CAULIFLOWER SIDE SALAD

When you fetch your daughter from school and you ask how was your day and she replies boring. But then tells you she would have the boring day all over again just so she could eat her lunch again. Yes this is a true story, I promise. One that made me a proud mom and home cook. This dish was in her lunch box on the day in question.



Im not a fan of people who call vegetable dishes and salad but seeing as though this is cold as has a dressing of sorts with lemon, honey and vinegar - its kind of like a salad.

Let me tell you a little about this dish and why I love it:

A great main dish
Or side dish.
Easily be used for meal prep
Lasts well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days (maybe longer)
Great flavor
Nice as a no grain alternative
Vegetarian and can be vegan if you sub honey for maple syrup
Plant based deliciousness
Pairs nicely with other salads or meat
Make a big batch - trust me
Mix and match seeds and herbs to your liking
Also don't be afraid to add a little fruit in at the end

INGREDIENTS
4 medium carrots
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Honey (or maple syrup)
a pinch of Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper (optional)
--
2 medium - large cauliflowers (diced)
4 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 - 2 heaped teaspoons Fennel Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Flakes
a light sprinkling Dried Oregano (optional)
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup of Water
--
2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
2 lemons - juice from both
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 large cup of green herbs finely chopped (I used basil, celery leaves and parsley)
1 Spring Onion (Scallion) finely sliced
1 cup of toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup Hemp seeds (optional)
salt

SERVING & TOPPING: slow cooked onions and fresh green lettuce leaves

METHOD
Turn on your oven to 190 degrees celsius to preheat while you are prepping your cauliflower.
Have an oven dish for each cauliflower. Wash your cauliflowers and finely cut/chop then into small pieces. If you have a food processor you can chop it into tiny rice size pieces (I personally just used a knife).
Place the cut up cauliflower into the oven dishes along with coconut oil, season with salt, pepper, oregano, fennel powder and onion flakes.
Roast on the center rack of the oven.
Start on the carrots, wash and dice the carrots into small square cubes.
Place the carrots in a small pan with a glug of olive oil, a tiny pinch of salt, pepper to taste preference. Place on medium heat and stir occasionally until they start to change color and soften slightly. Add honey and cayenne pepper and watch that they don't burn.
Once the carrots have browned/caramelized take off the heat and cover for later use.
Check on the cauliflower after 20 minutes, stir through so the cauliflower is coated in the coconut oil and all the spices and herbs.
Continue to roast until nicely browned all over (stir every now and then and add a bit water if you feel its getting to dry).
When the cauliflower is ready take it out of the oven and leave to cool.
In a small pan toast the sun flower seeds until light brown and giving off a fragrance. Season them with salt.
In a large bowl place your cauliflower, carrots, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds. finely chopped green herbs, finely sliced spring onion, squeeze of the two lemons, vinegar and add the honey.
Stir everything together.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper and adjust favor with honey or lemon until you reach the right tartness or sweetness (as you prefer).

Serve in bowls

OPTIONAL EXTRAS I LOVE: top with slow cooked caramelized onions
- add some finely chopped up lettuce on the side for some salad crunch.
- add some finely diced fresh fruit like pineapple, apple or fresh berries stirred through
- add some raisins or dried apricots in place of fresh fruit

Enjoy