Roasted Cauliflower

My last few posts have been on the sweet side: after Lemon Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing, Chocolate Fondants with Salted Caramel Sauce and Tiramisu, I thought it might be time to present you with something to eat before all of those treats! This roasted cauliflower recipe is not mine, nor was it made by me but I just had to post it. Mr. O has been cooking wonderful little snacks for me to have around the house while I've been working on a few projects. Although I work around the realm of food, somedays I am just writing away and don't have as much time as I'd want to frolic in the kitchen and try new things. I opened the fridge a couple days ago and this wonderful batch of roasted cauliflower was just calling my name. It's a wonderfully healthy and satisfying way to enjoy cauliflower - a vegetable that I haven't been using nearly as much as I should. It also makes a wonderful side dish to a nicely pan-seared piece of fish and works beautifully to top a simple citrus and nut salad. You will have to wait a little to get the recipe (until Oliver gets back and tells me his secret!) , which, from what I understand, is a tweaked version of Jamie Oliver's recipe.

It really has been a busy couple weeks in this household! Between hosting the Daring Bakers (I can't wait to see everyone's results!), an ever-increasing amount of submissions to go through on Tastespotting, a few exciting food projects in the works, some recipe development, photo shoots and some night classes to attend..as well as a small move to London (for a month in the summer for an exciting food project I can't reveal right away) there hasn't been enough hours in the day. If you live in London and have some suggestions for good food spots, local markets, specialty stores or any cool local activities, I'm all ears!

Roasted Cauliflower:
2 heads of cauliflower
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds
1/4 cup of powdered almonds

Boil a large pot of water and add a generous quantity of salt. Heat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit. Using a frying pan without oil, dry-fry the spices for 1-2minutes, add them to a grinder and grind to a powder. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower in half, and then into florets. Add them to the water for 5-6 minutes, and drain. Spread the cauliflower out onto a baking sheet, and allow to airdry for several hours. Alternately, dry in a 100-200 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. In a big bowl, mix the cauliflower with the spices and pour the oil and powdered almonds.

Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until it becomes nicely golden brown and even crispy.