Roasted cauliflower steaks with dukkah and tahini

Cauliflower has a love-hate affair with foodies. Some love it some don’t. I am on the love-it camp and especially so when it is roasted. Roasting cauli brings out wonderful flavours, completely different than when you steam it.

The cauliflower “steaks” became trendy a while back and it’s not a bad way of preparing them. You cut the cauli into thick slices through the stem and end up with beautifully shaped floral portions that you can serve on their on over grains with a little sauce. The slices have to include he stem to hold together, but even if a few florets break loose, you can bring them back in to maintain the shape. the flat side makes the cauli roast well and brown more evenly.

To get the golden colour I brushed the slices with olive oil mixed with turmeric before roasting. If they don’t get dark enough you can broil them for a couple of minutes at the end of the cooking.

When serving I sprinkle a little dukkah for added crunchy texture and drizzle with tahini sauce and serve it on a bed of couscous. Delish.

---

---

With summer company slowly departing I have more time to work on the blog and with this post I am introducing a new look. The final product is not done yet but I thought it is in good enough shape to be published. I have been publishing the blog for four years now, with one year off to recover from the loss of our home to fire, and felt that I needed a visual change. I liked the charcoal and lime greens we had before but it was getting a bit heavy and I wanted to lighten things up. My intention is to keep the background light and let the images provide the shots of colours. As I said, it is a work in progress while we are trying some options. What say you?

Two more weeks and we are on the plane again, this time to the Baltic sea and then to Iceland. We are excited to explore that region of the world and I will report about the experience as we discover the food and culture of the countries that line the Baltic sea in that northern region.

I hope your summer has been going well, always love hearing your feedback in the comments below or on FB.

Enjoy.

---

Ingredients:

---

1 smallish cauliflower

3 tablespoons olive oil mixed with 2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Tahini sauce (see below)

Dukkah (see below)

Couscous (see below)

Thyme leaves for garnish

---

Directions:

---

Slice the cauliflower into thick slices, about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on a foil lined baking sheet and brush with the turmeric olive oil on both side.

Salt and pepper both sides.

Place the baking sheet in a 400 F oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes or until done. Test by inserting a knife through. If the cauli is down and the colour is not golden enough, turn on the broiler and broil for a couple of minutes more to brown the top.

To serve spoon couscous on individual plates (or a platter), lay cauli steak over, sprinkle with dukkah and drizzle tahini sauce over.

Garnish with thyme and parsley.

Serve warm.

---

Dukkah:

1/2 cup hazelnuts, whole, toasted
1/2 cup peeled almonds, whole, toasted
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons dried thyme

Toast the hazelnuts in a skillet until fragrant and beginning to turn golden.
Remove from pan and wrap in a kitchen towels and rub to remove as much skin as easily comes off.

Toast the skinned almonds until beginning to turn golden.

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds until they are warm and aromatic, then add the sesame seeds and toast until golden.

Place nuts and seeds in a food processor and pulse until a coarse mixture is formed, not a powder though.

Remove to a bowl and add salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Let cool, then spoon into a glass jar, close and keep until needed.

This mixture is quite versatile and adds a touch of crunchiness and spice to many foods.You can add a little olive oil to it and use as a dip or a spread, for tossing with cooked green or yellow beans, for serving with steamed or roasted carrots with yogurt and more.

---

Tahini:

3 tablespoon tahini paste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup water or as needed
Salt and pepper

Whisk the ingredients into the tahini paste adding just enough water to get a runny sauce consistency.

Couscous:

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 cup couscous and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and let sit 10 minutes until couscous absorbs the water. Fluff with a fork.

---

---

---