Roasted Cauliflower with Mint and Almonds

Through the images, I know this dish seems underwhelming but it is so incredibly good.  This dish is inspired by the roasted cauliflower dish I had at Girl and the Goat in October (I posted my Chicago visit in a past post here).  Before, I would actually categorize myself to be a cauliflower hater because I thought the texture was too crumbly and the taste was totally blah.... it even smelled a little off.  However, roasted cauliflower tastes nutty and delicious and the texture isn't crumbly and weird anymore.  Who knew?!?  This is definitely going on my Christmas menu.

Makes 4 servings

1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces with the hard core removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 fresh mint leaves torn
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons walnut oil

Preheat over to 450 degrees F.

Spread the cauliflower across a baking pan.  Drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 to 35 minutes and toss the veggies every 10 minutes or so.  The cauliflower should be nice and browned.

Toss the warm cauliflower with almonds, lemon zest, mint, and walnut oil.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve right away.

 

Toasting nuts on a pan over the stove is the easiest way to ensure that the nuts don't get burnt.  The crunch from the almonds add a contrasting texture to the dish.

 

The lemon zest and mint pair so well with this dish because they perfume the dish... do not omit these items out of the dish if you can help it.  With all the different flavors and textures, I bet you didn't know that cauliflower could even taste like this!