There was a time in my life when I hated broccoli and cauliflower.
They looked a bit too much like “trees” and the texture turned my stomach. Big time.
As an adult I’ve grown to LOVE both of these cruciferous veggies (but continue to semi-hate their close cousin the Brussels Sprout), and eat them almost daily.
Getting the picky eaters in your life to eat these super nutritious veggies can be quite the challenge. My favorite way to sneak the broccoli in is to roast it with salt and pepper until it is super duper crisp. Those crispy broccoli florets become addictive (I swear!) and there are times I’ll end up eating a whole head in one sitting (it’s THAT good). I dare those picky eaters to say these aren’t delicious!
Tonight I whipped up an equally scrumptious recipe as a side for dinner. These cauliflower florets have the same satisfaction you’ll get from the crispy broccoli, and have a kick that would be delicious as a taco filling for all of my veggie friends out there!
Spicy Crispy Cauliflower
serves 2-3 (or 1 lol)
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower (or 1 frozen steam-in-bag)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
fresh herbs for garnish
Directions
1. Steam cauliflower using this recipe, or instructions on the bag (if using frozen). Pat dry.
2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and red pepper flakes together. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized frying pan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat (closer to medium than high). Place seasoning mix into the hot oil and use a wooden spoon or spatula to move around the pan and incorporate with the oil. Add cauliflower to the pan “floret side down” into the hot oil making sure not to crowd the florets.
NOW DON’T MESS WITH THE FLORETS! DON’T TURN THEM! DON’T SHAKE THEM! DON’T ROTATE THEM! DON’T MESS WITH THEM! I’m watching you………
5. Let them sit floret side down in the pan for 5-6 minutes. Pick one floret to flip and check. You’ll be looking for a caramelized, brown, beautifully crispy floret!
6. At this point, turn all of the florets and continue to brown on their sides for another minute or 2.
7. Remove from the pan and serve warm with some chopped fresh herbs over the top.
Enjoy! 🙂
