Plant Feasts
By Frankie Paz
Chimichurri cauliflower loaded with pico de gallo
50 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
When I first started eating more plants many moons ago, vegan food was pretty bland and pretty basic. I remember going for dinner and eating a roasted cauliflower and thinking WTF is this. It was so dry, with no sauce, expensive and it didn’t fill me up. It did however get me thinking about how I can make it better and as healthy and delicious as possible. That’s the thing about not liking something, or there being a lack of options: it can be an invitation to get in the kitchen and make it better. This is how new creations are born. This roasted cauliflower is smothered with a tart chimichurri sauce, loaded with sweet tomatoes, and sprinkled with spicy, crunchy pepitas. It’s all about the layers! Serve with plantain (see page 156), Cumin and Garlic Potatoes (see page 146), Quinoa, Tomato and Avocado Salad (see page 95), and Spicy Mango and Palm Heart Salad (see page 98) for an epic feast.
Recipe From
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower (or 2 small), cut lengthways into 2cm/¾in slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
a handful of Sweet and Super-Spicy Coconut Pepitas (see page 173 of Plant Feasts), to serve
FOR THE CHIMICHURRI
15g/½oz/½ cup mint leaves
40g/1½oz/1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
40g/1½oz/1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lemon
3 jalapeños, deseeded
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ teaspoon dried chilli/hot pepper flakes
olive oil
a large pinch of salt and pepper
FOR THE PICO DE GALLO
5 large tomatoes (I use Roma, approx. 450g/1lb), deseeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
a handful of coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
- Arrange the cauliflower slices on a baking sheet, coat with the olive oil and add the cumin and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through. The cauliflower should be slightly golden and softened but with a slight bite.
- To make the chimichurri, blend all the ingredients in a food processor, adding olive oil bit by bit, until you get a chunky sauce. Transfer to a bowl or airtight container. Any that you don’t use can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- To make the pico de gallo, gently mix the tomatoes and red onion, then mix in the coriander, lemon juice and salt.
- To assemble, first lay the cauliflower down, smother with the chimichurri, then load the pico de gallo on top. Sprinkle with pepitas and serve.
Tags
