Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Dukkah

You know how when you get a new computer, even if it's nicer, it just feels awkward and wrong?  The operating system, the keyboard, everything.

["You use a PC?  But you're a vegan!" -- one of my professors...]

Anyway, that's how I'm feeling about my new laptop and the photo editing software on it, and also about the digital camera I got earlier this year.  Growing pains.  #firstworldproblems.

And I think about how someone who didn't use her computer as often as I did probably wouldn't have such of an adjustment to make.  Similarly, the more comfortable you are in your own kitchen, the more that cooking in someone else's kitchen feels so hard--even if they DO have cool new ingredients and gadgets and counter space. 

Anyway, this dish and the tofu caprese salad came out of me bringing whatever in my fridge was going to go bad to a housesitting gig, plus what they had sitting around.  I also made some collards with harissa (YUM--sort of like this kale recipe) for the same reasons.

Despite my awareness of this tendency, I continue to overlook cauliflower.  But when I saw this recipe on taste space, I got excited about finally using up my dukkah, as well as the cauliflower that was left over from making rasa kayi.

 

Janet's dukkah recipe includes coconut, and I really wanted to include that, but I didn't have any on hand.  I also added the dukkah at the beginning rather than the end, with no adverse results.  Finally, at the end the dish really needed a squirt of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from being a lil mealy.  When all was said and done, it was really lovely--starchy/hearty but interesting in terms of taste and texture.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Dukkah

(from taste space)

Ingredients

2 lb cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces (1 large head)

2 c cooked chickpeas (or a 19-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed well and drained)

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/2-1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

4 TB dukkah, or the following:
(since the dukkah recipe I use doesn't include coconut, I would add that!)

* 1.5 TB blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped

* 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

* 1/2 TB cumin seeds, toasted and ground

* 1/2 TB sesame seeds, toasted and ground

* 1 TB unsweetened dried shredded coconut, toasted and ground

pinch salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice
additional olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. If making your dukkah, now, separately toast the almonds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and coconut. Grind each individually, then combine all together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Combine cauliflower florets (include all the little bits!) and chickpeas. Toss with olive oil and salt, to taste. Lay in a single layer on two baking trays lined with a silpat.
4. Roast for 20-40 minutes until top edges are golden brown. Check at 20 minutes, if it isn’t done, toss to have them evenly roast. Once out of the oven, top with dukkah. Serve immediately.  Serves 4.