I used to hate cauliflower. Then I saw how many of you guys like it. I made Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Cauliflower and then my cauliflower world was totally rocked by this Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe. Cauliflower is white, mild in taste and low in calories. Hello, what not to like?!
Wohoo, let’s abuse cauliflower for the next 50 recipes. It’s dirt cheap, which is quite important as I’m spending hundreds of $$$ on organic chicken breasts on my quest to see the abs.
Last weekend we went to our friends’ house for dinner. My girlfriend, Danielle, is all things cilantro and lime. I think she even makes cilantro pancakes, mac and cheese and ice cream. The girl likes Mexican food, obviously. The same night I made and brought Mexican Bean Salad Recipe. And then we ended up having Indian Chicken Korma along these hispanic dishes. Go figure.
Anyways, she gave me a head of cauliflower to chop and then said to toss it in lime juice and cilantro. At first I was like “Whaaaaat, where is my Parmesan cheese?!” and Danielle was like “Duuuuh!”. And then I was like “Why not?!”. So, here we go, my friends. Easy and clean cilantro lime cauliflower for our abs. And it’s cheesy and delicious!
Let’s begin.
First, you chop the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Danielle likes them super small because she says she has a small mouth. I honestly don’t know but I did like she said. Then you add cumin, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and mix. Let it stand for 5 – 10 minutes. You know what would be cool?! Let the cauliflower marinate in this brine overnight and eat it the next day. No cooking required. I’m gonna try.
Transfer cauliflower into baking dish. 8 x 11 or 9 x 13 inches work, any glass/ceramic ovenproof dish. Hey, even pie dish would work. And level the cauliflower. I know the picture above might be confusing but it’s pretty.
Now, see those bits of cauliflower, garlic and cilantro left on the walls of the mixing bowl? Save them and add to baked cilantro lime cauliflower along with cheese for extra flavour. When garlic and cilantro bake, they lose the intensity of their flavours. And you want to taste that fresh garlic and cilantro here. Trust me on this one.
After the cauliflower is cooked and still crunchy, for about 15 minutes, take it out. Top with the cilantro and garlic bits and pieces. Then sprinkle cheese on top. Any blend of white yellow cheese like Colby Jack or Tex Mex would work. You could even use mozzarella cheese. Low or full fat is up to you.
I prefer full fat dairy and try to limit its use overall. I used 1 cup of Colby Jack cheese. I had a package of Organic Creamery cheese slices for my kids. I took a few slices, cut them in half, then pounded to stick together really well and shredded/crumbled. Yeah, that’s how ghetto I am. But really use what you have. I had cheese but in a different shape and form. Who cares, it melts anyways.
By the way, you can use less or no cheese at all. I wanted a bit of cheesy vegetables in my diet. Like this cheesy…
I drink enough green smoothies and eat plain vegetables every day. I was in for some cheese with cilantro lime cauliflower.
All you have to do after is melt the cheese under the broiler. Don’t overcook. There is nothing worse than dry and mushy vegetables. Take out of the oven, top with diced avocados and fresh cilantro. Voila. Delicious vegetable side dish with all your favourite Latin flavours – lime, cilantro, cumin and garlic.
This cilantro lime cauliflower was delicious! Crunchy, tangy and so fresh with cilantro and avocado on top. I think it tasted best fresh. I reheated it later in the evening for the boys and it was good but not as cheesy. Still good and kids ate it with a big pleasure. What kids do not like cheesy food?! Present it as Roasted Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. Serve as a side dish to accompany any meat, grains and salad. Cauliflower is quite versatile. We had it with Grilled Chicken Chimichurri Recipe and quinoa. It was delish!
Lime and Cilantro Cauliflower with Avocado
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower with Avocado is delicious baked cauliflower with cumin and garlic. And it’s cheesy and gluten free recipe.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 lime, juice of
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped + more for garnish
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Tex Mex/Colby Jack/Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, add cauliflower, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix to combine and let stand for 5 – 10 minutes. You can also let it marinate overnight and proceed to Step 2 the next day.
