Thursday, April 19, 2012

Roasted Cauliflower Dippers with Smoked Paprika Aioli


I find cauliflower to be a rather deceptive and mendacious vegetable.  Why? A head of cauliflower is a pleasing sight to behold.  All those pretty white florets all bunched together in a nest of green leaves – it looks like a pretty flower! Even the word floret is pleasing, evoking images of tiny flowers. And once this vegetable catches your eye, it is hard to resist.  And then you bring it home and put it in the fridge until you need a veggie side dish.  And then that day comes when you actually need that veggie side dish…and you feel disappointed.  You now have to actually eat the cauliflower, not just look at it.  Cauliflower isn’t horrible, just blandly cabbage-y.  And I seem to fall for this ALL the time.  Finally, I said, how can I make this taste as pleasing to my taste buds as it looks?  So I gave them a vibrant coating of seasonings like smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander, roasted them up, and turned them into dippers. What better dip than a nice from-scratch smoked paprika aioli?  Dipping really does make everything better.

Ingredients 
Spice Mix:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cauliflower:
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
1 ½ teaspoon seasoning mix
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Aioli:
2 egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
2 ½ teaspoons seasoning mix
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients
In a small bowl, mix cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons seasoning mix, and garlic powder.  Place florets in large bowl.  Drizzle oil mixture over the cauliflower and toss with tongs.  Place on baking sheet.  Roast for 25-30 minutes. Drizzle remaining lemon juice over the cooked florets.

I like to make mayonnaise by hand, though I know others find the food processor easier to use for this.  I place the egg yolks in a small bowl.  I place a cup of oil next to me and get out a tablespoon.  Whisk the egg yolks to break them up.  Add a tablespoon of oil.  Whisk that into the egg yolks so the yolks absorb it.  Then repeat.  And repeat.  Just be patient.  It will probably take about 10 minutes to get through all the oil.  Then stir in the seasoning mix, white wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, lime juice, and salt, and you are good to go.

40 comments:

  1. I'm not huge on cauliflower either, so maybe your recipe with roasting and dipping them would make them more exciting for me too! :-)

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  2. I love cauliflower! It has many tasty and healthy possibilities. You are really obsessed with dipping - I love it. I think the world needs more dippable foods. Well done!

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  3. I am a recent cauliflower tester. I haven't found anything that makes me like it though.

    This though...I think I may have found the one!!! I'll let you know how it goes!

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  4. Roasting cauliflower does make them extra tasty. However, you seemed to really amp up that dish with the dip as well as all those seasonings. This will make the non eaters of cauliflower reconsider. Well done!

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  5. Yum! I fairly new to enjoying cauliflower and this looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing!!

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  6. I love raw cauliflower (odd, I know), and I never thought it needed anything done to it...until now. Why does everything look so much better in red? :D

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  7. My husband made something similar to this (without the spices and sauce), but he ate it all before I got home. Maybe he will try yours next time - and save some for me.

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  8. This looks amazing, next time I roast cauliflower I am going to remember this recipe!

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  9. I love roasted cauliflower. I think it's the best way to eat it :) I love your spice blend! Bookmarked :)

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  10. Cauliflower is one of my favourite toasted vegetables - your spices used are wonderful and would taste fantastic :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  11. This knocks the socks off any Crudite platter! I don't mind cauliflower, never tried it roasted though- a must!

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  12. Yum! This is some seriously kicked up cauliflower! I would love me some right about now!

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  13. I love roasted cauliflower and your spice blend and dip sound amazing!

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  14. I so often forget about cauliflower till I see a great recipe like this! And then I wonder why I don't eat it more often...

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  15. OMG, this looks and sounds delicious!

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  16. I'm the only one who likes cauliflower around here but I've never made this. I suspect it will change folks' opinions about cauliflower!

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  17. Growing up, my foodie memory of cauliflower is of it being dowsed with cheese sauce. Although delicious--not the healthiest way to serve a veggie. This is the second cauliflower recipe I've seen today and this looks delicious. I can't wait to get some fresh from the FM.

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  18. i grow cauliflowers and I think this will be one recipe to use with them. Thank you. :-)

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  19. You got me there, I'm a fan of most cruciferous vegetables and we have cauliflower a few times a week, along with brocolli, etc! This aioli is bursting with flavours though, I absolutely love the combination of tang and spice!

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  20. Jenn and Seth, I love what you've done with this all-too-often underrated vegetable. An absolutely alluring snack!

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  21. We've been addicted to cauliflower since last summer and I love roasting it. The smoked paprika aioli really kicks it up a notch!

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  22. I'm such a baby when it comes to cauliflower....i always push it to the edge of my plate..like a 5 year old...but I would totally eat this version! This looks delicious! And that aioli...yum!!

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  23. I agree, cauliflower can be a bit bland but it does absorb the flavour of the spices you use to cook it in. These would make such an interesting and healthy little snack with a cold beer perhaps. It is Friday night after all ;-)

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  24. I love cauliflower...with cheese. This would definitely be a better way to have it!

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  25. All I have to say is, Yum! Oh my, these look so good. I love anything that gets dipped into a delicious sauce.

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  26. wow...I love cauliflower...loved the way u hav prepared !!! loved the dip too!!!

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  27. I want this!! Looks delicious!

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  28. As a cauliflower lover I have to say this is one of the best recipes I've seen! I love the seasonings you used and the dipping sauce too!

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  29. Smoked paprika is often my secret ingredient when I want to spruce up veggies. Love the sound of this cauli!

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  30. The aioli recipe sounds fantastic! YUM! I've never actually made my own. Your post has definitely inspired me to try. Great post! :)

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  31. Always ready for a new recipe for Cauliflower... this is genious!

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  32. this is awesome :-) great recipes and wonderful use of spices

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  33. I love roasted cauliflower. toss w/olive oil & seasoning of choice, garlic salt, roast at 400 for 20-15 mins. like squeeze of lemon juice.

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  34. I actually love cauliflower so this recipe is right up my alley. Unfortunately my husband hates it (he says it tastes like broccoli stems) but this might be just the recipe to change his mind! Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. WHAT??! Broccoli stems are awesome! Especially stir fried in garlic sauce...

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  35. smoked paprika is my favorite spice. this looks awesome!

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  36. Roasted Cauliflowers are my fav....these look fantastic:)

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  37. wow, the colour on that is fab! Thanks for joining in the veggie fun. Cheers

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