One of my favourite snacks is roasted cauliflower. It is an easily digestible snack, that can be a main course or a side dish. It also pairs beautifully with a light salad if you are just wanting something a bit more substantial than a salad alone.
I first tasted something similar to this recipe at Nuba in Gastown. Their Lebanese cauliflower dish is an all time favourite of mine, but because it’s deep fried I don’t consume it very often. I also don’t own a deep fryer – so recreating it at home step-by-step isn’t an option. Instead, I’ve learned to roast my cauliflower in the oven, which I’ve actually come to prefer as I can control how much oil I consume in the process.
This quick and easy dish is honestly so simple that my daughter can make it on her own (with supervised chopping). That makes this an ideal meal options for those days when I’m low on energy.
Roasted Cauliflower Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)
INGREDIENT LIST:
1 large head of washed cauliflower cut into florets (I slice the stalk up as well) 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, half-ground with a mortar and pestle 1 tsp onion powder Pink Himalayan Salt to taste Cilantro to garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Using a paper towel or dry clean dishcloth, dry the cauliflower completely. If the cauliflower is damp it will get soggy in the oven, so don’t skip this step.
Using a mortar and pestle grind up the cumin seeds, until about 1/2 of it is powder, but the rest is still roughly ground.
Coat both sides of the cauliflower in oil. (I use my fingers to massage the oil onto the pieces)
Toss in cumin, onion powder, salt and 3/4 of the lemon juice
Spread evenly on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, checking to turn over about half way through. Once the cauliflower is browned and starting to crisp up remove and toss in remaining lemon juice.
Garnish with cilantro and serve.
