Curried cauliflower

Ok, so I haven't kept up with this the way I thought I might. But I keep forgetting to take pictures of dinner, and frankly, what is a food blog if you can't see the food?

Last night we ate simply.  Sometimes I find the weekend meals incredibly difficult.  With the big kids gone at their dad's house, amount of food troubles me.  Plus, Colin and Nadia are pickier about food than the rest of us.

But Colin has been buying lots of cauliflower.  Now, I love raw cauliflower.  I even like it roasted and put into soup.  But beyond that, I could honestly care less.  But in the interest of trying to eat seasonally... what's left in February?  Cauliflower.

I am not a huge fan of curry, either.  Too many bad curries in school cafeterias and dining halls.  But making your own isn't so bad.  Besides, it comes out different everytime.  I know, for most people, that is not the goal of cooking.  For me, cooking is more about art than science (although I get the science part).  So much in my life is backed up by scientific articles and experiments and experience.  Cooking is the painting and sculpting I don't often have the time to do.  Maybe my family will suffer when I do start painting again, or when we dig our pit-kiln for firing the myriad of clay projects just sitting on the shelves in my art room (*ahem* art closet).

But back to the curry.

The best part about making curry is getting out a little cereal bowl, and mixing the spices.  A little of this, a little of that.  Fresh or dried?  It is one of those dishes that totally depends on what you have on hand.  Usually I use large chunks of fresh ginger, garlic, and perhaps fresh chilies.  Sometimes I grate the cinnamon from sticks, and sometimes I use powdered.  Sometimes a touch of brown sugar or honey, sometimes not. Usually I add a bit of premade curry mix.  And always some coriander.  Powdered or ground?

Go online, or into your favorite veggie cook book, and find a curry recipe that appeals to you, and play with the ingredients.  Play with the amounts.  Find one that tastes good to you.  Some prefer the hot flavors, some prefer the cinnamony-sweet flavors.  Then mix it with olive oil (here is where I add a bit of sweetness) until you have a bit of a paste, or even thinner.

Cut cauliflower into florets and pieces of stem.  I used a whole head for just the three of us and we ate it all.  Put the cauliflower in a bowl, and slowly pour the curry spices and oil over the cauliflower and coat thickly.  Then spread in a single layer in a glass baking pan.  Oven roast at 425 deg F, until you can pierce with a fork, and it is nicely roasted and has a golden brown crust here and there on the florets.

I chose to pair this with roasted bone-in chicken breasts with a simple Adobo and olive oil seasoning.  Next time, I will add whole grain rice.   And for the chicken, I mixed a fancy, whole-grain mustard with a bit of mayo for some dipping sauce.  It was a delicious, if very yellow and white, dinner.  And it made me eat my cauliflower.