Sarajevo Moussaka with Mushrooms and Zucchini

My house is full of die-hard carnivores. They turn up their noses at anything that is meat-free.

But this weekend, Ulrike, a German exchange student who is a vegetarian, came to stay with us. What to do?

Ask my friend Julia, that's what.  She's an awesome person and cook, and in typical Julia-fashion, she answered me without missing a beat: "Make the Sarajevo Moussaka from the Sundays at Moosewood Cookbook.  It's got mushrooms and zucchini, and it's topped with a feta-egg mixture. She will love it!"

I found an online version and went from there.  Like any layered dish, making this takes time.  But with the snow falling outside, all I wanted to do was stay inside and cook. I made the tomato sauce, starting with sauteed onions and garlic, and then using a 29 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, white wine, veggie broth, and some leftover pesto I had in the freezer. I roasted zucchini slices in a 450 degree (F) oven until they were lightly browned.  I sauteed the mushrooms and onions and finished them with some white wine and soy sauce. Finally, I parboiled the no-boil lasagna noodles until they were flexible.

With our mise en place complete, Ulrike came in and helped put the moussaka together.

Getting ready to layer the moussaka.

Ulrike put down the first layer of tomato sauce and then a layer of noodles.  Since our casserole was an oval shape, she cut pieces of noodle to fit.  Then we put down half the zucchini and one cup of the mushrooms, and added some more sauce. We laid down the next layer of noodles in a different direction than the first layer to give the moussaka structure. Two more layers and we were done.

Ulrike then whisked the eggs, feta, and some fresh parsley together and topped the moussaka:

After an hour and ten minutes in a 350 degree (F) oven, it came out looking like this:

It's a tad dark.  I should have covered it with foil when it was browned enough, probably around 45 minutes, but I got caught up in watching 30 Rock, which I had dvr-ed.  What can I say?  I am human.

Finally, we let it rest for 15 minutes, tented with foil, so that the moussaka could set.  When you let it set, it cuts very nicely.

As Julia predicted, Ulrike did indeed love the moussaka.  She kept saying, "This is so good. This is so good." My carnivore husband even tried it and liked it.

Which made this carnivore very, very happy.

My tips:

1) Parboil the noodles. Even though the noodles I used are no-boil lasagna noodles, I still like to blanche them in heavily salted and boiling water for a couple minutes until they are flexible.  The benefits are many: 1) you don't have to worry about them not fully cooking through in the oven, 2) when they are flexible, you can cut noodles to fit into the pan, and 3) cooking them in heavily salted water means the noodles are seasoned, and you don't need to worry about your dish being bland.

2) Criss-cross the noodles when layering. Layering the noodles in different directions adds structural integrity to the moussaka structure.  When you cut it, it stays in nice pieces.

3) Let the moussaka rest for 15 minutes, so that it will set.  When it comes time to cut slices, the slices will stay together. Tent it with foil, so it stays warm.

Sarajevo Moussaka with Mushrooms and Zucchini

I loosely followed this online recipe from Food and Wine, which is a variation of the original recipe in the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook. I cut the ingredients in half to make a moussaka for 4 people, except for the tomato sauce as I wanted to make sure I had enough to layer the casserole, and I wanted some to serve at table-side. I made my own version of the tomato sauce as well.  I'm sure you could use your favorite jarred sauce if you don't want to make your own sauce.  Just make sure you have around 3 cups of sauce.

Please note that if you want to do this from start to finish, it will take about two hours of prep and cooking time.

To use throughout the recipe:

Olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Kosher salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce

1/4 of the chopped onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs. finely chopped basil or 2 tbs. pesto

Mushroom Mixture

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

3/4 of the chopped onions

1 tbs. soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine

1 tbs. finely chopped dill (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano as a substitute)

Zucchini

1 lb. zucchini, sliced cross-wise in 1/2 inch slices

Olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Noodles

12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand)

Egg-feta Topping

3 eggs, whisked

1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese

Turn the oven to 450 degrees (F).

