My husband and I have lived in our home since 2009. My pandemic brain fog is too heavy to do the math, but it’s been a long time! The restaurant where we signed our offer on our home has become one of our favorites and we eat there probably once a week. Of course, it is a taco restaurant but they have this cauliflower side dish that is just insane! I’ve been wanting to recreate it and put my own spin on it for a long time. So here we go!
Cauliflower + Dates is almost too simple of a name for this one because it is PACKED with so much flavor and texture. Roasted cauliflower seasoned with turmeric and a bunch of other delicious spices, salty briny capers, and sweet chewy dates? This dish totally packs a punch when it comes to flavors! I was inspired by Beautiful Briny Sea’s Sultan Papadopoulos Sea Salt Blend, and if you have that you could use that in place of the spices in the recipe! But if you don’t, don’t worry. The spice blend in the recipe is SO GOOD too!
Cauliflower + Dates makes a great Meatless Main dish or a hearty side dish. Leave it as is for a vegan meal, or add some feta if you eat cheese! It is great warm on its own, chilled in the fridge, served over rice or salad. It really is a jack of all trades when it comes to dinner. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
Cauliflower + Dates
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets ( about 1 lb of florets)
- Olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Everything else:
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 can white beans Great Northern or Cannellini, garbanzo works too, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 1/2 cup pitted dates sliced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Splash of caper brine
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley coarsely chopped
Instructions
Roast the cauliflower.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Combine all the spices together in a small bowl to create a spice blend.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on all of the seasoning blend and mix to make sure every floret has some seasoning.
- Toss it all onto a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the cauliflower is roasting, saute everything else.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil and the sliced red onions with a pinch of salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they being to soften.
- Add the garlic and capers and cook for 1 minute.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients: beans, dates, lemon zest + juice, caper brine, and water.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced (by half-ish) and the beans and dates have softened. Taste and see if you need any more salt or lemon juice. Remember the capers, the caper brine, and the cauliflower you will be adding later all have their own salt, so taste as you go!
Combine it all!
- Once the cauliflower is soft and slightly golden brown from roasting, add it to the skillet and toss everything together!
- Toss in chopped parsley and serve! This is great on its own as a meatless entree or side dish, but it is also great served over rice or a salad!
You can find more Meatless Mains HERE. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for even more recipes!
