I know you may not feel like turning on the oven or roasting anything right now but despite the season, I can't seem to veer too far away from my regularly scheduled kitchen programming. I couldn't resist sharing this because I've become smitten with this little tahini roasted cauliflower recipe.
For the most part, I'm basically a purist when it comes to vegetables ("purist" or "boring", you decide...). I am perfectly happy with a plate of plain, steamed vegetables. I steam carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower with almost clockwork-like regularity each week. I also do stir-fry and love roasting vegetables but don't usually stray far from just olive oil and basic seasonings to jazz it up.
That said, I do branch out once in a while and I'm beginning to think I should do it more often! I can see (and taste) the merit of a good dressing and how adding other elements can really make a vegetable dish sing. This tahini roasted cauliflower is a perfect example. The cauliflower is tossed in a mixture of tahini, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and capers before roasting, then topped with lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley once it's out of the oven. It makes a divine result.
So I finally bought tahini - entered the world of homemade hummus - and started thinking about other ways to use this nutty sesame paste that's like a milder cousin to peanut butter.
Well...this is now one of my favorite ways to eat cauliflower! My husband and I are totally smitten with it. Because here's what happens...the cauliflower get coated with this tahini mixture and as it roasts, this dressing creates a kind of “crust” on the cauliflower. It's almost like it’s been breaded and lightly fried. As for flavor, the tahini adds a wonderful light richness and nuttiness. The capers are one of the best parts of the dish, given the dish a little briny tartness.
