adapted slightly from www.loveandlemons.com
this simple dish highlights the subtle delights of roasted cauliflower, while packing in plenty of protein and lots of veggies, plus it is low in fat and delicious! we served it over a bed of israeli couscous to round out the meal, but it would be great as a side or with any grain.
ingredients
for the cauliflower purée:
3 cups cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked & drained
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon, plus some zest
milk or water to thin
for the roasted chickpeas & cauliflower:
1.5 cup cauliflower, broken into small florets
1.5 cups chickpeas, cooked & drained
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
salt & pepper
a few pinches chopped rosemary
for plating:
a sprinkle of capers
an extra drizzle of olive oil
a few pinches of red pepper flakes
directions:
place a few inches of water in the bottom of a large pot, and fit a steaming basket into the pot. steam (with a tightly fitting lid covering the pot) three cups of cauliflower (for the puree) for about 15 minutes, or until tender. you can do this in a few batches if you have a small steamer. if you don't own a steamer, just boil the cauliflower in a large pot of salted water.
while cauliflower is cooking, start on the roasted cauliflower and the chickpeas. cover two baking sheets with silicone baking mats if you have them, or parchment paper. you'll use one for the chickpeas and one for the cauliflower. separately toss the chickpeas and cauliflower with a little olive oil (just enough to coat), one clove garlic with each, rosemary, salt & pepper. (you can even do this on the baking sheet to save on clean-up). roast both in a 400 degree oven until golden brown, about 25-35 minutes. you'll want to check them a few times, stirring and alternating which shelves they're on in the oven.
once your cauliflower is steamed, transfer it to a high speed blender (we use a vitamix which gets things super smooth, but you can use any blender or an immersion blender). add a just little milk or water, lemon juice, the garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. blend until smooth. next add the chickpeas and blend until smooth. starting with less solids will help your blender handle the load. you may also need to add a little more milk or water to thin. use your best judgement, and just add some more chickpeas if it gets too thin!
plate with a generous scoop of the purée topped with the roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, capers, a few small pinches of red pepper flakes, and another pinch of rosemary. and an extra squeeze of lemon if you want!