Harissa Roasted Cauliflower with Dates & Pine Nuts

Harissa Cauliflower with Dates & Pine Nuts

This recipe is from the Foraged Dish archives. It’s a favorite this time of year, and the photos were old (and embarrassing! 😛). I made it for dinner recently and took the opportunity to reshoot, and write simpler directions. Recipe is the same!

Cauliflower: under-the-radar fall veggie (squash gets all the glory this time of year), but versatile, well-loved, and absolutely delicious. In this dish, the cauliflower gets tossed in harissa for a touch of heat, and then mixes with rich dates and pine nuts. Lemon zest and parsley brings brightness. A great side dish for a fall dinner party.

Harissa Cauliflower with Dates & Pine Nuts
Harissa Cauliflower with Dates & Pine Nuts

Harissa Roasted Cauliflower with Dates & Pine Nuts

Published August 23, 2016 by

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 active minutes



Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons Harissa paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup dates, pitted
  • Small handful parsley, flat leaf
  • Zest 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary

  • Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk Harissa paste with olive oil. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Place florets in bowl, and toss in Harissa mixture. Spread out on sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until crisp on edges and tender. Set aside.
    2. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat until golden. Watch them closely to avoid burning.
    3. Roughly chop dates, and mince parsley and rosemary.
    4. When cauliflower is ready, transfer it to a serving bowl. Add additional salt or pepper to taste. Zest half a lemon over the cauliflower.
    5. Sprinkle dates, pine nuts, parsley, and rosemary over cauliflower and serve.

    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts

    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts

    Low-effort and no-cook are ideal characteristics of a late summer, weeknight meal. Grilling is great, but sometimes you need something even easier—not to mention fresher—to put on the table. This white bean salad has been one of my favorite 15-minute dinners this summer, eaten straight, tossed with a bit of arugula, or best of all, with slices of sourdough that have been fried in butter and garlic. It’s satisfying (beans and feta cheese!) but also delivers some produce (tomatoes, cucumber, parsley). Some might call this an appetizer, but for me it’s just right as a light meal. Happy August!

    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts
    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts

    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts

    Published July 30, 2019 by

    Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 15 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 1 14-ounce can navy beans
  • 1/2 cup diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 red onion, minced
  • 1/2 cup feta crumbles
  • 2 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste (optional)

  • For the toasts:
  • 4-5 slices bread of choice (such as sourdough)
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic

  • Directions:

    1. Strain and rinse navy beans. Place in a medium-sized bowl.
    2. Add diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta, and parsley. Gently stir until ingredients are well distributed. Drizzle with olive oil.
    3. Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste, then season with salt to taste (Note: the feta will also add salt to this dish, so really taste it as you add salt. I find I only need to add a little bit. If your beans were already salty, you may not need salt at all).
    4. Bean salad can be made several hours ahead of time. Cover and place in fridge until ready to eat.
    5. When ready to serve, prepare the garlic toasts: mince garlic. Add garlic, along with 1/2 tablespoon of butter to a skillet and warm over medium heat. Swirl butter in pan to cover the bottom.
    6. When pan is hot, place several pieces of bread in skillet in a single layer. (My 10-inch skillet only fit 3-4 pieces at a time, depending on size. Work in batches.) Toast on the first side for 3-4 minutes. Then, use tongs to flip bread to second side. Add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of butter if pan gets dry. Toast for 3-4 minutes on second side, then remove from pan. Repeat until all slices are toasted.
    7. Serve: top each toast with bean salad and set on serving plates.

    White Bean Salad with Fried Garlic Toasts
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    Grilled Carrots with Feta Yogurt Sauce

    Grilled Carrots with Feta Yogurt Sauce

    Last year, its was the front yard; this year, it’s the back.

    Our backyard. AKA Bind Weed Jungle. The Sloping Hill. The place I wish we spent time but we don’t really—unless we’re using the grill. This year, we’re setting out to change that, by dealing with that slope and the weeds covering it (seriously, they were hip-high last year). We’re adding a large retaining wall, planting native flowers, and maybe—if somehow we gain three extra weeks to our summer—adding space to actually “hang out.” Until that’s done though, the yard is still what it has been since we moved in: the grill spot.

    But who said grilling has to be burgers, hotdogs, and chicken? I’ve been all about charred veggies lately, (carrots, but also cauliflower, and doesn’t this salad from Heart Beet Kitchen look killer?). Combining those hot grilled veggies with other textures and flavors to complete the picture is where it’s at (sauce, fresh herbs, crunchy nuts, etc). Try something new! Grill carrots. I dare you!

    Grilled Carrots with Feta Yogurt Sauce
    Grilled Carrots with Feta Yogurt Sauce

    Grilled Carrots with Feta Yogurt Sauce

    Published July 10, 2019 by

    Serves: 2   |    Active Time: 30 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 8-10 carrots, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 2 tablespoons minced parsley
  • Sprinkle of ground sumac
  • Optional: sprinkle of red chili flakes or Aleppo pepper flakes 

  • Directions:

    1. Light grill and set to medium flame. Close lid to allow grill to heat.
    2. Meanwhile, prep carrots: if carrots are thick, cut in half the long way. They should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Peel, and place carrots in bowl, and drizzle with oil and honey.
    3. Mince garlic, and remove thyme leaves from stems. Add garlic, thyme leaves, and a sprinkle of black pepper to carrots and toss to combine. Place carrots in a grill basket or directly on the grill (just be careful to keep them from falling through the cracks!), and close grill lid. Grill for a total of 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Carrots are done when they are softened through and are charred in spots. (Note: if carrots are charring too quickly, your grill may be too hot; turn down the flame).
    4. Meanwhile, make the sauce: combine feta, yogurt, lemon juice, chives, and oregano in a small bowl and stir.
    5. Assemble: Spread feta sauce in a generous layer on a plate. Arrange carrots over top. Sprinkle with almonds, raisins, parsley, sumac, and chili flakes. Serve warm.