Ad Hoc's Rice with Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe, printed in the Los Angeles Times, had been sitting around my house for a while, but with a cauliflower adverse family in tow, it never seemed like the right time to make it.  But sometimes, you just gotta say, what the heck, I'm making it anyway and if I am the only one who eats it, so be it.  And I was the only one who ate it.  But I went back for seconds and but for the fact that I actually need to be able to fit into my jeans, I would have scarfed down the entire thing, easily. 

So I pass this on to you, with the caveat that it has not met with worldwide approval, but I did eat leftovers for breakfast...


Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 (or one, if you are me.)

1/2 head white cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of curry powder
6 cups water
1 cup Carolina, or long grain, rice (I used basmati, but jasmine would work well also.)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used only one)
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (I used only one)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the canola oil and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste.

3. Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan (reserve the bowl) and roast until the cauliflower is a deep brown and tender throughout when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing every few minutes for even coloring and cooking. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

4. While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the rice: In a large saucepan, add the water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and chili flakes and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook the rice just until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice well, then spread the rice in a thin shallow layer in a large baking dish.  (I used my handy dandy rice cooker to cook the rice with the chili flakes and then dried it out further in the oven per the next step.)

5. Place the rice in the oven to dry out for 5 minutes. Remove, then stir in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.

6. Place the cauliflower back in the bowl and toss with the curry powder. Taste and season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper.

7. Gently stir in the warmed rice and butter, tossing until the butter is melted and evenly coats the rice and cauliflower. Stir in the green onions and serve immediately.