Put sliced zucchini in a large bowl and toss in enough olive oil so that each piece is lightly coated with oil.  Place on a non-stick baking sheet (I line mine with a Silpat) and lightly sprinkle each piece with kosher salt and pepper. Set aside until oven is preheated.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  When hot (hover your hand above the skillet and when you can only do it a few seconds, it's hot enough), add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Swirl the oil around and add 1/4 of the chopped onions.  Turn down the heat to medium-low.  Add salt and pepper to season. Cook for five minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine, tomatoes, and veggie broth. Simmer uncovered about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the basil or pesto, and some chopped parsley (optional).  Taste, adding salt and pepper as necessary.  It should not be a thick sauce but a loose sauce, as some of the liquid will be absorbed by the noodles when cooking.  If it seems really thick, add a little more water or veggie broth.

If the oven is preheated now, put the zucchini in the oven.  Cook for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.  When done, remove from the oven and set aside. Turn oven off if you're not going to cook the moussaka right away or turn it down to 350 degrees (F) if you are.

Fill a large pot with water and heat to boil. Mostly cover, so that it comes to a boil more quickly.

While the water is heating, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and swirl around. Add mushrooms and onions.  Turn down the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. Add wine and soy sauce and cook a few minutes until the liquid has reduced.  Add the dill or oregano, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Turn off heat and set aside.

When the water is boiling, add a generous amount of kosher salt.  I usually taste the water to make sure it's salty enough, as you want the water to season the noodles. Add the noodles, but don't walk away! Move the noodles around in the water, so they don't stick together, and when they are flexible, pull them out.  This takes just a couple minutes.  Lay them out individually on a Silpat or non-stick foil.

Now it's time to layer the moussaka.  It's easier if you divide your zucchini in 1/2 and put them in separate bowls, and divide your mushrooms in thirds and put them in separate bowls.

Here are the layers (listed as if you were looking at the casserole from the side, so start from the bottom of the list and work your way up)

Feta-egg mixture

Tomato sauce (1/2 cup)

____________________________________

Last noodle layer (2 Barilla no boil noodles)

Rest of the mushrooms (1 cup)

Tomato sauce (1/4 cup)

____________________________________

1 layer of noodles going in the other direction from the first ones (2 Barilla no boil noodles, plus 1/2 of one to fit the edges)

Tomato sauce (1/4 cup)

1 layer of mushrooms (use 1/3 of the mushrooms (1 cup))

1 layer of zucchini (use 1/2 the zucchini)

____________________________________

1 layer of noodles going in the other direction from the first ones (2 Barilla no boil noodles, plus 1/2 of one to fit the edges)

Tomato sauce (1/4 cup)

____________________________________

1 layer of noodles going in the other direction from the first ones (2 Barilla no boil noodles, plus 1/2 of one to fit the edges)

Tomato sauce (1/4 cup)

1 layer of mushrooms (use 1/3 of the mushrooms (1 cup))

1 layer of zucchini (use 1/2 the zucchini)

__________________________________

1 layer of noodles (don't overlap if possible;  2 Barilla no boil noodles, plus 1/2 of one to fit the edges)

Tomato sauce (1/2 cup)

Bottom of casserole pan

Whisk eggs, feta, and some chopped parsley (optional; for color) together and lay on top of the casserole.  Put the casserole in the 350 degree (F) oven and cook for 45 minutes until lightly browned.  Cover and cook another 15 minutes.

Take the moussaka out of the oven and tent with foil.  Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve with a simple green salad.  Delicious!

Rogan Josh

  

After a summer of salads and grilled meats, I wanted something soul-satisfying and deeply flavored. "Rogan josh," my brain whispered.

I am not an expert in Indian food -- check out Chef Prasad if you want the real deal -- but I have had friends teach me the technique of frying spices in oil, so their flavors bloom.  I use this technique when I make beef chili too; it really makes a difference. Try it out if you've never used this technique before.

