Middle Eastern Spiced Roasted Cauliflower Flatbreads

Mon, 19 February 2024

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained (keep the liquid, aquafaba for other recipes)
60ml ice cold water, plus a 30ml for a looser consistency if needed.
2 small garlic cloves peeled and crushed.
1 lemon zested and juiced.
1 ½ tbsp light tahini
1 tbsp olive oil, to garnish (optional)

Method
Thoroughly rinse the chickpeas in a colander under cold running water. Tip into the large bowl of a food processor along with 60ml of water and blitz until almost smooth. Add the garlic, lemon and tahini, and blitz again. If the consistency is too thick, gradually pour in up to 30ml more water. Blitz again for about 5 mins, or until the hummus is smooth and silky.
Season with a good pinch of sea salt and transfer to a bowl. Swirl the top of the hummus with the back of a dessert spoon and drizzle over a little olive oil.




Middle eastern spiced cauliflower

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 to 2 good pinches of sea salt
½ tsp chili flakes
A good glug of Olive oil

Method
Have your oven pre heated to 180 fan/200 conventional /gas mark 4.
Take your large head of cauliflower and trim off the old or discoloured leaves and compost them and then cut of the stalk close to the bottom of the cauliflower. Now cut the cauliflower in half and then into quarters giving you four wedges.

We can trim off the fresh crisp leaves and roast those with the florets.
Now we can trim off the quartered core (cut the discarded core into smaller slices and freeze as it’s great to use in smoothies) and now break off or cut the florets in to even sized pieces and place with some of your leaves into a large bowl.
Now add in all your dry spices and give the cauliflower a gentle toss in the spice mix before we add

1 tbs of olive oil or a good glug and toss again ensuring all the cauliflower is
coated in the middle eastern spices and oil.
Now we are ready to roast our florets, so line a roasting tray. with parchment paper, that will accommodate all of the cauliflower florets, we want them to all have space and not be on top of each other and put them on to the middle shelf of your pre heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes , until they are starting to crisp and softened , dependant on how big the florets are will mean a little shorter or longer in the oven.

Once they are cooked we are ready to plate up , this is like an assembly of flavours and colours and preparation is always the key.

Take a warmed flat bread ( literally I pop it into the cooling oven we have just cooked our cauliflower in for 30 seconds) and spread it liberally with the freshly made hummus, next sprinkle a few crisp baby spinach leaves over the hummus and then start to add your hot middle eastern spiced cauliflower , add as much as you want and to top it off sprinkle some pickled red onions over with some pomegranate seeds and a good drizzle of plain plant based yoghurt and all we need to do is fold it over grab it and go for it ! enjoy .