Written by Here’s another food for our #DoodlewashDinner that I would never have considered when I was young, but absolutely love today. You can pretty much do anything with cauliflower from having it as a quick snack with a dip, roasting it or using it as a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes. We like to cut it into cauliflower steaks, add some onions and roast it for a little bit with olive oil. It’s delicious and super filling combined with a ton of various health benefits, as long as you don’t cook it too long, so it’s earns the title of an amazing food I think. At least, I’m always amazed when something I really enjoy eating is actually good for me.
When I was a kid, the thought of eating cauliflower kind of grossed me out. It looked like a brain and it seemed super odd to go chowing down on a brain like some kind of zombie. It was really just the color, as I loved broccoli and it looked very similar on top. But broccoli looked like what I called “little trees” which is kind of neat, particularly when the rain on those trees came in the form of melted cheese. All the adults around me at the time seemed to love cauliflower so I just wrote it off as old people food. Like salted cantaloupe or how my parents would always choose black walnut ice cream over mint chocolate chip.
Sadly, as I grew up, things reversed for my favorite broccoli dish. As an adult, I prefer it plain and that once loved cheese sauce now sort of grosses me out. It’s funny how much our tastes can change over the years, but I’m definitely a cauliflower lover now. Perhaps it’s just my body taking care of me, silently nudging me toward better options, like a loving parent. Or maybe it’s the kid in me who always wanted to try eating those brains. Or, more likely, it’s just that aging adult in me who’s lived a very happy life and finally understands what it’s like to enjoy old people food.
About the Doodlewash
M. Graham watercolors: Permanent Pale Green, Gamboge, Dioxazine Purple, Cobalt Teal, Sap Green and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal
Yay! Brain food. I can use more of that. LOL Too bad around here cauliflower is only acceptable if I melt cheese on it. sigh.
Thanks Susan! 😃💕Hehe!! I guess it’s still healthy underneath!! 😉lol
I LOVE Cauliflower – especially roasted. We used to always drench every vegetable with cheese sauce too – and I much prefer it roasted and lightly seasoned now. And by the way – I think I need better glasses – I almost thought your cauliflower had legs and was some strange creature when it first popped on my screen! OH JOOOODIII!! LOL! Cauliflower Rocks and so do YOU Charlie O!
Thanks Jodi! 😃💕haha! I was thinking a bit Sci-fi worked for this one. Imagine it gigantic like the brain that ate Manhattan! Lol
I haven’t eaten cooked cauliflower for years but cauli in cheese sauce remains one of the few things I can cook. [I think I can still cook it, but it’s definitely a group dish.]
Hehe…yay! You should definitely try making it again soon, Jeni! 😉
Besutiful drawing. The color is pefect. We eat little trees here as well, howevrr only i adore cauliflower, raw, roasted with olive oil, garlic, salt. And sometimes curry powder. Ive even slabbed it and put it right on the BBQ. Must day mashed is always nice as well. However nomayter how i cook it, donuts beats it out everytime.
Thanks!! 😃💕 And yeah…that’s really an unfair fight if you add donuts into the mix. Poor cauliflower doesn’t stand a chance! Lol
Love love love your sketch and cauliflower. Like you I love it any way I can get it, but esp. Roasted, yum.
Awww thanks so much Teri! 😃💕 Glad to find another cauliflower fab out there!
A lovely painting of a terrific veggie. In fact, I think I’ll roast some cauliflower tonight – you reminded me how tasty it is.
Awesome!! Yay! 😃💕 Glad I could tempt you, Sharon!
Yum! I love it cooked but not raw. Yours is good enough to eat!
Thanks Cathy! 😃💕 I’m actually the same way…I don’t love it as much raw…kind of bland. Hehe
Yes
You are good at painting white 💗 Although it will now be hard for me to buy cauliflower with the thought rolling around in my head that old people eat cauliflower 🙄
Thanks Carmel! 😃💕 and sorry for that! Lol Just what I thought as a kid, but now something to be proud of! Grab some cauliflower! We earned it! 😉hehe
Stunning painting of a delicious vegetable. Never tried it roasted, must remember to do that. I do remember as a kid being a bit phased by the looks, until I saw a sliced section that made me think of little white trees, that and the ranch dressing helped. lol. Delightful post as always.
Thanks so much Haunani! 😃💕 The do look like little white trees! Of course as a kid I only saw the brain cross-sections, but I was a super weird kid. Glad ya liked the post!
Your cauliflower is outstanding! Your roasting technique sounds delicious. We were thinking of the same thing today. I found a great cauliflower recipe on the food network to try later this week.
Thanks!! 😃💕Awesome, Sharon!! Let me know how the recipe turns out. We end up
getting cauliflower every week and always on the hunt for new things to do with it!
