Tomato Roasted Cauliflower Tagine #WeekdaySupper
2015 is starting off cold, windy and rainy but things will start to look toasty and warm with my newest recipe. The January theme for #WeekdaySupper is A Lighter New Year and my recipe packs a lot of flavor and punch to wake up your weekday dinner.
My Tomato Roasted Cauliflower Tagine turned out beautifully. What's a tagine, you ask? A tagine (pronounced tah-JEAN) is a conical dish, typically made of clay or enameled silicone, that is used to roast vegetables and meat in an oven. The shape of the dish facilitates self-basting. A tagine also refers to the actual meal cooked inside it as well. You don't own a tagine, you say? Me either. You are welcome to use a Dutch oven or other oven-safe covered dish. The results will be the same.
I made this tagine for my mother and she couldn't get enough! It's definitely going into the Nik Snacks' Family rotation. I was inspired by a dish I had back in November at Le Cordon Bleu-Las Vegas during a Bleu Ribbon Kitchen demonstration. We were served cauliflower that had been sauteed in sesame oil, a fresh tomato sauce and chickpeas that were garnished with preserved lemon and olives. I really have an affinity for North and East African cuisine.
I made this tagine for my mother and she couldn't get enough! It's definitely going into the Nik Snacks' Family rotation. I was inspired by a dish I had back in November at Le Cordon Bleu-Las Vegas during a Bleu Ribbon Kitchen demonstration. We were served cauliflower that had been sauteed in sesame oil, a fresh tomato sauce and chickpeas that were garnished with preserved lemon and olives. I really have an affinity for North and East African cuisine.
Little Known Fact: I was a vegetarian through most of high school and college. Even now, I really dig the vegetables. Instead of a meat and three, I lean toward just the "three". I feel that vegetables have built-in flavor and you don't have to cook them or transform them much to enjoy them.
Vegetarian meals don't have to be predictable and boring either. With this recipe, buttery cauliflower florets are tossed in a North African-inspired spice blend and kissed with plump, olives, tangy preserved lemon and chopped tomatoes. Served with couscous or rice and it's the perfect healthy weeknight meal. Add chickpeas or serve with quinoa to boost the protein and you'll have a balanced meal. Roasted in a Dutch oven or a traditional tagine, you'll have dinner on the table in no time at all.
Tomato Roasted Cauliflower Tagine
Yield: 4
I made this tagine for my mother and she couldn't get enough! It's definitely going into the Nik Snacks' Family rotation. I was inspired by a dish I had back in November at Le Cordon Bleu-Las Vegas during a Bleu Ribbon Kitchen demonstration. We were served cauliflower that had been sauteed in sesame oil, a fresh tomato sauce and chickpeas that were garnished with preserved lemon and olives. I really have an affinity for North and East African cuisine. Little Known Fact: I was a vegetarian through most of high school and college. Even now, I really dig the vegetables. Instead of a meat and three, I lean toward just the "three". I feel that vegetables have built-in flavor and you don't have to cook them or transform them much to enjoy them. Vegetarian meals don't have to be predictable and boring either. With this recipe, buttery cauliflower florets are tossed in a North African-inspired spice blend and kissed with plump, olives, tangy preserved lemon and chopped tomatoes. Served with couscous or rice and it's the perfect healthy weeknight meal. Add chickpeas or serve with quinoa to boost the protein and you'll have a balanced meal. Roasted in a Dutch oven or a traditional tagine, you'll have dinner on the table in no time at all.
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 3 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ginger powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
Tagine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons spice mix
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 can San Marzano-style tomatoes, low sodium, drained
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups stock (veggie, chicken or beef) homemade or low-sodium
- 3 tablespoons preserved lemons, roughly chopped
- 1 cup green olives
- ½ bunch cilantro or parsley, leaves picked and stems discarded.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Combine the spice mix spices in a large, dry sauté pan set over medium heat, and toast them gently until they become fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower with the salt, pepper and the olive oil.
- Turn up the pan's heat to medium-high and saute the cauliflower until the florets are browned. Remove the cauliflower to a large Dutch oven or tagine pot.
- Reduce heat below the saute pan to medium, add tomato paste and deglaze the pan with the stock. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and saffron and stir to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, stir in the tomatoes, preserved lemon and olives, cover the pot and transfer to oven to cook for 20 minutes. Serve the cauliflower garnished with the cilantro or parsley leaves, over couscous or rice.
Notes:
Preserved lemon can be made at home, but it takes a month. Find a great recipe here. No time for preserved lemon? Use dried lemon peel, found in the spice aisle.
Calories
395.91Fat (grams)
30.53Sat. Fat (grams)
4.38Carbs (grams)
29.75Fiber (grams)
12.39Net carbs
17.36Sugar (grams)
9.19Protein (grams)
9.44Sodium (milligrams)
1805.25Cholesterol (grams)
3.60Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
Try these great ideas for Weekday Supper from The Sunday Supper Group!
Monday - Spaghetti with Meatball Pearls by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Tuesday - Chicken Salad Sandwich by A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
Wednesday - Pulled Pork Tacos with Harvest Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Friday - Egg Drop Soup by The Foodie Army Wife
Find more great ideas for Weekday Suppers on our Weekday Supper Pinterest Board !
Tuesday - Chicken Salad Sandwich by A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
Wednesday - Pulled Pork Tacos with Harvest Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Friday - Egg Drop Soup by The Foodie Army Wife
Find more great ideas for Weekday Suppers on our Weekday Supper Pinterest Board !
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About the author
Nikki Miller-Ka
Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.
Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
Oh yum Nikki! I love all the flavors in this dish.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delicious, Nikki! I'm so excited you posted a vegetarian dish. I was veg back in college, too, and even though I now eat fish and sometimes chicken, it's good to have a veg recipe of yours to put into my rotation. Thanks! :-D
ReplyDeleteThis looks so hearty and soul warming which is sometimes tough to do w/out meat. Great recipe.
ReplyDeleteLove that you added those awesome green olives, looks so good!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good, Nikki! I have all these spices on hand, I can try this real soon!
ReplyDeleteI bet the wonderful spices make this so tasty! We would have quite a conversation about "tagine" at the dinner table!
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the NUMEROUS kitchen gadgets, tools and cooking vessels - a tagine is one that we don't have! (I've got to get one!) This dish looks super healthy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe flavors in this spice blend sound fantastic - so much flavor in this dish!
ReplyDeleteOh man, those giant green olives are calling out my name, same with the cauliflower. I just love the look of this dish.
ReplyDeleteI'm blown away by all the flavors and textures in this dish!
ReplyDeleteNow that looks amazing! YUM!!! So many flavors coming together!
ReplyDeleteDinner tonight!
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI can easily make a meal out of vegetables too. I do a lot, but I need to make sure I get enough protein, so sometimes I add a couple soft boiled eggs or some wild fish. This looks really tasty!
ReplyDeleteWhat?! We were supposed to prepare lighter #WeekdaySupper dishes this month? Oops! I guess it's too late for me, eh?
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made up for it and it looks like there's no sacrifice in flavor either.
Yum! Sounds and looks delish and healthy.
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a yummy recipe - I love cauliflower!
ReplyDeleteI don't normally like cauliflower but this looks and sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love cauliflower! This looks very yummy. Definitely trying it.
ReplyDeleteI love trying new flavors and this looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the recipe. I may have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteHoly massive olives, batman!! Those things are huge!
ReplyDeleteThis tagine looks great. I'm on a major cauli. kick right now and you can never go wrong with olives and preserved lemon.