Cauliflower roasted? Why not.
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that wasn’t really on my list of favourites when growing up. Boiling it took all the joy out of it. But now, we know that there are so many fantastic ways to cook it. Lightly steaming it, and leaving a bit of crunch is great. And you lose a lot less nutrients.
But there’s an even better way to bring out the greatness in this wonderful vegetable. When you roast it or pan fry it, the sweetness and the depth of flavour is amazing. As it roasts, it gets a lovely caramelisation on it. It turns the tops of the florets a gorgeous golden brown. And the smell!! Wow, it’s really enticing.
What else to put in this salad?
Well, you don’t really need to put anything. However, there are so many options if you do want to mix it up a bit. This warm salad was created for a client who wanted to try new combinations. And also wanted to be able to take the recipe home and repeat it over and over. So we looked at what is seasonal. Pears cam immediately to mind. When you roast or pan fry them, they take on that gorgeous caramel flavour too.
So, what about something with a bit of crunch. I love putting different types of nuts in with salads. And someone had given me some walnuts. So that was the answer. If you want to really finish the salad off, put some local feta or goats cheese on the top just as you serve it.
Cauliflower, Pear and Walnut salad
Equipment
- roasting tray
- non-stick fry pan
Ingredients
- 500 g cauliflower – cut into florets
- 1 pear – cored, sliced with skin on
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup natural yoghurt
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tspn sea salt
Instructions
- heat oven to 180C
- Put the cauliflower florets into a zip lock bag with olive oil, salt and pinch of black pepper. Shake them around so that they are all well covered. Then spread them into a roasting dish lined with baking paper. Bake for 25 minutes – cauliflower will caramelise beautifully.
- In your non-stick pan, put another dash of olive oil and pop in the pear slices. Move them gently around until they are just golden. Add them to the cauliflower in the oven 5 minutes before the cauliflower is ready.
- In the same pan, lightly dry roast the walnuts – this will bring out the wonderful oils and make them so tasty in the salad.
- Take the cauliflower out of the oven, stir the walnuts through and serve with the minted yoghurt on the side.**
- **chop the mint leaves and stir through the yoghurt. It's that simple.
Nutrition
As a side dish for a dinner party?
Yep, definitely. It goes perfectly with beef, lamb and venison. Fantastic with garlicy roast chicken. And wonderful with a salt crusted baked side of salmon. If you are using it to go with eye fillet, then it serves about 4 -6 people, depending on what else you have. I’d have some greens, perhaps some steamed beans? Or asparagus, if they are around. And if you like Brussel sprouts, then pan sear some of those, add some butter, and you’ve got it made.