When vegetables are starting to turn in the fridge, you have two choices: dump them in the trash and cover them with other garbage so no one else knows of your crime. Or, two, roast them and turn them into dinner.
Get Roasting
On Wednesday night, last week, I found myself with a preponderance of cauliflower and radishes and decided to pursue option two: I tossed them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted them in the oven at 425 for twenty to thirty minutes until they were golden brown all over.
Then, just for fun, I sprinkled on some Parmesan to melt over the hot vegetables
Meanwhile, I decided to toast some couscous in olive oil (a way to get a little extra flavor), add water, and set that aside while also soaking some dried cherries in a little Balsamic and warm water. I also, using a technique from Ottolenghi, cooked a sliced onion in olive oil until golden brown all over.
Putting it Together
When the vegetables were roasted, I added them to the pot with the couscous and the onion.
At this point, it was time to play: I added the dried cherries, plus some roasted salted almonds that I chopped up, and some dates that I cut into pieces. I also added arugula, a glug of olive oil, a splash of white wine vinegar, more salt and pepper, plus some Urfa chili and Aleppo pepper.
From here, you just stand over your pot, taste, and adjust. It’s really a blank canvas for different textures and flavors but between the roast-y softness of the cauliflower and radishes, the deep char of the onion, the crisp saltiness of the nuts, and the sweet pliancy of the dates and cherries — plus the sharp grassiness of the arugula — this salad tasted perfect to me. Served in pretty bowls, it felt like a healthier alternative to a big plate of pasta.
An easy, light dinner that saved the lives of two vegetables that were bound for the trash. Is there anything more heroic?
Roasted Cauliflower Couscous with Dates, Almonds, and Cherries
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425. On a cookie sheet, toss the cauliflower florets and the radishes with the 1/4 cup olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and a grinding of pepper. Roast in the oven 20 to 30 minutes, flipping every ten minutes, until golden brown all over and cooked all the way through. When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the vegetables with the Parmesan to melt on top.
- Place the dried cherries in a bowl with the Balsamic and just enough warm water to cover. Set aside to plump up. In a non-stick skillet, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion on medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every so often, until deep golden brown all over. Season with salt and set aside.
- Add a splash of olive oil to a pot or Dutch oven, add your couscous, and toast on medium heat until starting to color — just a few minutes. (You can add minced garlic or cumin seeds to this step for extra flavor.) Add one cup of water — careful, it will spit — a pinch of salt, stir around, take off the heat, and put the lid on. Set aside.
- To bring this all together, add the onion and the roasted vegetables to the pot with the couscous. Add the cherries, almonds, and dates and stir all around. Taste here for salt and possibly vinegar — if it needs some acid, give it a splash. (Lemon juice would work great too.) Add the arugula and add one more glug of olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, stir all around. Finally, if you want some heat, add the Urfa and/or the Aleppo and stir. Keeps for a few days in the refrigerator.
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