Roasted Cauliflower

Most of my life I have only eaten raw vegetables, except for corn, potatoes, creamed spinach…Seabrook brand only…and a wayward asparagus or two.
That is until I started to cook for myself.
No wonder I didn’t like vegetables – who wants to eat them after you boil them to death?
Once I found out that if you roast most vegetables at a high temperature or grill them partially – they completely change flavor and sometimes texture I had a whole new world to explore.
For example asparagus become nutty, so do brussel sprouts (a vegetable that when I was a teen and I got one whiff of, I would flee the house in search of an invite elsewhere.)
These days, my eyes are opened and I am willing to try just about anything…except the fungus family…THAT my friends, is never going to happen. I will happily cook those for my husband and guests but that is as far as that relationship will ever go, period.
If you have never cooked cauliflower in the oven before, try this. Yes water IS involved in this one, but only for part of the cooking. This is a family favorite.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 nice large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
Water
¼ cup olive oil, plus 3 TBS
1 ½ tsp Oregano or your favorite green spices
1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs

Place cauliflower florets on a baking sheet or large casserole dish and fill with water until the baking sheet/dish bottom is just covered – maybe ½ cup to ¾ cup depending on the size of baking sheet//dish used.

Cook at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix with a fork until crumbs are lightly clumping together. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix 3 TBS olive oil with green spices being used. Set aside.

Remove cauliflower from the oven and drain off water. Toss cauliflower with the seasoned olive oil mixture and return to over for 10 more minutes or until a fork pierces the florets easily. When done to your liking, remove, toss with breadcrumbs and serve.

We love this with fish, steak or by itself.
I also like it on Thanksgiving, but oven space for this dish is a challenge that day.
Just a note, I prefer light olive oil for this or any time actually. I personally don't like the taste of virgin (unless it's also light) or regular olive oil. It's to overwhelming for me.

Enjoy!

Colleen