winner. This recipe is so simple, who'd think it could be so delicious. Be generous with the garlic -- although I know purists will scoff, I'm happy with minced garlic from a jar. 2008: Ah, the simple pleasures of asparagus. This time I used my own asparagus steamer and fresh garlic. Delicious! VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more asparagus recipes ~ ~ more spring recipes from Kitchen Parade, my food column ~ LEMON ASPARAGUS Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 30 minutes Serves 4 1 pound asparagus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 garlic

Oh dear. It's only Day Two and already I'm resorting to an old standby, a bag of frozen broccoli (or green beans or ...) steamed, then sprinkled with good salt. My excuse is that there was no ignoring spring's call today and I spent the afternoon hauling and spreading mulch for the garden, where every day, some times it seems every hour, new tendrils poke through with confidence. The laughing daffodils, the bright forsythia, the flowering trees bursting into blossom: if ever there were a good day to spend time in the garden, not the kitchen, this was it.

Tips and tricks for roasting cauliflower, one of the classics of roasted vegetables, especially in winter. ~recipe & photo updated 2010 & 2015~ Roasted Cauliflower was the very first recipe that launched the year-long odyssey called A Veggie Venture back in 2005. Since then, it's a recipe that I've made again and again, some times without thinking, some times paying close attention. Here's what I've learned. Roasting cauliflower – roasting it well, anyway – takes more than just cutting up a head of cauliflower and throwing it into a hot oven. A few tricks and techniques really make the difference between great roasted cauliflower and so-so roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower needs to be cut into bite-size pieces, otherwise the cooking time is really lengthened. When cutting the cauliflower, cut through the florets to create flat surfaces that will more easily caramelize against the hot pan. It's a little fussy, but when putting the cauliflower onto

[ yes, I collect food cartoons! ] QUESTION: Is it okay to comment on food blogs? A reader asked via e-mail, "I am not a blogger ... but a real 'food blogger' junkie. I have often wanted to comment but since I don't have a blog I wonder if I would be doing the right thing or would I 'sorta' be intruding? So my question is then, is it appropriate to comment when you do not belong to the food blogging community? Most of the comments I read are usually from other bloggers." ANSWER: Yes! And everyone is welcome! For one moment, I'll speak on behalf of all food bloggers: we love, covet even, the comments from outside the blogging community! If you're intrigued by a food blogger's post, or if it triggers a memory, or if you make a similar dish or ... whatever comes to mind ... SAY SO. If you don't understand a technique, wonder about a substitution, question a quantity (most of us are writing fast, it does happen!) ... ASK. If you trie