For the rogan josh, I used beef chuck instead of the more traditional lamb, and I used Penzey's rogan josh seasoning.  I am addicted to Penzey's spices. While I could have just used the spice mix, I threw in some fresh garlic, fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, and some cardamom pods.  When they hit the oil, the most amazing warm smells fill the kitchen.

To finish the dish, I threw in fresh diced tomatoes and fresh cilantro for some brightness and served it with chickpea crepes and roasted cauliflower. Delicious (and low carb!).

Rogan Josh
1 lb. beef chuck or lamb
1 cinnamon stick (3-4 inches)
3 cardamom pods
1 1/2 inches ginger, peeled and cut into 4 slices or "coins"
2 bay leaves
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 jalapeno, diced (remove seeds and rinds if you want less heat)
2 tbs. Penzey's Rogan Josh seasoning
Few tbs. of yoghurt (or cream or coconut oil)
Salt and pepper
Water
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh cilantro

Heat dutch oven or pressure cooker over medium-high heat until hot.  Add several tbs. of oil. 

Sear meat in batches on all sides, making sure the cubes don't touch each other and that the pot is not overcrowded (otherwise, the meat will kick off liquid and sweat).  Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper as you cook it. Set browned meat on a plate as you cook the other batches.  Add more oil if necessary while you are browning.

Once you're done browning the meat, add more oil if necessary, turn the heat down to medium and add the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and bay leaves.  Fry in the oil for 30 seconds.  Add onions, garlic, and jalapenos.  Cook for five minutes or until the onions are translucent and browned, stirring occasionally.

Add 2 tbs. of Penzey's seasoning and a little salt and pepper to the onions. Stir until seasoning is incorporated.  Add back beef and it's juices.  Stir and cook for another minute.  Add a spoonful of yogurt and mix to incorporate.  Add two more spoonfuls, incorporating each time.  (Don't add the yogurt all at once as it won't mix in well and could separate.)

Add 1 cup or more of water to cover, and pressure cook for 30 minutes or cook for 1 1/2 hours in a regular dutch oven or until beef is tender.  If you use a pressure cooker, let it simmer after you take off the cover, so that the sauce reduces to a level you like (soupy, stewy, or dryer).

Stir in fresh tomatoes and taste.  Adjust seasonings as needed.

Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve. (Note: let people know they should remove the ginger coins and cardamom pods if they come upon them.)

Leftover Maven: Grilled Flatbread with Sirloin, Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes, and Arugula Salad

I've heard that most Americans celebrate Independence Day with hamburgers and hot dogs.  Nothing says it's July 4th for us like grilled sirloin tips, chicken breasts, potatoes, rice pilaf, Uncle John's bread, Aunt Ann's fruit salad, and Cousin Karen's chocolate chip cookies. These are perennial favorites at the annual family party.

It's always fun the next day to poke around the kitchen to see what's left and make something new.  This time around, we had some leftover sirloin tips, a bag of pizza dough, three slices of provolone cheese, and some young arugula and other salad greens from my brother-in-law's garden. Score!

I split the dough in three and made flatbread pizzas.  While the dough rested, I caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes (you have to try these!) on the grill, sliced the beef, rinsed the arugula, and a made a balsamic-olive oil dressing with a pinch of sugar to soften the slight bitterness of the arugula.

I cooked the flatbread pizzas on the grill on both sides, topped them with the tomatoes, onions, beef, and provolone and placed them back on the grill so the cheese could melt.  Topped with dressed arugula and cut into slices, these "leftovers" were delectable.

I'm definitely going to make these again.  Delish!

Note: These would be even easier to make with store-bought naan bread or even pita bread sliced in half. Roast beef would be an easy substitute for the sirloin tips as well. A great appetizer or meal.

Kale Chips

Kale chips are all the rage these days.  Who knew something so good for you could actually taste like something sinful?

Kale is a superfood, full of beta-carotene and folic acid, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.  It's also a low-carb and high protein vegetable.

Tossed in heart-healthy olive oil and generously sprinkled with kosher salt, kale is an excellent replacement for potato chips when you have a craving for something crispy and salty.

