Oven "Fried" Crispy Cauliflower Poppers

When I was growing up, there were a few "special" dishes in my mothers repertoire that I always looked forward to and even occasionally begged for.  Certainly she always knew what to cook for me for my birthday.  Her pot roast with mashed potatoes and onion gravy was my all time comfort dish and the special treat was a fried veggie on the side.

Yes, I said a veggie.  I was a child who ate and liked my vegetables but, of course, everything is better when its fried.  She would coat cauliflower florets in a generous layer of breadcrumbs and fry them until they were crisp and golden brown delicious.  They always soaked up a lot of oil but that didn't hurt the flavor, of course.  Oh, I miss those!  These days, my hips would prefer I lay off the oil but I still wanted those crispy bits of cauliflower.  I'm not suggesting these taste quite as good as mom's version but they were still golden brown and delicious.  Enjoy!







Ingredients
2 Cups cauliflower florets, cut small (about 1/2 a large head)
1 Egg
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
Non-stick cooking spray

In a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.  Toss the small florets in the egg mixture and then toss in the breadcrumbs.  Spread out the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray with the non-stick cooking spray.  Roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, toss and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown.

You can serve these with your favorite dipping sauce but I just like popping these little crunchy treats into my mouth plain.  And while I've been known to put away quite a lot of cauliflower all by myself, this probably makes at least two servings.