Here’s an easy unpretentious veggie side, not shy on flavor or texture.
I was inspired by a dish served at the local community market deli… where I also worked for a year so yes I was regularly treated to samples by the cooks—some of which were self-administered hehe.
But of course I made a few tweaks here and there, roasting the veggies for longer, leaving out the ever-lingering onions, and adding spice for a little kick.
Like many of the recipes I share over here, this one can be adjusted to suit your taste buds.
Make it spicier, more zesty, creamier, or crispier… it’s up to you!
Simply roast cauliflower florets and chopped carrots until tender and lightly golden brown.
Then toss your veggies in a creamy sauce composed of subtly smoky tahini, fresh lemon juice, pure maple syrup (to balance out the bitterness of the tahini), a pinch of cayenne (for that heat), roughly chopped Italian parsley, plus sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
Warm water will thin everything out until the consistency is nice and saucy.
Enjoy this bad boy warm, room temperature, or chilled.
(My favorite temperature for consumption would have to be just shy of warm, although I’d gladly accept a bowl of this stuff in any state.)
P.S. Haha sooo… the pinch of cayenne I intended on adding turned into a dump of cayenne when it all tumbled out of its spice vessel in an overly enthusiastic clump. Needless to say, my taste buds were wakened from their slumber.
P.P.S. The maple syrup and cayenne are completely optional, so you do you. It’s always important to taste and adjust as you go!
P.P.P.S. Oh, and you might be thinking 4 cups of cauliflower for one person?! You have to take the shrinkage factor into account (cue middle school boy sniggers). And now that you’ve lost your appetite, let’s get cooking!
Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots with Lemony Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 4 cups medium cauliflower florets
- Extra virgin olive oil, enough to lightly coat vegetables
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped carrots
- Pink sea salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tahini (no added oil or sugar)
- 1-2 tablespoons warm water, depending on the thickness of your tahini
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Pink sea salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425.
- Line a rimmed large metal baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the cauliflower with enough oil to lightly coat.
- Roast for 20 minutes.
- Add the carrots to the pan gently tossing with the cauliflower. Add more oil if necessary.
- Roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, whisk the tahini with the water, lemon juice, maple syrup (if using), cayenne pepper (if using), parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the ingredient amounts to your liking.
- Fold the sauce into the roasted vegetables.
- Enjoy warm, room temperature or cold.