Note that the kale will really shrink down during baking, so if you're in the grocery store and you think you could never eat that big bunch of kale, think again. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Kale

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Take of lower stems and tear kale into smaller pieces (maybe 2-3 pieces per kale leaf).  Rinse and dry in salad spinner or using dishtowels.  Put in a bowl and toss with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt (think potato chip salty).

Lay out on a baking sheet, put in the oven, and cook for about 20 minutes or until the kale is dry and crisp.

Use several baking sheets if you have a lot of kale. 

Basil-Zucchini Pesto Turkey Patties

Liz the nutritionist put me on a Candida diet earlier this week.  Like other diets, this diet shuns carbs, sugars, and processed foods in favor of proteins, lots of vegetables, nuts, and low-sugar fruits.

Liz recommended that I have cooked turkey patties on hand, so that if I got hungry, I would have something readily available.  I don't think I've ever eaten a turkey burger in my life.  I don't much like turkey, but I decided to try to make a turkey burger that would pass muster.

Poultry-based burgers can be dry.  When I make chicken meatballs, I use bread, milk, and egg to keep them moist, but under the diet, I cannot use bread, milk or cheese.

I decided to try a riff on a cheeseless pesto, and add onion and zucchini.  Onion and zucchini have a lot of moisture, and I thought the addition to the meatballs would keep them turning into hockey pucks. I also added a little fresh lemon zest for a bright note.

Success!  The turkey burgers were moist and flavorful.  Great for a snack or for a meal.

Note: A Cuisinart or other food processor makes quick work of making the pesto.

Serving ideas: Serve with a salad.  Make meatballs to put in tomato sauce or glaze with honey-dijon sauce and serve as appetizers. Make burgers. Put on skewers, grill on serve with a cucumber yogurt sauce as part of a mezze platter.

Basil-Zucchini Pesto Turkey Patties

1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey or chicken

"Pesto"
1 cup shredded zucchini (1/2 zucchini)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup basil leaves, firmly packed
1/4 cup parsley leaves, firmly packed
2 handfuls walnuts or pine nuts
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pepper
1/8-1/2 tsp. Lemon zest, grated (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil

In Cuisinart, shred zucchini first. Take out of bowl and set to the side. Put onion, garlic, basil, parsley, nuts salt, Italian seasoning, freshly ground pepper and lemon zest.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add in zucchini.

Pulse while adding olive oil through the top until it's a paste, and pesto mixture is sticking on the sides of the bowl.

Put ground turkey in a bowl and evenly distribute the pesto throughout the meat. Mixing with your hands is the easiest.

Make into patties and place on a baking sheet.  I made them into 2 oz. patties, using a large scooper, but you can make them any size (meatballs, turkey burgers, etc.).

Heat of skillet to medium-high and add a little olive oil when it's hot.  Turn down the heat and add the patties. Cook until cooked on the edges and opaque in the center.  Flip over a cook a couple more minutes.  Depending on the thickness of your patties, they will take shorter or longer to cook.  The patties I made took 2-3 minutes per side, but if you're not sure, cook a test one and break it open to make sure it's cooked and your timing is good.  Then you can cook the rest.

You can also cook these on the grill.  If you made meatballs, you can cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, turning them every ten minutes.  Again, this depends on the size of your meatballs, so you should check them to see if they cook faster.

Beef Brisket on the Gas Grill

I think brisket is one of the best meats on the grill.  Cooked low and slow over hardwood charcoal and hickory wood, it takes on the flavor of wood and smoke and its meat becomes succulently tender and unforgettable.

My smoker of choice is the Big Green Egg (brisket on the Big Green Egg recipe here), but today I used our Weber Genesis gas grill.  While we lost some of the smoke flavor, this brisket was mind-blowingly good.  It's completely worth making, particularly if you are more familiar with or want the convenience of your gas grill.

The recipe is below, but here are some general tips that work for me:

1) When you get your brisket, ask the butcher not to trim it.  Score the fat in a crosshatch pattern before seasoning. Cook fat side up. The fat bastes the meat while it's cooking, and that's a good thing.

