I’m pretty organised with food shopping and meal planning, but even so, there are regular occasions when I just need to get something to eat on the table in minutes.
Leftovers are a lifesaver at such times, or a quick pasta like linguine with sardine pesto or pasta cacio e pepe. Eggs are good — scrambled, fried, or in an omelette or frittata.
And there’s usually a tub of salad that can be combined with some toasted pitta, hummus, olives and chopped vegetables for what we call a “lunchy dinner”. While it’s often kisir or tabbouleh, this roasted cauliflower couscous salad has recently joined the rotation.
Roasted cauliflower softens without going mushy, and has a deep, almost nutty taste. I find that the textures of the cauliflower and couscous really complement one another.
Roasted cauliflower couscous salad
(serves 4)
- 1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup (250ml) couscous
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) boiling water
- 1 bunch mint, leaves only, chopped fine
- 1 bunch parsley, leaves and finer stalks only, chopped fine
- juice of a lemon
- salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 450°F (225°C). Spread the cauliflower florets in a large roasting tin. Toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast the cauliflower for about 20 minutes, until the florets are soft and caramelized on the edges.
- Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and cover with a plate or clingfilm. Leave it to swell for twenty minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Add the roast cauliflower, chopped herbs and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Ten More Bites 
I have never tried cauli roasted – it sounds really delicious – definitely going to give this a try
It’s a different vegetable when roasted – no bad thing in the girls’ opinion 🙂