Roasted Cauliflower & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Salad
Ricetta in italiano in fondo
Whenever I'm looking for a lighter meal option, I'll usually roast a few different vegetables and toss them with baby spinach and/or arugula, some dried fruit, roasted seeds and nuts and dress them in the most basic Italian dressing or cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's a great way to enjoy salad in the cooler months. The roasted vegetables, nuts and seeds add warmth and substance to the cold leaves.
This particular salad is one of my favourite combinations, with a base of spice rubbed roasted cauliflower "couscous", balsamic roasted brussels sprouts that are caramelized to perfection, dried apricots to add a hint of sweetness, crispy roasted and spiced chickpeas and toasted almond flakes for some added crunch, all tossed with crisp arugula and topped with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic reduction and my vegan walnut parm. It's a meal in a bowl, warming and satisfying all without being heavy.
Nutrition 101
Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are two of my favourite vegetables, on one condition, they absolutely CAN NOT be mushy and must either have a crunch or be perfectly caramelized. So boiled or overly steamed are NO NO NO.
Both cauliflower and brussels sprouts are part of the family of cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, collards, mustard greens, turnips, horseradish, watercress and rutabaga. These twelve vegetables are known for their anti carcinogenic properties and their contributions to hearth health.
Both cauliflower and brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C (when eaten raw) and K, folate, B complex vitamins, and a good source of many other vitamins and minerals not to mention dietary fiber and protein. They both contain anti-inflammatory compounds, called indoles, which stimulate the body's detoxification system to neutralize carcinogens and prevent inflammation.
Roasted Cauliflower & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Salad
Servings:2-4 Time: 30-40 minutes Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredients
1/2 Head of Cauliflower, florets only (about 230 g)
5-6 Brussels Sprouts, quartered
1 Large handful of Arugula, end stems removed
1/4 C Sulfite Free Dried Apricot Pieces (about 6 dried apricots quartered)
2 Tbsp Shaved Almonds, dry roasted
1/3 C Cooked Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Herbs and spices, to taste (I used sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, paprika and turmeric for the cauliflower and Herbamare and sumac for the chickpeas)
Coconut oil for roasting chickpeas (optional, but even just 1 tsp makes them extra crispy)
1/2 Tbsp Sugar Free Balsamic Vinegar glaze for roasting Brussels sprouts (or use regular balsamic vinegar)
Cold Pressed Extra Virgin olive oil for serving (optional)
Sugar Free Balsamic Vinegar Glaze or Regular Balsamic Vinegar for serving
Walnut Parm for serving (see method)
Method
Preheat oven to 200 C and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
Chop the apricots into small pieces and set aside.
Wash and prep the arugula by removing any long stems beneath the leaves. Pat the leaves dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and set aside.
In the meantime, roast the vegetables, and chickpeas, and toast the almonds.
Chop the cauliflower into florets, run them through the food processor until they resemble rice or couscous. Do not over process or they will turn into mush.
Place cauliflower on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with fine sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, paprika, and turmeric. Spread out into a single layer and roast in the oven for 15-20 min until slightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
Wash, clean and quarter the Brussels sprouts. Place them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with balsamic glaze/cream. Roast in the oven until browned, slightly caramelized and outer leaves are crispy, about 20 minutes, being careful not to burn them. Remove from oven and set aside.
Rub chickpeas in melted coconut oil, sumac and Herbamare, place on a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast until crispy, about 25 minutes.Remove from oven and set aside.
Dry toast the almonds in a pan on the stove top.
Once all the ingredients are prepped and roasted, toss everything together in a large mixing bowl with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic cream and walnut parm to taste and serve.
To make the vegan walnut parm, combine 1/3 C walnuts, blanched almonds and pine nuts, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast and herbamare (to taste) in a small food processor or spice/coffee grinderand run on high speed until you have a fine crumble/seasoning.
Insalata di Cavolfiore e Cavoli di Bruxelles con balsamico
Porzioni:2-4 Tempo: 30-40 minuti Difficoltà: Media
Ingredienti
1/2 Testa di cavolfiore, solo cimette (circa 230 g)
5-6 cavoletti di Bruxelles
1 grande manciata di rucola, gambi rimossi
6 albicocche secche senza sulfite, tagliati a pezzettini
2 cucchiai di mandorle tritate, tostate a secco
1/3 tazza di Ceci precendentemente cotti, sciacquati, scolati e asciugati
Erbe e spezie, a piacere (ho usato sale marino, pepe nero macinato, paprika e curcuma per il cavolfiore e Herbamare e sumac per i ceci)
Olio di Cocco Deodorato per arrostire i ceci (essenziale per renderli croccanti)
1/2 cucchiaio di glassa di Aceto Balsamico senza zucchero e senza solfiti per arrostire i cavoletti di Bruxelles
Olio extra vergine di oliva, spremuto a freddo, glassa di aceto balsamico senza zucchero e finto parmiggiano di noci per servire
Metodo
Scaldare il forno a 200 C e preparare tre teglie da forno rivestite da carta forno
Tagliare le albicocche a pezzettini e metterli da parte.
Lavare e preparare la rucola, poi asciugare con un asciugamano da cucina pulito e mettere da parte.
Nel frattempo, arrostire le verdure e i ceci e tosta le mandorle.
Lavare e asciugare bene il cavolfiore poi mettere le cimette nel robot da cucina e frullare finchè non assomigliano al riso o al cous cous.
Mettere il cavolfiore su una teglia rivestita con carta da forno e condire con sale marino, pepe nero macinato, paprika e curcuma. Distribuire sulla teglia in un unico strato ed infornare per 15-20 minuti fino a quando non diventa leggermente dorato. Togliere dal forno e mettere da parte.
Lavare, pulire e tagliare i cavoletti di Bruxelles in quarti. Disporli in un unico strato su una teglia rivestita da carta da forno e cospargere con glassa balsamico. Infornare per circa 20 minute, finchè sono caramellata e le foglie esterne sono croccanti, facendo attenzione a non bruciarle. Togliere dal forno e mettere da parte.
Condire i ceci con olio di cocco liquido, sumac e Herbamare, disporre in un unico strato su una teglia rivestita da carta da forno e infornare per circa 25 minuti, finchè non sono croccanti. Togliere dal forno e mettere da parte.
Tostare le mandorle in una padella sul fornello, senza olio e mettere da parte.
Dopo aver preparato tutti gli ingredienti, mescolare il tutto in una grande ciotola con olio extravergine di oliva, glassa balsamico e parmiggiano vegano di noci e servire.
Per ottenere il finto parmiggiano di noci, unire un 1/3 cup di noci, mandorle e pinoli, 2 cucchiai di lievito alimentare e Herbamare or sale marino (a piacere) in un piccolo robot da cucina o macinacaffè e frullare ad alta velocità fino ad ottenere una farina.
