Speedy Sticky Sweet Supper

I kept coming across variations of this recipe in the internet last week, so here's my take on it. It has a lot of ingredients - but they were all ones I already had in the cupboard [apart form the cauliflower] Some recipes say maple syrup and rice vinegar. Golden syrup and white wine vinegar work just as well. I used ketchup - other recipes say tomato puree, and some sriracha [too hot for me!]

Plus points - ready in 30 minutes, baked not fried, and ridiculously easy. You can double up the quantities if there are more than two of you. It's vegetarian - I think if you used soy milk, it would be vegan. Minus point - it's rather sweet!

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Prep Time 15 minutes,  plus Cook Time 20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

¾ cup milk

½ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

½ large cauliflower

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp oil

½ tsp. ground ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp cornflour

2 tbsp cold water

1 chopped spring onion

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 cup rice

Instructions

1. Put 1 tbsp oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Put pan in oven and preheat to 220°. 
2. Snap or cut off the cauliflower florets and put on a plate. You want pieces each about the size of a small new potato! Retain the stalks for using in another recipe.
3. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, stir in milk to make a stiffish batter. Drop cauliflower florets into the batter, gently turning them with your fingers, so they are well coated with the batter.
4. Get that hot pan out of the oven, and carefully place the florets in a single layer, spread out on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Start cooking the rice
6. While cauliflower bakes, combine soy sauce, syrup, vinegar, 1 tsp oil, ginger, garlic and ketchup in a small saucepan. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Blend cornflour with water, and stir into  sauce mix. Remove from heat.
7. Remove cauliflower from oven and gently flip over each floret. Lightly brush florets with remaining tablespoon of oil. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes more, until they are beginning to crisp
8. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan.
9. Now take out the pan and pour sauce all over the florets, bake for a further 3-4 minutes more, just until sauce becomes very sticky .
10. Put the rice in a bowl, with sticky cauliflower in top. Garnish with seeds and spring onions. Enjoy!

This must have been successful - Bob not only said he enjoyed it, but he didn't remark on the lack of meat content. Meanwhile, I'm singing this little ditty to myself - to the tune of Frere Jacques

Life is butter, life is but a

Melancholy flower, melancholy flower

Life is but a melon, life is but a melon

Cauliflower, cauliflower