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Roasted Cauliflower Couscous with Dates, Almonds, and Cherries

A quick dinner featuring two roast-able vegetables from the fridge.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head of cauliflower broken into small florets
  • 1 bunch of radishes leaves discarded (or saved for another use), radishes cut into the same size as the cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil + more for the couscous and onion
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup of dried cherries
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 yellow onion sliced thin
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup roasted salted almonds, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates pitted and sliced thin
  • White wine vinegar optional
  • 2 handfuls of arugula
  • Urfa chili optional
  • Aleppo pepper optional

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.