Hello, readers! A new post has been long
overdue. Vacation's over, the work rhythm has been found again, and it's time
to say hello to some creative inspiration. So let's go back to talking food.
And the topic du jour is.......cauliflower!!!
That wasn't very exciting, was it? Yeah,
cauliflower doesn't exactly make most people jump up and down with joy, but I'm
going to make it fun. Cauliflower can be bland and a tad overwhelming (natural
flavor wise), so infusing it with other flavors is key. I think roasting and
spicing are two processes that can really elevate recipes involving
cauliflower. I used both to create what I'd like to call a fusion recipe that
combines pasta with cauliflower and a fragrant spice blend. I am not a fan of
mayonnaise for the most part, and rely on lemon juice, vinegar and oil to dress
salads. But this time around I decided to use mayo (the low fat kind) and
realized that it makes the whole cauliflower-spice combination even better. Ok
enough chatting…..let’s get to the food.
By the way, I split the recipe up into three
sections. That way if you only want cauliflower roasting tips (because nowhere
else will you find how to do it...haha) or a salad dressing, you're good to go.
Curried Cauliflower and Pasta Salad
Step 1: Roasting Cauliflower
1 large head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
Chop the cauliflower into small to medium sized
florets. You want to avoid very small florets, since they shrink when roasting.
Mix the florets with oil and salt. Spread them
evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes…a little more or less
depending on your oven.
Step 2: Curried Mayonnaise Dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise (whatever kind you like…I used
light mayo)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
a small pinch each of turmeric, ground cumin and
ground coriander (small pinch….literally)
2 pods of green cardamom
2 cloves
a little mace (optional….can use a pinch of
nutmeg instead)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Note: It is totally ok to use garam masala or curry powder instead
of this spice mix. It will taste a little different, but still good. Try to
keep cardamom in though.
Grind the cardamom, cloves and mace together.
Add all the spices to the mayonnaise and mix well. Season with salt if
required.
Step 3: Assembling the salad
½ cup pasta (I used a mix of macaroni and thin
spaghetti)
1 tomato, chopped
2/3 cup roasted cauliflower
10 black olives, pitted and halved
¼ cup green peas, boiled
Canned artichoke hearts (optional), chopped
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Combine the cooked pasta and vegetables, pour the dressing and mix well. Ready
to serve.
Notes:
1. The mere mention of curry powder is enough to
send me off an a rant, but hey it's all about convenience. Besides, this is not
Indian food, so curry powder is legit. Some curry powders are better than
others. Try Trader Joe's if you live in the United States.
2. Play around with the other vegetables in the
salad. Use carrots and bell peppers or simply stick to cauliflower and peas
3. It's a salad so ingredient quantities are to
be played with until you find what works best.
