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This colourful Middle Eastern salad is an absolute doddle to make and is full of flavour.
Free from meat, dairy, egg, gluten, peanut, sesame and soy
Roasting cauliflower is my favourite way to cook this amazingly versatile vegetable. It looks beautiful on a plate with the edges a little charred and crispy. Cauliflower is also a brilliant vehicle for flavour and here the Middle Eastern spiced oil infiltrates every nook and cranny of the florets releasing a juicy punch of flavour when you bite into it.
The textures of the cauliflower and chickpeas are perfectly complimented by fresh warm tomatoes. The Harissa chickpeas add an extra hit of flavour and the tomatoes ooze into a ready-made dressing in the oven.
And if you have any leftovers, this makes a fabulous cold lunch the next day or day after.
Ingredients – Serves 2 to 3
1 small head cauliflower, divided into small florets
1 red onion, roughly chopped into chunks
1 sweet potato, diced into medium sized cubes
2 tablespoons regular olive oil
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ras-el-hanout
1 tbsp tomato puree concentrate
1 can (400g) chickpeas
2 tbsps. harissa paste (according to taste and the heat of the harissa)
4 small ripe vine tomatoes, cut into one-eighths pieces with seeds
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
3 handfuls fresh spinach leaves
2 handfuls rocket leaves
1 handful sunflower & pumpkin seeds, lightly roasted
½ lemon, juice
extra virgin olive oil, drizzle
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/200°C.
Trim the cauliflower and divide into small florets, roughly chop the red onion and place on a baking sheet.
Pour a tablespoon and a half of olive oil onto the florets and onion. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cumin and paprika spices before tossing them together to make sure all the florets and onion are evenly covered in the spices and oil. Make sure the florets and onion are evenly distributed on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Dice the sweet potato (with the skin on) into medium-sized cubes and place on a separate baking sheet. Pour half a tablespoon of the olive oil onto the sweet potatoes along with the Ras-el-hanout. Once again, toss them together to make sure all the sweet potato cubes are evenly covered in the fragrant spices and oil. Remember to evenly distribute the cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Place both the cauliflower and sweet potato in the oven for 15 minutes.
Whilst the cauliflower and sweet potato are in the oven, wash and drain the chickpeas and pour into a bowl. Stir in the Harrisa paste, tomatoes.
When the cauliflower has had its 15 minutes, remove the tray, mix the florets and onion around and redistribute evenly across the baking tray. Elegantly, pour the chickpea and tomatoes in the spaces between the florets and onion before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
Then remove the sweet potato tray, add the finely chopped coriander, mix and redistribute them evenly across the baking tray.
Whilst the vegetables are in the oven, dry roast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds on a skillet for a few minutes or until lightly golden brown. Divide the spinach and rocket leaves onto one side of two plates.
When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven and sprinkle them both with salt. Drizzle the cauliflower and chickpeas with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and garnish with the finely chopped parsley.
Divide the sweet potato cubes evenly and place on the leaves along with the seeds. Fill the other side of each plate with as much roasted cauliflower and spicy chickpea it can possibly hold!
Eat and enjoy!
Let me know if you make this and how it turned out in the comments box below. Would love to hear from you.
Anita Anand
xxx
P.S. – Another recipe you might enjoy is my healing carrot and coriander soup…
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