If I’m ever on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”, I might just choose the cauliflower starter at Gracias Madre. Cauliflower doesn’t seem all that exciting at first (it took my friends convincing that we needed to order it), but she was right. Their version is flash fried, ours is roasted. Regardless, both methods transform the cauliflower into a crispy, delicious dish for Super Bowl Sunday.

roasted cauliflower with spicy nacho cheese
Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 cauliflower
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Spicy Nacho Cheese

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
  • ½ lemon, juiced plus more to serve
  • ½ tsp ground chili powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
  • ½ cup water (less or more depending on desired consistency)
Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the cauliflower into florets, drizzle them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Roast in the oven for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the florets start to caramelize and turn light brown.

While the cauliflower is roasting, blend all ingredients together in a powerful blender. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or lemon as needed. Keep adding water until you reach your desired consistency (it should be anywhere between a sour cream to a melted queso consistency). I love to serve this warm with the roasted cauliflower – just thin it with water until you reach the desired consistency and gently heat it using a double boiler.

Serve with a few lemon wedges to drizzle over the cauliflower. Enjoy!

Note: The spicy nacho cheese is great in place of anywhere you would dollop sour cream or grated cheese.