Roasted Cauliflower

When I was a kid the only way I would eat cauliflower was if it was drowned in cheese sauce. As an adult not much changed and I kind of avoided the stuff. It's not that I dislike it, I just never thought of it as tasty or versatile. So it never really made its way onto my plate very often. But all that changed when I finally tried roasting it. And now I can't believe I wasted so many years not knowing the wondrous flavour of roasted cauliflower.

Once roasted the cauliflower will reveal its full depth of flavour. It's so amazing I'll eat it as a snack. Quite a turn around from my cauli-hating days!

So if you're like me and late to the party, I urge you to give roasted cauliflower a chance. Even if you're an ardent cauliflower hater, you might see it in a whole new light. Feel free to use my recipe or experiment with your own mix of spices. My recipe has a subtle spice flavour and a great hit of citrus. It's an earthy and fresh flavour which works well as a versatile side dish, or a tasty healthy snack. The most important thing about this dish though is to make sure you roast them until they start to darken, right to the point where you worry they might burn. This is how you extract maximum flavour.

Roasted Cauliflower (serves 4)

Ingredients:

One head of cauliflower, stem removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil of your choice)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Juice of a large lemon

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl: whisk together the oil, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Add the cauliflower to the bowl and toss to coat.

Lay them out evenly on a roasting tray. Pop it in the oven.

Cook for 30- 40 minutes, give or take. For ultimate flavour cook them until they start to brown...almost to the point of getting burnt. Keep an eye on it. Don't be scared to push it to the limit though, you'll be rewarded with maximum flavour!

Serve with lemon wedges and an extra dusting of paprika.