Oven-Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Nuts, Herbs and Caramelized Onions
Wow! I just finished the most amazing dinner and couldn't wait to share how I made it. It was a spinoff of some of the things I have already tried before. But this combination was wholesome and filling. And as it should always be- tasty!
Guess these days I have been on a Mediterranean food streak. And look at what I found while reading about Mediterranean food on Wikipedia: "...there really is no such thing as "Mediterranean cuisine." At the same time, we seem to know what we mean when we use the expression..."! So true! That's why it often makes me wonder how to experiment with it, because I am no longer sure whether what I ended up making even belonged to this so-called cuisine. Maybe some of you experts can tell me...
Serves- 1
Cooking time: 40 minutes
You'll need:
- Cauliflower and broccoli florets- 1½ cup
- Red and green bell peppers- ½ of each (optional)
- Cilantro- 10-12 twigs
- Mint- 6-8 twigs
- Basil- 5-7 leaves
- Parsley- 4-5 twigs
- Red onion- 1 small
- Garlic- 3-4 small cloves
- Rasins, cashews and almonds- a handful
- Salt, black pepper powder, red chilli flakes, cumin seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil and put cauliflower and broccoli florets in it.
- Cut almonds, cashews and raisins into halves or thirds and add them to the baking dish.
- Separate the stems from the twigs of cilantro, mint, basil and parsley, but do not separate the leaves. Add to the baking dish.
- In a small container, add salt, black pepper powder, red chilli flakes and 1tsp cumin seeds to 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
- Finely chop or grate the garlic and add to the container. Mix well and add to the baking dish, mixing with the veggies well, making sure they are well coated with oil.
- Put in the oven and let them roast, turning occasionally.
- The herbs and nuts should be done before the cauliflower and broccoli, say in 5-7 minutes. Take them out in a plate.
- Separately, chop the onion and peppers into long medium sized slices.
- Heat a skillet to medium-low heat and put the onions and peppers on it.
- Add 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and toss.
- Cook until the onions are brown at the edges, tossing frequently.
- When the cauliflower and broccoli are well roasted (they start to brown but do not blacken in like 20 minutes), take them out and mix them with well the herbs, nuts and caramelized onions and peppers.
- Serve hot.
