Spicy Cauliflower Nibbles

I have been making a big effort since New Years to cook more.  There are a few reasons reasons.  Purely practically, cooking something from scratch means that I know what is in it and that I can tweak it to make it healthier.  I also actually like cooking and making things, so it is a fun activity.  And then there is the whole I-live-in-Minnesota-and-it-is-really-cold-here thing.  Basically, using my oven or stove is a wonderful excuse to have a warm kitchen and some warm food to enjoy!

Mid-January came around and had a whole conversation about how expensive fresh cauliflower was getting.  So what did I do?  Look for a recipe involving cauliflower, of course!  ARRGGHHH!  Why must fresh, healthy food be so expensive?  In money, in time, and in effort.  OK.  Sorry.  Backing away from that soapbox, as it deserves its own space and time.       

I found a recipe for cauliflower "poppers" over at WeightWatchers.com.  When I hear the word "poppers," I first think of jalapeno poppers...and then other kinds of crazy appetizers like deep-fried mac and cheese poppers, etc....and then I start thinking of pop-tarts and other things you make in a toaster.  Basically, jalapeno, deep-fried finger-foods, and toasters.  Since this recipe isn't any of those things (I even ate the cauliflower with a fork and not my fingers), I have renamed them "nibbles."  Nibbles sounds cute, but also a bit sophisticated.  Or maybe just cute.  But also bunnies nibble--sometimes on cauliflower--so I think it works.  

I would share the original recipe via a link, except it will only let WW members see it and then only when they are signed in.  So, I won't torture you with the original link.  Instead, I'll just give you my version of the recipe.  It is pretty close to the original, except I only cooked up a serving rather than the whole head of cauliflower. 

Ingredients:

• 1  uncooked fresh cauliflower
• about equal parts ground cumin, chilli powder, salt, and black pepper (probably 1/2 tsp or less of each, but more if that's to your taste)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet (or foil on a baking sheet) with cooking spray.
2. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and put in a medium-sized bowl
3. Add spices and stir/toss to coat them.  Add more if you like it or change the mix to what you like.  Here's what mine looked like:         
4. Spread cauliflower on prepared baking sheet and bake until cauliflower is tender, but not mushy.  About 10 minutes will do it, but you should stir halfway through. 

 A bit of a warning: I really liked how these turned out, but they cool off fairly quickly.  So, serve pretty much as soon as they are out of the oven!