Sweet & Sour Cauliflower

Sweet & Sour Cauliflower
600g cauliflower, chopped into florets

4 tbsp (60g) flour

6 tbsp (90ml) water

Sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp white vinegar

2 tbsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

1) Preheat oven to 220C / 430F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine together flour and water until a smooth batter forms. Add cauliflower florets and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the cauliflower onto the baking tray, making sure they don't touch each other. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cauliflower is softened and slightly browned.

3) While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sauce: in a small saucepan, combine together soy sauce, ketchup, honey and white vinegar. 

4) In a small bowl, combine together water and cornstarch. Stir with a spoon until there are no lumps. Add this to the saucepan.

5) Turn on the heat and cook the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. You do not need to bring it to boil. Cook just for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened (thick enough to cover the cauliflower). Remove from heat.

6) Once the cauliflower is cooked through, transfer it to a bowl and add the sauce. Toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Recipe by collecting memories 

Oven Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas

Garlicky Oven Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas 

2 artichokes
170g (6 ounces) cooked chickpeas 
200g (7 ounces) cooked cauliflower, chopped into chunks
~50g arugula, washed and drained
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
White vinegar or lemon juice, to soak artichokes

Seasoning for the artichokes and onions:
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt

Seasoning for the chickpeas and cauliflower:
1 tsp dried garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili paprika
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

1) First, prepare the artichokes. Fill a medium pot with water and add a generous splash of vinegar (or lemon juice). Wash the artichokes, cut of the ends of the stems (the stem is edible so you should cut off just the end of it), remove hard leaves close to the stems and trim the tops of the leaves with your kitchen scissors. Cut about 2 cm / 1 inch from the top of the artichokes, Cut artichokes in half and place in the water with vinegar. Try to prepare them quickly because they tend to brown very fast. If they start browning  too fast, you can dip them in water/vinegar mixture for a second and continue preparing them.

2) Bring a medium pot to boil. Add some salt and a splash of vinegar to it. Once it boils, add artichokes and cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. Remove from water and let cool a little. Once cool enough so you can touch them, cut the halves of the artichokes in half so you have 8 pieces in total. Set aside.

3) Preheat the oven to 225C / 435F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

4) In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, basil and salt. Dip each artichoke quarter into this mixture and try to coat all the sides. Place them on the baking tray and top with remaining minced garlic/basil/oregano mixture (it won't stick to the artichokes so you will have to arrange them on top of them). Dip the onions in this mixture and place on the baking tray.

5) Add chickpeas and cauliflower into a medium bowl and add a teaspoon of olive oil. Shake to coat them. Add garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, chili paprika and salt. Mix until coated evenly. Place chickpeas and cauliflower on the baking tray. Try to spread them in one layer so they roast evenly.

6) Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve with arugula leaves tossed with some lemon juice.  

Serves 2.

Recipe by collecting memories

Chickpea & Vegetable Skillet

A hearty, filling and healthy vegetable skillet is what I call a perfect dinner. This recipe is completely from scratch. You can use any veggies you have in your fridge, but this combination of carrots, zucchini and cauliflower is my favourite. The addition of chickpeas and spices makes it a perfect meal for a cold fall evening. And this makes quite a lot, definitely enough for three people. Or.. two?

Chickpea & Vegetable Skillet

2 tbsp oil
2 small onions (170g), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 chili pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 carrot (120g), sliced
325g cauliflower, chopped into small florets
250g zucchini
190g leftover boiled potatoes, chopped
70g chickpeas, cooked
2 tomatoes (200g), chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1) Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions and cook, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and all the seasonings, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, covered, for a few minutes. Add more oil, if needed.

2) Add zucchini and cook for 5 more minutes. Finally, add cauliflower and cook for another 2 minutes. 

3) When all the veggies are cooked, add potatoes, chickpeas and tomatoes. Stir-fry until tomatoes release liquid, just a few minutes. Garnish with some fresh parsley.

Recipe by collecting memories