Roasted Cauliflower

I like regular roasted cauliflower (just toss with olive oil, maybe some salt and pepper, and bake), but my dear husband prefers things with sauces. This isn’t really a sauce, but it’s more than just plain oil, so I thought it was worth a try. Here’s the inspiration recipe: One-Dish Italian Chicken and Cauliflower Dinner. However, I didn’t feel like opening a can of tomato paste when I had an opened bottle of tomato juice in the refrigerator. I also didn’t feel like opening a new jar of Dijon mustard, so I used regular mustard. I baked the chicken in its own pan, turning it into Oven Fried Chicken instead of roasted chicken. Isn’t it nice that there’s no Recipe Police in our kitchens?

Roasted Cauliflower Italian Style

• 2-3 tablespoons tomato juice
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine tomato juice, olive oil, mustard, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cauliflower and mix to coat. Put in greased 9×13″ pan and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Note: The original recipe called for tomato paste (about 1 1/2 tablespoons); feel free to use whatever variety of processed tomatoes you desire. The original recipe also had the cheese added to the tossing mixture, but I found that it just formed clumps which didn’t stick very well to the cauliflower pieces. Next time I’ll just sprinkle it on at the end.