2) Dry rub all the way! I use Penzey's BBQ 3000 seasoning, but any mixed rub will do. Generously season (don't be shy!) and massage it into the meat. I probably use a couple tbs. or more of rub.  If I don't have any rub, I will generously season the brisket with paprika, a little chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, pepper, and brown sugar. I don't even bother mixing the rub together.  I just sprinkle the spices in different layers.

3) If you think of it, dry rub the meat the night before, put it in a Ziploc bag, and let it season overnight.  If you don't remember, no worries.  Just dry rub before cooking and go.

4) Even if you're using a gas grill, some smoke is nice.  Take a couple handfuls of hickory chips and soak in water for 30 minutes.  Place drained chips in a foil pouch, poke holes in the top and follow your grill's instructions on where to put the pouch so that it will smoke.  On our Weber, we put the packet under the grill grate and on top of one of the flavorizer bars that is lit.  You can replace the pouch every hour with a new pouch if you want.  We didn't bother this time around, and the brisket was still fantastic.

5) Get the grill to an even temp of 275 degrees.  On our Weber, we turn the outermost left and right burners on and place the brisket, fat side up, in the center of the grill.  The heat acts like a convection oven and the brisket, b/c no direct heat is under it, slowly browns and burnishes without burning.  You don't even need to flip it.  If your grill doesn't work this way, you need to watch it.  You may want to cook it uncovered the first hour as the wood chips are smoking, and then if you think it's in danger of burning, wrap it in foil and cook it the rest of the way.

6) Get a meat thermometer.  The meat is ready when it's an internal temp of 197 degrees. We have one of those meat thermometers that has a probe that goes into the meat and into the oven/grill, and the thermometer can sit on the counter and continuously show the temp.  It's very convenient.

7) Be prepared to have your time thrown off.  The first time I made this brisket, it took 4-5 hours to get to temp.  This time around, it took around 7 hours to get to temp.  Maybe it's a difference between the Big Green Egg and the Weber, but there shouldn't be a difference if I'm cooking at the same temperature.  It's a mystery. By the way, if you want to cook it at a higher temp, say 300 or 325 degrees, it will take less time.  It'll still be great.

8) When the brisket is done, wrap it in foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.  Cut in thin slices against the grain. 

9) Prepare to go to heaven when you put the brisket in your mouth!

Postscript: It's a few weeks later, and I'm cooking another brisket, but since I'm trying to get the brisket to cook faster (okay, I'm last minute), I put it in a foil packet with some beer to see what happens.  I found this link after the fact, and I guess this is a variation on the "Texas crutch." This is an informative article, so I recommend reading it if you're interested in cooking brisket.

Beef Brisket on the Gas Grill

3-6 lb. beef brisket, untrimmed of fat

Penzey's BBQ 3000 seasoning or other mixed rub

Hickory chips

Meat thermometer

4-7 hours worth of time on the grill

Preferably the day before, score the fat layer on the brisket in a crosshatch pattern.  Generously season both sides of the brisket with dry rib rub and massage it into the meat. I probably use a couple tbs. or more of rub.  If you're doing this the night before, put it in a Ziploc bag, and let it season overnight.  If you are doing this the day of, place the seasoned meat on a plate or baking sheet and leave on the counter while you're doing your next steps (another 30 minutes).  It's all right, even preferable, for the meat to come to room temperature.

Put a couple handful of hickory chips in a bowl with water and soak for 30 minutes. After they have soaked, put the drained chips onto a piece of foil and make it into a packet.  Poke holes in the top with a fork, so that the smoke can come out.

While the chips are soaking, get your grill ready.  If your grates are not clean, heat the grill up to high and then scrape the grates clean with your grill scraper.  Turn off the burners and let cool down.  

When you're ready to go, put the foil packet of chips where it is recommended for your grill for smoking. We have a Weber and put it on top of a flavorizer bar that will be turned on.  Turn on outer left and right burners and leave the center burners off.  Adjust heat until you have a 275 degree temperature with the lid closed. 

