99% Homemade

I only say 99% because I didn't brew my own soy sauce. Otherwise, it was completely made by me. Tonight, I made Salmon Teriyaki and Pepper-Roasted Cauliflower all from scratch. That's right, there was no cheating tonight. Jarred sauce? Please! I made my own. BUT, since the recipe is still not perfect, I'm not going to publish it. It involves soy, mirin, powdered ginger, brown sugar, garlic and scallions but I'm still working through the measurements. However, I will share the recipe for the roasted cauliflower. I will also share an anecdote about the preparation of this dish. I had an almost perfectly round circle of cauliflower and it was an absolute bitch to take apart. I couldn't see the stems on the cauliflower enough to separate florets. I struggled with it for several minutes, turning it around like it was a Rubik's cube, cursing like a sailor. Eventually, I swore that this devil-cauliflower was not going to best me and I just hacked away at it until it turned into a pretty little bunch of florets. Then, I was happy.


Pepper-Roasted Cauliflower
Source: http://www.chow.com/recipes/11204
16 cups cauliflower, cut into small, even-size florets (from 2 large heads)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes, tossing cauliflower occasionally.
Arrange 1/2 of the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until tender and slightly blackened, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and repeat with remaining cauliflower. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I scaled down the recipe by half to serve 2 people. We don't need Boyfriend eating that much cauliflower this close to bed.