Here is the link Bon Appetit ❤️
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/daphne-brogdon/the-best-cauliflower-ever.html
Awesome! Thanks, Sharon! 💕
I recently found some orange colored cauliflower in the organic section of the grocery store and fell in love with it! I wasn’t much of a fan before but this tasted sooo good! And it didn’t hurt that it was my favorite color – orange! 😉 I like how you fixed it and will have to give that a try! Awesome doodlewash, Charlie!! 💖🎨✨
Thanks so much Jill! 😃💕 I actually almost made this one orange! We had that kind last week and it’s so pretty!! Things definitely taste better in Orange! Hehe 😉
Wonderful doodlewash! We’ve cut out so much of white carbs from our diet and cauliflower has become my favorite substitute. I love cauliflower fried rice and I’ve even made pizza crust with cauliflower! Unfortunately, my family is not too crazy about it.
Thanks Kari! 😃💕 I’ve had the pizza crust once and it’s not bad! But still not a full substitute for the carby kind! Hehe
‘It looked like a brain’ – clearly you had a vivid imagination even as a child, Charlie! Wonderful, and a great painting of the brain.
Haha… it did look like a brain… still does. I think my doodlewash turned out more brain-like than I even intended! lol Thanks Michael! 😃
Now I don’t know why, but your cauliflower reminds me of the little shop of horrors, it looks like he is going the start walking, stand up and burst into song….feed me! Gosh my brain is in a funny place this morning…cauliflower brain! Love it
I love your cauliflower Charlie! Its a favorite of mine, especially roasted. I think I could eat it everyday…proof I’m an old person!
Yay! You’re in the club, Cathe! 😃💕It’s a proud club! lol So glad you liked this doodlewash and are a cauliflower fan!
great sketch! funny about the brains! no one here will eat it but me…. cauliflower that is, not brains. lol
Haha!! Thanks so much for clarifying that comment! Thanks so much! Glad you liked this doodlewash, Debi! 😃💕
laughing as I write…. in OZ, a frequent dish on menu is lamb’s brains. I struggled … with that, I actually thought the person was pulling my leg. but no.
Ewwwwww!! Haha!! That sounds awful! I don’t even think I could try that. 😳
no, absolutely no. my Oz friend looked baffled when I laughed at ‘her joke’…. til she said – Its not a joke.
Lol… sooo gross!
Amazing painting! my favorite Cauliflower…very nice!!
Awww thanks Jui! So happy you like it! 😃
I thought exactly the same about the brain and the trees! A brain with tentacles, as your (awesome!) doodlewash suggests to me. Creepy 😉 But I used to get so excited when picking the ‘trees’ up in the supermarket – less so when they turned up on my plate, admittedly, but they were fun. I can now tolerate both cauliflower and broccoli (emphasis on ‘tolerate’; I mean, they are vegetables 😉 but it’s progress nonetheless!)
Wow… I’m surprised you’re even able to tolerate them, Jacob! hehe… that’s awesome! And yeah… as a kid those trees did look pretty cool but I really didn’t love them by themselves. I did go a little Sci-Fi on this one… I had brains on the brain when I drew it, so it’s not surprising how it came out! Lol
Mmm, brains! With these and a generous helping of berries, you’ll be super clever – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, here we come! 😉
Beautiful job, Charlie, and not an easy one! I love the idea of cauliflower steaks!! Never heard of this before. Cauli-rice is really good, have you and P ever tried? I need that cauli-steak recipe lol. (I’m down with a bug and not really blogging but wanted to see what you’ve been up to over here buddy. Keep making wp beautiful!
Thanks so much Laura… you’re so sweet! 😃💕Yeah… it was way more difficult to doodlewash this than I thought when I started! But oh no… you poor thing… I’m so sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. Bro is sending major healing vibes your way…….. 💜💜That better do the trick! We need you back!
💛🙇👍😎
That’s great Charlie you’re not just doodlewashed the cauliflower beautifully you also choose something great to eat it is good cooked or raw so you can’t go wrong with this! 😉 <3
Thanks Carolina! 😃💕glad you liked this! Yeah…it’s pretty much the most versatile little food. I love it!
Yes and you can do many good dishes with it! 😉
Love your doodle, Charlie! Great detail and colouring. Now, I wonder how you would go with broccoli or broccolini (which is more leggy)? I think you could do it…
Thanks Janina! 😃💕I almost selected broccoli and then went with cauliflower instead. I love broccolini…. it’s delicious!
So do I! Will you have a go ‘tho? Broccolini, perhaps, easier and lighter in colouring and structure.
Not sure yet… hehe… I’ve only got a few more to go and I tend to favor things with lots of different colors! That and well… dessert😃🐷Lol
hahaha…dessert is always a lot more interesting!