Spicy Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
One of my favorite ways to make & eat veggies is to oven-roast them! If you have never tasted oven-roasted celery, green onions, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, squash, broccoli, cabbage AND especially cauliflower — you have really missed out on the yummiest way to meet your daily veggie quota. Oven-roasting brings out a blast of flavors including an amazing sweetness that’s mostly hidden in fresh, steamed & boiled preparations.
As I was prepping and chopping the veggies for my Spicy Oven-Roasted Cauliflower, Shep sharply interrupted my thoughts by asking ((more like demanding)) “Wait, are you oven roasting that cauliflower??! You are going to BURN it, right?!”. I couldn’t nod yes quick enough and chuckled to myself – how many 9 year olds are that interested in the preparation of veggies.
What I love most ((besides how tasty)) about this recipe is just how very easy & beautiful it is!
I know it may sound odd, but roasted celery is quite tasty – and the purple carrots add both beauty & sweetness. The bacon & onions are magical – salty, crisp and a little caramelized. YUM
Add some punch with some shaved parmesan, lemon zest and a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Sprinkle with kosher salt & black pepper & toss with a tablespoon or two of canola oil ((or another oil that works well for high heat)).
Roast @400° on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30-45 minutes, according to your desired doneness. We ((and by “we”, I am particularly referring to Shep)) actually like the veggies to be more charred.
I snapped this photo, mainly out of vanity – and then returned them to the oven to get perfectly black & crisp. ((For us, 10 more minutes in the oven brings these veggies to perfection))
ps – black oven-roasted cauliflower tastes just like REALLY good fried okra! It is crazy, but true.
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into 1/4" thick florets
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4" rounds
- 4 stalks of celery, cut into 1/4" chunks
- 1 medium white onion, halved & thinly sliced
- 4 strips of ((raw)) applewood bacon, cut into 1/2" strips
- 1/2 c chopped Italian parsley
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 c shredded parmesan
- 1 t crushed red pepper flakes*
- 2-3 T canola oil
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Evenly spread ingredients, in a single layer, across the 2 baking sheets. Season & toss with oil. Place into preheated oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, turning veggies halfway through baking time. Continue cooking to allow bacon to crisp & veggies to char.
- When cooked to desired doneness, remove & season with additional S & P to taste.
- Serves 6
- *Use more or less crushed chili pepper flakes, depending on heat preferences.