Roasted Cauliflower With
Lemon Parsley Dressing and Other Stuff
Sometimes you just have to use your imagination. When I recently made this roasted cauliflower with parsley-lemon pesto, I thought it needed something more, so I went with the traditional sweet and sour flavors common in Italian vegetable cooking. The dish was so good, I’ve made it twice this week. For the second round I tossed in baby kale and leftover brown rice. Voila, a delicious and balanced salad/meal, great warm or cold. This is adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.
4 servings
1 head cauliflower (about 2 lb.) cut into florets, including tender leaves
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
4 Tbsp. raisins or currants
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425. Toss cauliflower with 4 Tbsp. olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown. (Recipe says 25-30 minutes; I cook for closer to 45-60 minutes.)
Pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in small food processor until finely chopped, season with salt and pepper.
When cauliflower is done, put into bowl and toss with parsley-lemon dressing. When ready to serve, top with pine nuts and currants. For leftovers, combine cauliflower with baby kale leaves and whole grains or brown rice. Add feta as well, if you wish.
Quick Easy Croutons
One or two days-old loaf of ciabatta or a baguette, crusts cut off, bread cut into small bits the size of peas and lima beans.
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 350
Spread bread crumb/bits on baking sheet. Drizzle oil over top and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You want them to be salty/peppery, this is a savory condiment.
Bake for 10 minutes, toss again. Bake another 10 minutes, toss. At this point they may only need a few more minutes, so just bake until light golden. Once cooled, store in airtight jar. You can also freeze or refrigerate.
Mixed Greens With Farro, Bacon, Dates,
Walnuts, Pears, and Parmesan
This recipe is from a great book: “Salad for Dinner” by Jeanne Kelley
4 servings
1/2 cup farro, cooked, drained
6 oz. good bacon, cooked and drained, 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat reserved
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup walnut oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
6 cups mixed greens
1 pear, halved, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
12 pitted dates, cut into rounds
3 oz. thin shavings of parmesan
In bacon skillet, reheat the 2 Tbsp. bacon fat and add farro. Over medium heat, stir it until it is toasted and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.
Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt in bottom of large bowl. Add greens, pear, onion, dates, farro, and walnuts. Crumble bacon over salad, add the parmesan shavings, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently and serve.