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| The Dukkah nuts and spices |
Roasted Cauliflower is one of those dishes that I grew up on. I adore roasted veggies, especially Cauliflower. Growing up in a Lebanese family, it was something my grandmother made regularly. Always a part of our meatless Friday meals. Those days when you couldn't eat meat on Friday if you were Catholic. Anyone remember meatless Fridays? I love the way cauliflower caramelizes as it roasts. So when I saw this recipe as our pick this week, I was excited.
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| The Cauliflower baked and ready to eat...not so pretty but totally delicious |
However, the Dukkah was something new to me. In my family we use za'atar, which is a mixture of sumac, wild thyme and sesame seeds. I buy mine, ready to use, at the Middle Eastern market in Paterson. Dukkah is an Egyptian mixture of nuts and spices. The aroma, as you roast each spice separately, is heavenly. Then they are ground together. "Oh My God"!! David said, I would say it! He was right!
For this dish you break your cauliflower into florets. Place them onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through. At this point sprinkle with the Dukkah mixture, and stir to coat. Bake for another 20 minutes. As this bakes, the aroma permeates your kitchen with the most wonderful fragrance.
I ate this by myself (hubby doesn't do cauliflower) for my lunch. It was absolutely amazing!! Oh My God! Happy Friday everyone!
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| The Dukkah...a new addition to my kitchen |
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| Cauliflower ready for the oven |
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| Loved the flavor the Dukkah added to the Cauliflower...OH MY GOD! |
This recipe participates with CooktheBookFridays. We are cooking through David Lebovitz' new cookbook, "My Paris Kitchen". We do not post the recipes unless they have been previously published. The Dukkah recipe was found here. and here.
If you don't have David's book, you might pick up a copy, and join us in the fun of CooktheBookFridays. We'd love to have you!
Egyptian Spiced Nut Mix (Dukkah)
From My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories
, by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2014)
Makes 1½ cups (150g)
½ cup (50g) hazelnuts
1/3 cup (50g) sesame seeds
¼ cup (35g) hulled pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 8 to 10
minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned and most of the skins are
loosened. Remove from the oven. When the nuts are cool enough to handle,
rub them briskly in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the skins as
possible. Put the nuts into a bowl.
3. Heat a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Start with the
sesame seeds, spreading them in an even layer in the pan and shaking or
stirring them frequently, until they crackle and become lightly browned.
Scrape them into the bowl with the hazelnuts. Then toast the pumpkin
seeds, then the coriander, the cumin, and finally the fennel seeds in
the same way, adding each to the bowl as it is done. Finally, toast the
peppercorns. Most will take less than a minute. Add the salt.
4. Grind the nuts, seeds, and spices, in a mortar and pestle, with a
spice grinder, or in the bowl of a mini food processor, working in
batches if necessary, until the mixture is well ground together, but not
too fine.
Dukkah will keep for about a month stored in an airtight jar
at room temperature.
Variations: Use toasted almonds, peanuts, or cashews in
place of the hazelnuts. Make a quick dip by stirring together ¾ cup
(75g) of dukkah with 6 tablespoons (90ml) of olive oil in a small bowl.
