Spiced Roasted Cauliflower With Feta and Garlic

Cauliflower undergoes a few stages of cooking in this recipe, and, for a deep brown and ridiculous flavor, it’s important to see it through all of them. It will be cooked through about halfway through roasting, but to transform it from pale and tender to crisp and golden brown, it must continue roasting at very high heat. Make sure to keep the smaller bits that fall away as you prepare and slice the cauliflower.They'll get the most golden and crunchy, almost like little cauliflower breadcrumbs. In addition to being naturally sweet, cauliflower is a very nutritious vegetable. It’s part of the cruciferous family so it’s rich in antioxidants. It also offers a ton of fiber per serving. Skip the feta if you don’t include dairy in your diet. It will still be delicious.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Vegetables

· 1 small head cauliflower

· 6 garlic cloves, smashed

· 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

· 2 teaspoons fennel or cumin seed

· 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

· Pinch of red-pepper flakes

· Kosher salt and ground pepper

· 1 ounce feta cheese, sliced or crumbled

· ¼ cup parsley, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped

· ¼ cup cilantro, mint or dill, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Slice cauliflower lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some of the first slices will crumble and fall apart. This is okay and will be useful when you want those crispier bits.)

2. Place cauliflower (slices and crumbles) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with fennel seed, turmeric and red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast, without disturbing, until cauliflower has turned a deep golden brown and crisped up in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the larger steaks and stir the smaller bits around and continue to roast until completely and evenly browned, another 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and transfer to a large serving platter. Top with feta, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze fresh lemon over platter as an option.

Nutrition per serving
140 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat;1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7  grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugar; 3 grams protein; 220 milligrams sodium

Recipe from Alison Roman, NY Times Cooking