Roasted Cauliflower with Spiced Almonds and Parmesan Crumb

Cauliflower has proved to be such a versatile vegetable: roasted whole with almonds, steamed with fresh herbs, as a base for soup, mash or puree, as a filling for golden fritters and even ground up finely to make a gluten-free pizza base. Here’s my shot at making cauliflower shine again.

serves 4
V
what you need
1 whole cauliflower
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
pinch of sea salt
50g butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup (50g) almonds
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
¼ cup finely grated parmesan

what you do
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced).
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets, place in a shallow roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika, turmeric and salt. Scatter the butter cubes and whole almonds evenly over the cauliflower and roast 30 minutes or until just tender.
3. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the parmesan and breadcrumbs. Finish under the grill for 5 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.

GF option: Substitute breadcrumbs for rice crumbs.

cauliflower is a vegetable from the Brassica family. Its compact head (called a curd) is made up of undeveloped flower buds. The flowers are connected by a central stalk and resemble little trees when broken into separate buds or florets. Ribbed, coarse green leaves surround the curd and shelter it from sunlight. The smaller, tender leaves between the outer leaves and florets are also edible. Cauliflower heads are usually white, although there are some light green, purple and even yellow or orange varieties that are cultivated. Low in carbohydrates, low in fat and rich in iron, vitamin C and dietary fibre, cauliflower is nutritionally dense and a good substitute for potatoes and rice.

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