When the grill is to temp, place the brisket on the center grate, fat side up.  Close the grill lid and adjust temp until it's at 275 degrees.

Cook for about 5 hours, although it could take longer.  The meat is ready when it's an internal temp of 197 degrees.

When the brisket is done, wrap it in foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.  Cut in thin slices against the grain. 

Serve plain or with BBQ sauce.

Enjoy!

Brussel Sprout Chips

It's 4 pm, and I am starving.  I shouldn't be hungry as in the the last few hours I have eaten an orange, blueberries, a handful of nuts, and some watermelon. I have drunk some berry tea and several glasses of water.

This is what happens to me on Day 1 of a diet. The feeling of deprivation.

I was in the kitchen looking for what I could eat on this Candida Diet the nutritionist put me on, and I found it right there in the fridge.  Brussel sprouts!

Roasted until crisp, they taste just as good as potato chips.  But with a lot more vitamins and no carbs.  If you like potato chips or kale chips, try these out.

Brussel Sprout Chips

Brussel Sprouts

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper or red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse brussel sprouts.  Cut stem off brussel sprout, almost 1/3 up the brussel sprout and enough to loosen the leaves.  Discarding any discolored leaves, separate the rest of the leaves as much as you can and then cut the remaining little ball in 1/2.  Place on a Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Continue with the rest of the sprouts until you are done.

Drizzle sprouts with olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt (you want them potato chip salty).  Toss together until the sprouts are evenly coated and spread out on the baking sheet.  Top with a few grinds of black pepper or sprinkle with a few red pepper flakes.

Bake for 10 minutes and check.  If there are any browned and crispy leaves, pull them out. Toss with tongs or a spatula, redistributing the leaves so they cook evenly.  Check every few minutes and take out any more crisped leaves, tossing and redistributing again. Repeat until the centers are browned and fork-tender.

This can take another 10 minutes or more.

Yeast Free Diet Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower

I haven't blogged in so long.  Work has kept me busy these past few months.  I miss all my blog friends; I hope I have not been forgotten.

I'm starting a new journey today.  In order to enjoy better health, I met with Liz, a friend and nutritionist, and she has put me on a yeast-free diet.  If you saw Liz, with her bright eyes, glowing skin, and trim figure, you would go on this diet too.

Have you ever heard tried this diet?

I googled online when I got home to find out more, and this diet is focused on controlling yeast in the body.  Rampant yeast, encouraged by a diet of starch, sugar, and yes, yeast, throws the body's systems out of balance and wreaks havoc, causing syptoms like headaches, fatigue, leaky gut syndrome and more.

The first phase of the program is about 10 days, and you must stay strict to the guidelines as your goal is to kill off the overgrowth of yeast by starving it.  No carbs, sugar, fermented foods (vinegar, mustard, alcohol, ketchup, soy sauce, etc.), dairy, funghi, peanuts and pistachios, dried fruits, and high-sugar fruits like bananas,  pineapples, cherries and mangos.

While my first reaction was this diet would really put a damper on my summer cooking, I think I'd rather take it on as a challenge to make great food that fits the restrictions.  The first is an oldie but goodie for me: roasted cauliflower.

Wish me luck!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

A few tbs. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Separate the head into florets and cut the florets into thinner pieces.  You can cut them as thick or thin as you like -- you'll just have to adjust the cooking time as the thicker they are, the longer they will take to brown and vice versa.

I like to put the cut florets into a big bowl, so I can toss the cauliflower well with olive, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper.  I use my hands to toss the cauliflower, so I know everything is well-coated and the garlic is distributed.  Then I put the cauliflower onto a Silpat-covered baking sheet.  The other way to do it is to to put the cauliflower onto the baking sheet, generously drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic, and mix it around directly on the baking sheet. Your choice.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and after 10 minutes, flip the cauliflower over, turning occasionally from there on in.  If after 20 minutes, the cauliflower is browned to your liking, take it out.  If you want to cook the cauliflower longer, go ahead.  They're really yummy when they're browned and almost charred.

Enjoy!