Sicilian Cauliflower Salad

Happy New Year! With a new baby in the household, we didn’t stay up for the bells last night. However we were beautifully rewarded with plenty of energy this morning, as we awoke to perfect blue skies and winter sunshine.

I don’t feel like I sinned very much over the festive period, hardly a drop to drink, and only a few Christmas treats passed my lips. I just don’t have the time to pig out with a new baby! I didn’t even manage to do any holiday baking, like I usually do – such as this yummy Christmas Spiced Beer Cake. But I did succeed in hosting Christmas dinner for 9 (crazy crazy with a new baba!)…but my new 8 ring cooker came in very handy! Bring on industrial sized cooking equipment, yeah!

But, never the less, I thought I’d share a delicious and healthy vegan recipe for Sicilian Cauliflower Salad, which is easy to make, after you’ve just had enough of cooking…

Salads aren’t just for summer, you can get very creative experimenting with your winter veg too. This warm fragrant salad of cauliflower takes its inspiration from Sicily, and is lovely served for lunch or as a side dish.

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Serves 4

Preptime: 15 minutes
cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

1 medium cauliflower
1 tin chickpeas, drained 
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting and frying
25g/1oz golden raisins
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
30g/1oz flaked almonds
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, juice of or 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

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Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Remove all the leaves from the cauliflower and cut out some of the core (this will cut down on the cooking time)

Put into a small roasting-tin and brush the cauliflower with a little olive oil. Add just enough water to surround the very base of the cauliflower. Roast for 1 hour – 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, cover the raisins with boiling water in a small bowl. Leave to soak until the cauliflower is roasted. Then drain, and add to a bowl together with the capers, parsley, lemon juice or balsamic and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well.

Cook the onions and chickpeas in a little oil over a medium heat until golden, then add the garlic and paprika and cook for two minutes over a gentle heat.

When the cauliflower is cooked, remove from the oven and gently break it into florets, add it to the bowl with the oil and raisins, mix well to coat.

Transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish, and layer on the onion mixture and top with almonds.