A few weeks ago we were making dinner with our friends Brandon and Christy, and we decided to tackle a recipe we came across on the internet for roasted cauliflower. It called for some specialty type of Mexican chile pepper, and since we didn’t have any on-hand, Christy and I figured we could substitute red pepper flakes and it would probably be fine. We even lessened the amount the recipe called for, because we knew that red pepper flakes are spicy! Knowing something is spicy and knowing how much of it to use are two different things apparently. We took the cauliflower out of the oven and although it was delicious, it nearly lit our faces on fire. Good thing we like spicy food!
This particular recipe for spicy roasted cauliflower is inspired by that dinner with Brandon and Christy, and I promise it won’t set your mouth on fire! If you don’t like spicy food, eliminate the red pepper flakes and cayenne altogether! And feel free to adjust the spices to your liking – I’d love to know if you try something new that you really enjoy!
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- Olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes more or less depending on preference
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lime juice and cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Rinse cauliflower and chop into medium size pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss.
- Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over cauliflower.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and toss.
- Roast for approximately 20 minutes, turning the cauliflower half way through. Keep a close eye on it after flipping to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, squeeze fresh lime juice over the top, and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.