I've recently discovered that I love cauliflower. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have told you I hated it. But now, Jake and I can polish off a whole head in one sitting. I was excited to try my new favorite vegetable in a new way and found this recipe in the Vegetarian Times.
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
4 t olive oil, divided
5 T water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T tahini*
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1 T chopped parsley
1 t toasted sesame seeds (which I bought specifically for this and the forgot to use!)
Directions:
1. Place oven rack in top position. Preheat over to 425.
2. Toss cauliflower with 2 t olive oil and season with salt. Spread on large cookie sheet, and bake 12-15 minutes or until cauliflower is fork-tender and slightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 t olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in tahini, lemon juice, 5 T water, and salt. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Put cauliflower in serving dish. Whisk sauce and spoon over cauliflower. Sprinkle with parsley and sesame seeds.
* I had a really hard time finding tahini. I've bought it before at Giant, but they no longer carry it. We ended up finding it at Harris Teeter, but in the refrigerated section (by the hummus).
Loved this cauliflower as well! The tahini and lemon pair together terrifically, so that the flavor is both creamy and light.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, Shoppers carries tahini in its ethnic food section. They also seem to have the best prices for hard-to-find ingredients. Not sure if there is one close to you, but the Shoppers in Falls Church has about 5 aisles of "ethnic foods" where you can find everything from tahini to achiote to nori.
Also, tahini is essentially sesame butter, so you can give some sesame seeds a spin through the food processor and get the same thing. So if you don't want to invest in a big old jar of tahini, you can just buy what you need in sesame seeds and make it yourself.