- Transfer cauliflower into baking dish (I used 8 x 11″), reserving the garlic and cilantro on the sides of the bowl. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with reserved garlic and cilantro, and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Top with additional fresh cilantro and avocado. Serve hot immediately.
Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 1 day.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
This was wonderful! I admit I was leary…it seemed like it would need a sauce or something. We made it as a main vegetarian dish, and added Quorn “chicken” nuggets. Husband, teen and I loved it! We were all not sure about trying it, but so glad to have done so. Preteen liked it but not as a main, more of a side. It’s a win! Thank you.
You are welcome, Laurel. Proof food doesn’t have to be swimming in a sauce to be flavourful.
This was DELICIOUS, I am so happy I stumbled across this recipe. The combination of flavors was awesome, the only thing I did differently was add more cheese. I had to stop myself from eating the entire thing, lol.
Great! Well, more cheese…how to stop?! lol
I tried this recipe, didn’t have much cumin or avocado on hand, and still came out so yummy. Couldn’t stop eating it. Thanks!
Yay!:)
*I just MADE it…
*BUT this dish…
Ugh, I hate making typos.
No worries.:) Glad she shared it with you. I hate making typos too. I notice I become more careless because of excessive texting and because I don’t write as often as I used to. Sometimes I feel I made a mistake, especially with punctuation, but honestly don’t know where or how to fix it. I used to be much better at university and while working at the office but like with any language you forget it if not using often. I wish grammar was my biggest issue in life LOL. Enjoy your cauliflower! It is very good for you vegetable. Raw – even better!
My daughter shared this recipe with me and I just make it about an hour ago. I’ve never been a fan of cooked cauliflower, the this dish is delicious! The crunchy cauliflower with the combination of lime, cilantro, cumin, and avocado flavors is awesome!
This is delicious! The only thing I did differently was put black beans in it to make it as a main dish because my family is vegetarian.
Oh, that would be wonderful! Even some corn too. Glad you enjoyed it.:)
Have you tried it with olive oil or coconut oil?
I haven’t as there is enough fats for me, personally, as it is. But you definitely can.:)
This looks GREAT! I’m going to use vegan cheese instead as I’m vegan. Can’t wait to try it!
Totally would work! Daiya is a good vegan alternative.
I don’t usually comment on a recipe, but this was SO Yummy!!!! Thank you! My six year old doesn’t like cauliflower and he ate 3 servings of this. Will definitely make again and again!!
Wow, that’s an impressive feedback. Glad all of you enjoyed it.:)
Although this is good, next time I will omit the cumin since that’s really all I’m tasting in this!
Hey I’m not a fan of blogs I usually skip through the words and pretty pictures and go straight to the recipes but girl I like your style! All my faves cauliflower avocado and cilantro-what could be wrong? I’m gonna try
Hi Nancy. Awe, thank you so much. Just saying the way it is. No filter.:)
This is DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for sharing!!
Isn’t it?! And so simple too.
“Yeah that’s how ghetto I am.” So funny. This recipe looks exactly like something I would make and eat all of myself. Delicious! Pinned it for later use!
Well, 2 kids. Hello. Now you know.:) Luckily Owen won’t eat it more likely. So all for you and Eric. And the baby.:)
What an awesome mixture of flavors, I love using cauliflower it because so soft and delicious when cooked! Pinned!
It’s amazing. I’m cooking cauliflower tomorrow again. Tx for pinning!
It looks delicious, I will definitely try this out. Thanks.
Let me know how you like it. I love hearing your feedback and seeing the photos of the food you make.:)
I love the combination of flavors in this, Olena. And the colours … beautiful! It’s a great idea to eat it as a side with chicken and quinoa too!
It’s amazing!!! Lean protein with complex carbs and a side of veggies is the way to eat in 2014!:)