Yipes!

Why are you looking at a picture of a distressed tomato? Well, that's simple. I forgot to take a picture of the meal I made yesterday. And as such, the tomato, who has been waiting quietly in the corner fully content at the use of pictures in each entry, was quite fretful that there would be no picture today. So he volunteered his services. Hopefully we won't see too much more of the Worried Tomato in the future, but at least he's around in case we need him.

Anyway, yesterday I made the Pepper Chicken, previously featured on this blog, and roasted cauliflower for Megan's parents yesterday and it was a smashing success. It was also the first time I used the public grill and I have to say, it's quite a bit better than fighting that grill pan. It's not too far from the apartment, and since no one else ever uses it, why the heck not, right? So me and public-grill will be getting far more familiar with one another in the coming days as my cooking skill sharpens.

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The original entry on Pepper Chicken. I skipped the lime sauce this time, but did nothing different in terms of ingredients. Cooked it on the grill for about 20-25 minutes total on medium-high heat, although I changed the heat settings many times since I was getting used to it. I'll have to try a more controlled test next time.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 really big head of cauliflower
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Have you ever wanted to eat something that looks like a white brain but the idea of boiling/steaming it just to chomp on a mushy vegetable puts you off? Well, have I got the thing for you. Roasted Cauliflower is an Ing Family staple (although a relatively recent one) and has been acclaimed as a favorite by all who have chomped into it.

The process is simple. Preheat your oven to 450. Take the head, chop it into chunks. No real shape or size is needed, I'd say no larger than 2 inches long at the most. Megan did it much smaller and it came out fine, so meh. Spread out the pieces on a baking sheet (lipped, as you'll be using oil and you don't want to start a fire in your oven...I have personal experience with that one.) and coat lightly with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and mix it up with your hands. The cauliflower will shrink considerably from the heat, so don't worry about it being too much. Throw in oven.

The only real downer of this recipe is that it takes 45-min to an hour to roast thoroughly. Check it every 20 minutes and stir it up with a spoon, keeping the cauliflower even. Once the cauliflower has shrunk and is golden brown on the edges, take it out and eat. It's really simple, really good, and a fun new way to deal with vegetables you may not otherwise eat.

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Not much else for this week: My dad's retirement party is Wednesday so no cooking on that day. Megan leaves this weekend for a women's retreat leaving me alone. I may try a few solo runs with some steak ideas I have, but we'll see how motivated I end up being.