The word “cauliflower” may seem like something that only comes up when someone says they want to go out on a date or get married.
But that’s not actually true. Cauliflower is one of those veggies everyone loves but hardly ever eats because nobody knows how to cook it right!
If you’re looking for some new ways to prepare your favorite vegetable, here’s a delicious orange cauliflower recipe perfect for dinner parties, potlucks, or just sharing with friends over drinks.
What Is Cauliflower?
Cauliflower is one of the most popular vegetables in America.
It has been cultivated since ancient times, and we can find evidence of its existence as far back as 5,000 B.C.E.
in China.
In fact, it was so important during this time period that Chinese emperors even used it as currency.
Today, people all around the world enjoy eating cauliflower.
Some cultures prefer their cauliflower boiled while others prefer it sauteed.
People in India have long enjoyed curried cauliflower dishes, while Europeans love mashed potatoes with steamed cauliflower florets.
And Americans generally eat it either raw (as part of salads) or cooked into different types of dishes.
As with other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens, and brussels sprouts, cauliflower contains phytochemicals called glucosinolates which are thought to be protective against cancer development.
These compounds are also believed to help fight inflammation and protect cells from oxidative damage, both of which are linked to aging processes.
A recent study found that consuming foods high in these compounds could reduce the risk of breast cancer by 31 percent.
Other studies indicate that women who consume more than three servings per week of crucifers had lower rates of ovarian cancer compared to those who ate less than one serving per month.
What Is An Orange?
An orange is the fruit of the tree Citrus spp., which includes many different varieties (including lemons, limes, grapefruit, pomelos, etc.).
These citrus fruits are sweet-tasting, juicy, and filled with vitamin A, B6, C, E, K, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium, iron, fiber, and folate.
They also contain antioxidants such as carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins.
These compounds help protect our body from free radicals by neutralizing them before they can cause damage.
How do oranges taste?
Oranges have a mild flavor, similar to other citrus fruits.
They are sweeter than most other fruits, though.
What Is A Recipe?
A recipe is simply a list of ingredients and instructions for preparing food.
It tells people what to do with them so they can create meals at home.
Recipes are helpful because they save time by letting us know exactly what we need to buy before starting our meal prep or cooking session.
But recipes also help us avoid wasting money buying unnecessary items, and they give us peace of mind knowing that everything will turn out perfectly.
As long as you have all the necessary raw materials, you should be able to follow this recipe without any problems.
However, if you don’t have access to certain items (like fresh oranges), there are always substitutions available.
What Is The Difference Between A Cauliflower And An Orange?
Cauliflowers are vegetables that look similar to broccoli (they have green stems and flowers), but are much smaller than the stalks of broccoli.
They also tend to be sweeter and more mild-tasting than their larger counterpart.
They don’t taste as good raw as other cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cabbage, so most people eat them cooked.
When you roast a cauliflower head, it gets soft and sweet, which makes it easy to enjoy even if you aren’t the biggest fan of raw cauliflower.
There are two main types of cauliflower that you can find at the grocery store:
- White cauliflower has white florets and no stem. It tends to be less expensive and easier to grow than purple cauliflower, which has purple florets and a long stem.
- Purple cauliflower looks very similar to regular cauliflower, except its florets are purplish and its stem is longer.
(For simplicity’s sake, we will use the term “cauliflower” throughout this article.)
Why does my cauliflower turn brown after I put it in the oven?
Most likely, the reason your cauliflower turns brown while cooking is because it contains water.
Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 Celsius) and starts evaporating immediately once it reaches boiling point.
As soon as the liquid disappears from the surface of the food, it starts to dry out and shrink, causing it to crackle and burn on top.
To prevent this from happening, try baking your cauliflower first instead of roasting it.
Roast the cauliflower before putting it into the oven to avoid burning it during the final stages of cooking.
How Do You Make An Orange Cauliflower Recipe?
This orange cauliflower recipe is simple and easy enough for everyday cooking.
It takes about 15 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake – so no need to rush around at all during this time.
But if you do have some time, there are plenty of other things you can try with your own orange cauliflower instead.
You could make a quick side dish by baking the florets until tender before adding them to some brown rice or quinoa as part of a complete meal (or add them into soup).
Or you could roast a few pieces whole and let people pick their favorites from the pan – either way, they will love these tasty little buds.
What Are The Ingredients In An Orange Cauliflower Recipe?
In this recipe, you will need fresh oranges, garlic, ginger, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and chicken stock.
You can also use low sodium soy sauce instead of chicken stock if you prefer.
If using store-bought marinara sauce, add 1/4 cup water to thin it down before adding it into the pan.
How Long Does It Take To Make An Orange Cauliflower Recipe?
It will depend on what kind of orange cauliflower recipe you decide to try.
If you choose to make this recipe from scratch, it might take you around 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the entire process.
That includes roasting the vegetables as well as simmering them down into a flavorful sauce.
However, if you choose to use store-bought frozen orange cauliflower instead, you can expect the cooking time to be much shorter.
You could even find ready-to-cook cubes at most grocery stores these days.
These prepped cubes don’t need any preparation before you start cooking them.
As far as the actual baking goes, once you place the prepared pieces onto a baking sheet, they should be done in about 10 minutes.
When the edges turn golden brown, remove them from the oven and set aside until needed.
Then you simply have to add all the other ingredients together and let everything simmer away until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
What Are The Steps To Make An Orange Cauliflower Recipe?
To start off, we need to buy our ingredients so let’s head over to the grocery store first thing tomorrow morning and pick them all up before heading home from work.
- 1 large head of fresh orange cauliflower – $6.99 at Target
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – $7.29 at Whole Foods
- 4 cloves garlic – $0.78 at Trader Joe’s (or $0.79 online)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine – $5.99 at Walmart
- 1/2 cup low-fat organic chicken stock – $2.49 at Safeway
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce – $4.39 at Aldi
These ingredients should be enough to make about 6 cups of liquid which will be used as a base for the orange cauliflower dish later on.
We’ll also need some salt and pepper to season the whole thing.
Now we can head back home and turn this into dinner!
There are two main parts to this dish. First, you need to roast the cauliflower until tender before simmering it down in a flavorful sauce.
Second, you have to use fresh oranges, which means doing all the work yourself.
It will take time, but it’ll be worth it!
Here’s what it looks like after roasting on the stovetop (and we promise there isn’t any actual burning involved):
And here’s what it looks like once you finish cooking everything together:
It should look pretty close to that latter image if you follow along with our instructions below.
What Do You Think Of The Orange Cauliflower Recipe?
Is this orange cauliflower recipe good enough to make into a meal?
Or should I add another ingredient?
Let me know what you think about it by leaving a comment below!
Equipment
- The Oven
Ingredients
- Crispy Cauliflower
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Sticky Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice fresh squeezed preferred
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Using parchment paper, line a sizable baking sheet.
- Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces after washing.
- Add water, flour, salt, and garlic powder to a big bowl. Blend thoroughly by whisking. Set the medium-sized bowl of breadcrumbs next to the dish of wet batter. Place your baking sheet close by as well.
- Toss the cauliflower with the wet batter in the bowl to thoroughly coat every piece.
- Remove each cauliflower floret one at a time, knocking out any remaining batter, and roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. To prevent them from sticking together while baking, make sure to place them apart from one another on the baking sheet that has been prepared.
- Bake for about 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.