recipes

Binge-worthy cauliflower

JOY journal

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” Jim Davis, American cartoonist

The above quote is certainly Garfield worthy, but that kind of thinking is probably why many people shy away from not only full-on vegetarianism but the plant-slant lifestyle that I enjoy.

Many Americans simply do not have much experience making vegetables taste good outside of baked goods and Thanksgiving sides, all of which are yummy but are too calorie explosive to be part of an everyday dinner.

If you want to add more fruits and veggies to your diet in a healthy-but-tasty way, try looking at cookbooks from cultures that elevate this food group. Italy, India, the Middle-East and Asia are great places to start.  Or let some of the great vegetarian web sites and magazines out there winnow the ideas for you.

This recipe began in the Vegetarian Times, under the name Harissa Cauliflower. I made it several times according to the VT’s directions. It was delicious, but par-boiling, baking and stir frying the same veggie for one dish was too time consuming for most nights. I wound up adapting it into a stir-fry. It tastes almost as good as the original version (minus the yummy, crunchy coating), but only takes a few minutes to prepare.

It’s so tasty, in fact, it’s binge worthy. I sometimes sneak into the fridge before bedtime and snack on a few cold florets. I love veggies, I really do, but not usually that much. Admit it, you want to try this recipe now. You can. Here is my speedy-prep version:

Binge-worthy Cauliflower

Stir fry one 12-ounce package frozen cauliflower florets in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. When florets are fork tender, add between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each (depending on taste) of hot pepper flakes, ground cumin and caraway seeds. Stir to coat.

Serve warm over brown basmati rice or toss with whole-wheat spaghetti. Unsalted cashews make a nice topping. This recipe doubles well, but you might want to taste before doubling the spices and adjust according to your own preferences.

Published by JOY journal

After a long career writing for local newspapers — and, on rare occasions, for publications such as The Washington Post — Nora's word life is now focused on blogging and occasional writing projects of special interest. Also the author of several books, Nora lives in Appalachia with her husband and a goodish dog named Finn, who is delighted whenever the family's two adult daughters are home from college.

20 thoughts on “Binge-worthy cauliflower”

  1. I love brown basmati rice. Sometimes we just have that with roasted red peppers ( capsicum? ), courgettes ( zuccini? ) and big mushrooms on top sprinkled with grated cheese. Tonight we’re having lentil loaf on rice with homemade tomato sauce.

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  2. This sounds so yummy! As a cauliflower groupie I will give this a try. Another quick go-to recipe is to cook frozen cauliflower, drain, then (while hot) toss in Whole Foods spicy Peanut/Coconut sauce & add scallions & peanuts. Blessings, Nora! 🌟😋🌟

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