Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots with Spicy Lemon Dressing

This roasted cauliflower is sweet, spicy and cooks in only 20 minutes on a sheet pan. It makes a great side dish or meatless Monday meal!

So I love cauliflower, specifically roasted cauliflower! I’ve roasted an entire head of cauliflower and eaten it in one night (no joke).

I’ve heard people say that they “just don’t like cauliflower”. They think it’s bland or mushy. When I hear things like that I’m reminded of the boiled cauliflower and carrot medley that used to come with 90’s era school lunch.  I know it was an attempt to get kids to eat veggies but it certainly didn’t teach us to like them.

For all of the veggie doubters out there I have a suggestion for you…TREAT YOUR VEGGIES LIKE STEAK! I say this because people love a good steak. Would you boil a steak, let it sit in water for a while and then plop it on a plate? Absolutely not! You would crust it with a heavy layer of seasoning and then roast, fry, broil or grill it, so it builds a delicious crust. The same is true for getting your veggies to taste their best. They need seasoning and a toasty, roast-y crust.

This recipe has a Jamaican flair with the addition of scotch bonnet pepper jelly. Special shout out to Dan and Yuna for gifting us this pepper jelly (see pic below) straight from Jamaica! If you can’t find scotch bonnet pepper jelly, you can use regular pepper jelly or mix a teaspoon (or more, your choice) of your favorite hot sauce with 1/8 cup of apricot jam.

I like to drizzle my roasted veggies with a light dressing to add an extra pump of flavor. Think of it as the chimichurri drizzle on your steak : ) I ate this meal as a vegan dinner with a side of bulgar but you can also roast the cauliflower and carrots and eat them as a side dish to grilled meat or fish.

Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots

Rate this Recipe:

5 from 1 vote

Delicious side or vegan main: This roasted cauliflower is sweet, spicy and cooks in only 20 minutes on a sheet pan. It makes a great side dish or meatless Monday meal!

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Main Course, Side Dish

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

Servings4

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 carrots
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs scotch bonnet pepper jelly see alternatives in post
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 tsp thyme fresh or dried
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove green leaves from cauliflower. Place cauliflower (stem side) on cutting board. Cut cauliflower horizontally in 1 inch thick "steaks". Lay the steaks flat and cut each into 4-6 smaller pieces. Place pieces on a lined baking sheet.
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove top layer from carrots. Slice the carrot in half lengthwise. Slice halves lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut strips in half horizontally so they are half as long. Place pieces on a lined baking sheet.
• Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Lay into one flat layer. Bake 15 minutes until golden crust is formed. Tip: Don't overcrowd the  baking sheet. If the veggies are too close together they will steam and not form a crust. Use 2 baking sheets if you need to.
• In a mason jar combine pepper jelly, thyme, lemon juice and zest. Shake the mason jar until all ingredients are equally combined. Drizzle dressing over veggies. Enjoy!

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