Spice Up Your Meatless Monday With This Sriracha Ginger Cauliflower
Dress up those veggies. A few squirts of sriracha adds miles of depth to this roasted cauliflower. (Photo: Josie’s Organics)
Vegetables are the bane of most home cooks with a family to feed. When we finally find a few veggies the kids like —short of bribery or threats — we tend to stick with them, forever saddled with a boring necessity as opposed to a welcomed side dish that enlivens the main course.
Chadwick Boyd is out to change that. His upcoming cookbook, “Entertaining With Vegetables,” is aimed at busy parents and other home cooks looking for nutritious, fresh, interesting and tasty vegetable dishes that can hold their own as a main course, go-to game-day snack, fancy hors d’oeuvre, or alternative for that same-old side. His new website, Chadwick Boyd Lifestyles, also features a variety of vegetable-based recipes that can help those looking to jumpstart a Meatless Monday agenda.
More: What is Meatless Monday?
“I don’t think many people are focusing on the full opportunity of vegetables,” said Boyd, an accomplished cook and food brand consultant who collaborated with a variety of chefs on 14 previous cookbooks before deciding to write his own. “For recipes to be appealing to home cooks, they need to be modern and fresh, and they shouldn’t need more than five or six ingredients to complete a full dish. They are that simple and can be fully prepared in 30 minutes or less.”
Boyd developed an appreciation for vegetables and cooking early on. While growing up, he spent most weekends on his grandparents’ farm in southeastern Pennsylvania, where he was surrounded by a family full of skilled cooks who often used fresh-picked vegetables as the centerpiece of a meal.
More: 17 Meatless Monday Dinners For People That Hate Tofu
“Food is what brought everyone together. The meals were where we shared stories and laughter and took a break from the hard work my family was always doing,” Boyd said during a break from putting the finishing touches on “Entertaining With Vegetables,” which he is self-publishing and planning to release next spring. “Encouraging people to do the same has become my mission, my purpose.”
Boyd flips the farm-to-table concept by bringing the table to the farm. (Photo: Josie’s Organic).
Boyd’s first Meatless Monday contribution, sriracha ginger cauliflower, which he created for Josie’s Organics, can be served as a trusty side or a finger food on game day or movie night. He notes that it includes two popular ingredients — sriracha and coconut oil — that add surprisingly complex favors to a standby vegetable.
More: 6 Tips for Tastier Vegetarian Food
For a little extra zing, Boyd suggests microplaning half a lime and tossing in the zest just before serving. A handful of carrots, cut about 1-inch thick, and a little extra sriracha will add some additional color, flavor and nutrients. One more suggestion: “You might want to double this recipe,” Boyd said. “Kids and adults find they can’t stop eating it.”
Sriracha Ginger Cauliflower
Serves 4-6
One head of cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sriracha (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl combine the coconut oil, sriracha, ginger, and salt. Add the cauliflower florets and toss to coat. Place the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 40 minutes until slightly browned. Stir with a wooden spoon halfway through. Serve immediately.
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