Firecracker Cauliflower

Good morning, readers! I know it's been a minute since I've posted so let me catch you up - Nate successfully defended his Master's thesis in science-y things (yay!), I've been training for a 5K next month and trying my hardest to run 3.12 miles in under 25 minutes, the weather in Raleigh went from a gorgeous sunny and 70 to a dreary low-40s, we attended a brewery's 5th anniversary party and stuffed our faces with arepa, bulgogi and washing it all down with delicious suds, and of course, I've been cooking a lot of recipes I've previously cooked.

Left: "La Capresa" Right: "Fish Lovers" arepas from Arepa Culture Food Truck
La Capresa was delicious and fresh! The Fish Lovers didn't need the giant hunk of mozzarella cheese and was missing the "Signature Caper Sauce" that was promised on the menu.

Because you don't see our faces enough...

Now that you're all caught up on the exciting life and times of Lindsey, we can move on to last night's dinner! After a particularly demanding day at work that kept me moving constantly, I was not feeling up to working out. I went home and collapsed in bed. You can imagine, I also didn't feel like cooking. Nate tried to tempt me with ordering a pizza, and I was so close to caving but then I remembered the head of cauliflower in my fridge slowly withering away and decided that I needed to treat this cauliflower with respect and cook it. I dragged myself out of bed and made what may be one of my new favorite meals: Firecracker Cauliflower.


Firecracker Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp sriracha sauce
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
2 Tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tsp corn starch
2 Tsp water
White rice, for serving


Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.


Once your head of cauliflower is cut into bite-sized florets, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.


While your cauliflower is roasting, prepare your sauce. In a medium-sized sauce pan (I made the mistake of using a small) heat Sriracha sauce, butter, vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce until gently boiling. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken by about a third.


After your sauce has thickened, create a slurry by mixing the corn starch and water. Pour the slurry into the sauce pan and allow to come to a boil. The sauce will continue to thicken.


Once the sauce becomes sufficiently gloopy (a technical term), throw in your roasted cauliflower and toss to coat.


Serve immediately over white rice.


The cauliflower was crisp, the sauce was flavorful and delicious and I think would taste great on any number of dishes (chicken, steak, pork, tofu, rice, etc.). I enjoyed this hearty meal with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and the sounds of Motorhead. This recipe yielded just enough for 1 big bowl for myself and 2 bowls for Nate. No leftovers!


Have a great Tuesday, readers!