Roasting cauliflower is the easiest way to turn it into a super tasty treat. I love how the pale colour of cauli makes it . When in fact it packs a nutritional punch just as weighty as broccoli and its other brassica cousins. I’ve used oregano in the picture because I was out of parsley and the oregano in my garden needs eating up.

enough for: 2
takes: 50 minutes
1 head cauliflower
2 chorizo, sliced into chunks
1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar
1 bunch flat leaf parsley or oregano, leaves picked
1 handful roasted almonds or other nuts

1. Preheat your oven to 250C (475F).

2. Chop cauli into bite sized little ‘trees’. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and a splash of water. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes.

3. Remove foil and scatter chorizo over the cauli. Season with salt. Return to the oven uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice until the chorizo is cooked and the cauli is soft in the middle and browned.

4. Combine vinegar with 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Season.

5. When the cauli is cooked, toss the dressing in. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

6. Divide between 2 plates and serve with herbs and nuts on top.

Variations

vegetarian – skip the chorizo. Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the dressing. Serve cauli, herbs and nuts with a poached or fried egg or a dollop of cooling ricotta. Another option is to use sun dried tomatoes instead of chorizo (just stir in at the end) + extra nuts.

vegan – replace chorizo with a drained can of chickpeas. Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the dressing.

short on time – cook the cauli and chorizo on a medium high heat the stove top, stirring frequently or increase oven temp to 250C / 480F).

more substantial – carb lovers – add cooked pasta or serve with pita bread, steamed brown rice, roast sweet potato, potato, hummus or cooked quinoa. Tossing in chunks of sourdough at the end so it soaks up the chorizo oil can also be really lovely.

more substantial – low carb – serve with a big dollop of mayo, smashed avocado or some protein – cooked chicken or more nuts or chorizo.

nut-free – replace the nuts with extra chorizo. Or serve with toasted breadcrumbs instead.

different meat – any sausage can be used here. Or try finely sliced strips of chicken thigh.

carnivore – use extra chorizo.

more veg – serve with a green salad.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

cauliflower – cauli will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.

chorizo – freeze it.

sherry or wine vinegar / almonds – keep in the pantry.

flat leaf parsley– tends to be the most long lasting of the leafy herbs. Should keep for a few weeks in the fridge if wrapped in a plastic bag. For longer periods pop it in the freezer – it will wilt but will still be useable in this dish.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the herbs and nuts separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen.