Maple Pecan Mustard Cauliflower (Roasted)

Need an idea for a new side dish?

Maybe something simple but unique?

I came up with this healthy, sweet and spicy side dish that would go great with chicken, beef, pork, even kangaroo. 

Okay...I don't actually know how it would go with kangaroo. 

I've never eaten kangaroo. 

BUT, I'm pretty sure it would make a great accompaniment to pretty much anything. 

Plus it is super easy. 

Gotta love that, right?

Maple Pecan Mustard Cauliflower (Roasted)

Ingredients

2 whole head cauliflower, trimmed and cleaned

Sauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp whole grain spicy mustard

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp dried chives

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place the trimmed cauliflower into an oven safe pan big enough to hold both heads. Add about 1/2 inch of hot water into the pan. 

Cover pan with tinfoil. Bake, covered, at 350 for 15 minutes. 

While cauliflower is in the oven, prepare the sauce.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the maple syrup, mustard, butter, pecans, parsley, chives, cheese, and salt & pepper until well mixed. Set aside.

Remove cauliflower (carefully) from the oven and remove the tinfoil. Carefully pour off the water. 

Return cauliflower to oven. 

Increase oven to 400 degrees. Bake the cauliflower for 5 minutes to dry the heads.

Remove from oven and quickly coat the cauliflower heads with the sauce mixture. 

Return to the oven and bake until a knife is easily inserted into the center of the head - about 30 or so minutes. (Feel the cauliflower - you may want it softer so will need to cook it longer.) Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 2 - 3 minutes before slicing and serving.

For 1/8th of the recipe (1/4 of a head), it is:

137 calories, 15 carbs, 7 fat, and 4 protein.

Yaaaay! Nice nutritional count for a side dish, right?

I LOVED the maple pecan mustard sauce. I am so making it again to try on a nice fish fillet. 

I don't know if you could get the kids to try it. I mean.... it's pretty hard to disguise that it's cauliflower... but it would work for a family gathering or more grown up dinner party. 

We ate one head for dinner, as there was just 3 of us, so I had an extra head leftover. I covered it and kept it in the fridge overnight and reheated it the next day for dinner. It was still as tasty. I think it lost a little of its crunchiness but overall it was still good. 

We're sharing at Carole's Chatter. Be sure to pop by and say hi!