By popular demand- Cauliflower!

My Meltdown weight-loss is  utterly dependent upon my diet. I don't mean "diet" in the sense that certain foods are forbidden, but diet according to my definition, which is, "I can eat anything I want as long as I don't go over 1,000 calories a day."

For some people this might not work, as maybe they are more dependent on certain foods, such as fast food or candy, which will rack up the calories to the limit in one 5-minute indulgence. From watching The Biggest Loser, it seems another problem of the obese is that they don't cook and eat too much prepared and processed foods, which I detest.

Luckily for me, as much as I love fat and calorie dense foods like cheese, butter, cream, foie gras, pate, bacon, croissant, etc. Actually, looking at this list I can safely say my food foibles are milk and pig-based.

But I also love so many other whole foods equally, if not more: vegetables, especially cruciferous and greens like chards, collards, and spinach; eggs; whole grains; nuts & seeds; avocados, pears, grapefruit, berries, squash, mushrooms, more and more.

So I have not been feeling deprived at all. Portion control is an issue and so is the decreased wine consumption, but overall I'm having fun inventing amazing, lo-cal meals such as a Shrimp, Avocado, Grapefruit & Watercress Salad w/Sherry Vinegar.

But I've also been referring to some of my old standbys, like the incredibly simple Roasted Cauliflower. There is nothing to it: roast florets in a low oven until they lose moisture and turn into luscious, sweet, chewy-crispy golden nuggets. This dish satisfies my craving for what Miss B and I call the "Brown Crunchy Things." But unlike tater tots, egg rolls, fried mushrooms and other such calorie bombs, this cauliflower dish is loaded with nutrients and fiber- not calories.

Here's how you make it:

• Cut a head (or 2) of cauliflower into 1" florets
• Toss with 1-2 teaspoons EVOO
  and S & P
• Spread onto a baking sheet in 1 layer
• Bake at 300 degrees for approx. 1.5 hours

I used to accompany mine with a dipping sauce made of mayonnaise seasoned with Chipotle Pepper sauce from the can. My Meltdown version can stand on its own or be served with something less fatty, like Trader Joe's Punjab Spinach Sauce.

The cauliflower ultimately reduces down to such a concentrated morsel, that I can easily consume 2 heads in one sitting. But who cares? There are only 144 calories in 1 medium-size head (approx. 1.25lbs) and 57% of the daily recommended amount of fiber.