By: Francesca Montillo, Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures
As the daughter of a greengrocer, I have to admit, I pretty much love all vegetables. I grew up eating all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies, many of which were organic, before it was even cool to eat organic! And I don’t really discriminate, I can’t think of any that I don’t enjoy. Sure, some I find tastier than others and favored, but I wouldn’t turn any away.
Then, there’s cauliflower.
I can’t say I dislike cauliflower, but let’s just say, it needs help! I mean, let’s be honest, it has little flavor and usually needs some addition to flavoring it up. I do eat it with pasta and sauce, and you can get that recipe here. But even better than that, is this oven-roasted, cutlet-style cauliflower!
Treat cauliflower as you would some delicious baked cutlets, and now we’re talking! In this recipe, I roast it in the oven, but you could follow the recipe below and fry it up instead. Baked is also a lot healthier and less messy.
Below are the step-by-step instructions for oven-roasted, cutlet-style cauliflower. This is a great appetizer or side dish next to some chicken or steak.
Oven Roasted, Cutlet-Style Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 cauliflower, trimmed so only the florets remain
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
Instructions
2. In a medium saucepan, add the cauliflower and salt and enough water to cover them. Bring to a full boil and blanch the florets for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower is boiling, mix the bread crumbs and cheese in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat the 2 eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.
4. Drain the cauliflower and quickly rinse under cold water.
5. Dredge one floret at a time in the beaten egg, then coat in the bread crumb and cheese mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake the florets for 20 minutes, turning midway for even cooking.
7. Serve hot with lemon wedges, if desired.Wine Pairing: Roasted cauliflower pairs wonderfully with Italian chardonnay wines.
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