I have a tendency to SOMETIMES make a really big deal out of something small.  This usually only happens in situations where I’ve planned things out perfectly, and then something unforeseen or unfortunate happens to screw up said plan.  See, I’m a chronic over-planner.  There are times when this trait serves me well…. but my experimental adventures in the kitchen are not usually those times.

I spent all of Monday shopping, prepping, cooking and cleaning for my clients, and Tuesday I just had one last thing to make, then I was supposed to be off to deliver the goods.  The last item that I had to make Tuesday morning was this recipe for cauliflower on the grill. I had all my ingredients (which weren’t many) and attempted to get started on it around 9am.  It was then that I realized we were out of propane.  And I FREAKED out ….like really.  Like, crazy person style.  In hindsight I’m a bit embarrassed about my reaction, but this isn’t the first time a reaction like this has come about.  I was on the verge of tears and couldn’t see any easy fix.  The closest Home Depot was 25 minutes away and I didn’t have time for that.  I couldn’t make another recipe with the cauliflower because this grill recipe was the one that I PLANNED on!  I could have easily sped out the door to Home Depot and switched out the propane, and solved it that way (I wasn’t really on a STRICT timeline- my clients are super flexible and understanding).  I could have made a cauli-rice or a cauli-mash that would have been fine.  But in this heated moment neither of those options made sense to me, they both seemed ridiculous and inconvenient.

Afterwards, when I was thinking more clearly, I realized it’s not the exact issue at hand (in this case the lack of propane) it’s that I get so angry at the WHY of the issue, and more at myself for not seeing the issue coming and avoiding it.  I think it’s me being hard on myself than anything else.  Why didn’t I check the propane the night before?  Full on childish temper tantrum….  I’m 29 and have faced some real-deal issues in the past, so this is not acceptable.  Screaming loudly and on the verge of tears over CAULIFLOWER!  COME ON!!  The anger at myself clouds any easy solution in the heat of the moment and I’m completely irrational until I come to my senses.

Since you’re on the edge of your seats about the fate of the cauliflower, I’ll get to that now.  With the help of Google and the fact that I have such a developed kitchen pantry, I found an oven-roasted recipe for them and it turned out UNBELIEVABLE!  My favorite way that I’ve found yet to cook cauliflower!  And I would I never found or tried this recipe if I hadn’t been out of propane!  Funny how it works!

I don’t think that I have to write a paragraph about the lesson I learned in this situation because it’s pretty obvious and elementary.  I did write it down immediately as a blog post idea, so that I can talk about how ridiculous my reaction was in hopes that I won’t do it again.  I’m sort of embarrassed even sharing this with anyone, but it’s so that I can recognize it, hold myself accountable for such a reaction and avoid it in the future.  It had happened countless times before this “incident” and has happened a few times since (this happened last month).  Also, now I can share the recipe and pictures with you!

Savory Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1 tablespoon coconut oil or fat of choice, melted

1 teaspoon UNSWEETENED cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

dash of cayenne pepper (optional!)

salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

First toss your cauliflower with just the melted fat – toss in a bowl for at least a couple of minutes so it covers the cauli well. Then, mix your cocoa powder and paprika in a little bowl and sprinkle it on the cauliflower- Toss until evenly coated and distributed.  Then sprinkle the garlic powder and salt on cauliflower – as much or as little as you’d like!  I was not shy with the garlic.  Then I added just a dash of cayenne for some very subtle heat.  Toss cauliflower one more time to coat evenly.

Spread this out on your baking sheet and pop in the oven until they get some color – 25-30 minutes, but stir them up halfway through to make them cook more evenly.

*NOTE* – the cocoa powder does not make the cauliflower taste at all chocolatey or dessert-like.  The cocoa powder gives it a really deep and complex flavor, similar to what it does for Mexican Mole.  Go ahead and splurge for a container of unsweetened cocoa powder!  I use it in other savory dishes and every Paleo Chocolate treat that I make!

YUM!