Cardamom and Tea

za’atar cauliflower

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This October has been all about za’atar, and today I’m finishing up the series with one of my favorite ways to cook cauliflower: roast it with some za’atar, garlic, olive oil, and a little cheese, and then top it with an herby tahini sauce, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Za’atar cauliflower is delicious on its own, and just a little more composed with all the fixins.

It’s so incredibly simple and delicious, and can be easily veganized by leaving out the little bit of cheese. But if you do include the cheese, don’t forget to scrape up those bits of frico stuck to the bottom of the pan. They’re culinary gold! Oh and if you want to make this keto, simply leave out the pomegranate arils. This dish is wonderful piping hot and right out of the oven. But it’s even better at room temperature, so it suits just about any occasion.

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za’atar cauliflower

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  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets (900g, from a 1100g head)
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (30g)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (60g)
  • 1/2 cup za’atar (50g)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated hard cheese, e.g. parmesan or cheddar (20g), optional
  • 1 tightly packed cup cilantro leaves (25g) (plus a few for garnish)
  • About 30 chives (10g)
  • 1/4 cup tahini (60g)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (45g)
  • 3 tablespoons water (45g)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (35g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Add the cauliflower and garlic to a large mixing bowl (or sheet pan), and toss together with the oil until it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle on the za’atar and salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon), and toss together again until evenly coated. Move to a sheet pan, spread into an even layer, and top with the cheese (if using).
  3. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is al dente and charred in a couple spots.
  4. While the cauliflower is roasting, add the the cilantro, chives, salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), tahini, lemon juice, and water, to a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Scrape down the sides, and run until pureed.
  5. Scrape up the cauliflower, transfer to a mixing bowl, garnish with the sauce, extra cilantro, and pomegranate seeds, and serve. It’s wonderful warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Make ahead: The cauliflower and garlic can be coated in the za’atar, salt, and oil ahead of time, and then roasted with the cheese closer to the last minute. Or you can roast everything ahead of time, refrigerate it, and rewarm the cauliflower in the oven closer to the last minute. The sauce can be made a couple days ahead of time and refrigerated until serving.

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fennel salad with za’atar dressing

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I wrote a bit about za’atar last week. And to really celebrate this fabulous ingredient, I’m sharing three of my favorite za’atar recipes this month. Today I’ve got a fennel salad with za’atar dressing. And you don’t want to sleep on this one!

This dressing is inspired by my favorite flatbread, manakish za’atar, which is baked with a serious slurry of za’atar and olive oil. As it turns out, if you season everything like you’re making manakish, you can’t really go wrong. (I mean, how can you go wrong with a salad inspired by really good bread?)

The dressing that goes with this fennel salad is hard to beat. It’s a little tangy, herby, and savory, and has something for everyone. It goes wonderfully with fennel, grapefruit, and pomegranate (especially in the fall). But you can totally drizzle it over your favorite salad anytime of the year.

This one’s vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, in-season, super healthy, and delicious, so it’s the perfect thing to serve at a dinner party where everyone’s competing dietary restrictions add up to one big question mark.

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fennel salad with za’atar dressing

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  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Oil for coating the sweet potato
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • a small 5.5oz/150g bag arugula
  • 1 bulb thinly sliced fennel (save the fronds for garnish, if you’d like)
  • 1 grapefruit, supremed
  • 3/4 cup pomegranate arils, from 1 small pomegranate
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F/245°C. Lightly coat the sweet potato in a little bit of oil (about 1 teaspoon), and season with a pinch of salt. Spread evenly on a sheet pan or skillet, and roast for about 15-20 minutes, until crispy and slightly charred on the outside and soft on the inside.
  2. While you’re waiting on the sweet potatoes, prep the dressing and toppings. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar, mustard, and salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), and set aside. Place the arugula and half the fennel in a large salad bowl. Toss together with about 3/4 of the dressing until evenly coated.
  3. Top with the rest of the fennel, grapefruit, pomegranate arils, pistachios, roasted sweet potatoes, and the rest of the dressing (garnish with fronds if you have them). Toss together right before serving.

Notes

To make ahead: Roast the sweet potatoes, and prep all the salad components. Store things in a few separate containers in the fridge: 1) the arugula, 2) the dressing, 3) the raw fruits/veggies, 4) the roasted sweet potatoes. The pistachios can stay at room temperature. Assemble everything at the last minute, and serve.

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