Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

I needed a side dish for my book club meeting and had a couple heads of cauliflower sitting around looking bored. I thought I'd wake them up with a mild yet spicy rub and roast them. I also had a lot of cheese on hand, so I melted it down into a fondue-type mixture and added it to the cauliflower after I roasted it. The dish was then placed under the broiler until it achieved a deep golden brown. Here's the result:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Cauliflower, red pepper, orange pepper, lemon, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, gruyere cheese, emmenthaler cheese, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin seeds, nutmeg, white wine, panko bread crumbs, dijon mustard, seasalt, black pepper, cornstarch.

STEP ONE:







Preheat oven to 425.

Break cauliflower into florets and coat with 1/4 cup olive oil and the spice mixture:

1 T. cumin seeds
2 T. tumeric
1 T. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
20 grinds of black pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic

Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.

STEP TWO:

Prepare cheese sauce.








1. Grate 1 cup each of gruyere and ementhaler cheeses and mix with 2 T. of cornstarch.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup of white wine, the minced garlic and 1 T. lemon juice to a low
    simmer.
3. Add the cheeses a little at a time to make sure it melts as you go. When all the cheese is incorporated, whisk in the 1 tsp. dijon mustard and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg.
4. Pour over the cauliflower and top with panko bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 5 minutes and then place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the dish is
    browned on top.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

I decorated the top with "flower" peppers that were cooked in a little olive oil. A black olive was placed in the center of each flower.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!