Roasted Cauliflower with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Must Try Recipes

For many years the only way you’d catch me eating cauliflower was if it was drenched in gooey, processed cheese sauce. Although I warmed up to broccoli pretty early in my tween years, I considered cauliflower boring and unworthy of my time, attention and limited space in my tummy until somewhat recently.

And while I still prefer most other roasted vegetables in their naked state, roasted cauliflower turns into quite the showstopper when topped with a bright, Indian tomato sauce.  It’s a colorful, healthy and unique dish that is simple to make but packs a spicy punch.

If you’re truly heat adverse, you can remove some of the seeds in the Serrano chile pepper or cut back on the cayenne pepper.  But remember, the cauliflower is mild, and there’s plenty of vegetable to balance out the heat in the sauce.

Roasted Cauliflower with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into large florets
* 3 Tablespoons olive oil, for extra for drizzling
* 1-inch piece fresh, peeled and grated ginger
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
* 1 Serrano chile pepper, quartered lenthwise
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt and pepper
* 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking mat with parchment paper. Spread the cauliflower florets in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower begins to brown.

While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the spicy tomato sauce. Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying or saute pan over medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the cumin, coriander, and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about two minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes and all of the juice from the can, chile pepper, and cayenne. Simmer until the tomatoes are cooked and use the back of a wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes to break them down into a chunky sauce. Add the cilantro and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the roasted broccoli florets onto a serving plate and top with the spicy tomato sauce. Serve immediately.

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