Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

In my opinion, cauliflower is a boring vegetable that just kind of brings your plate down with all it's whiteness.  Stand alone, cauliflower's flavor is kind of blah. It is not quite broccoli and not quite cabbage. You know what I mean? It's mild taste however is the perfect blank canvas for cheese sauces and savory toppings which does make it a versatile side dish. This recipe is perfect served with pork or beef and is simple enough to make weekday, but unique enough to make for a special dinner. If I'm being honest, I could eat the topping alone by the spoonfuls.  I'm actually trying to figure out how to translate the topping into a crusty bread or crispy cracker, so stay tuned.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 head large cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Cover baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet.
• Stir together raisins, bread crumbs, parmesan, almonds and oil in a medium bowl and sprinkle over cauliflower to coat. Much of the mixture will fall to baking sheet, but don't worry. The mixture will toast up nicely and can be scooped up later to serve with the cauliflower.
• Roast in the center of the oven until cauliflower is golden and the crumbs are toasted, about 20 minutes.
• Drizzle lemon juice over top of cauliflower and lightly toss on baking sheet. Let roast 5 minutes longer.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings
4 to 6

A Broken Oven Tip

Try substituting broccoli for the cauliflower. The taste is a little bolder, but still very delicious. Another substitution is using dried cranberries instead of the raisins.