Roasted Cauliflower and Figs

Looking for a new Easter side dish to serve your family? I'll have to admit, I really enjoy cauliflower, prepared in any manner..and paired with fresh figs..oh my, just simply delicious!
I have made this dish several times, typically using dates and it is really so good and healthy too!. But after making some fig jam this week I had some figs left over that needed to be used up, and one lone Meyer lemon so I thought, why not? And guess what..it was fantastic! Give it a try, you will love it. I served it along with sliced grilled chicken breast with a drizzle of hollandaise and a tossed salad.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon & Figs


1 head cauliflower
5-6 fresh figs
2 garlic cloves, smashed & minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBLS fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, plus more for serving
pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp dried summer savory

1 lemon, sliced--I used a Meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the outer leaves and thick stem from cauliflower. Divide the head and then quarter it. Then, with each quarter cut the cauliflower into smaller 1/4 inch slices/pieces. Rinse the figs and remove the stem and cut into bite sized pieces.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper and mix well. Add to this the sliced cauliflower, figs and lemon slices--tossing all to coat it. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet or large oven proof casserole in a shallow layer and sprinkle on the savory.



Roast at 400 degrees until the cauliflower is lightly browned and just tender--about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to serving dish and because I love pepper I always grind a bit more pepper over before serving. Enjoy!

Roasted cauliflower with Orzo

This started as a clean-out-the-fridge meal that turned into something amazing. Sometimes, happy accidents occur in the kitchen and this is one of them. The funny part is, I had to go out and re-buy the ingredients I was trying to use up in the first place in order to make this again for this post. But that's okay, as I'm a big fan of cauliflower prepared any way.

I loved all the components of this dish--the roasted cauliflower with red peppers, the almost creamy multicolored orzo and the astringency of the balsamic vinegar. Paired with roast chicken, it made an excellent side dish.

Roasted Cauliflower with Orzo

3 cups cauliflower florets
1 red pepper, sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil,
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried summer savory
1/4 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup orzo
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup frozen peas,thawed
2 TBLS grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tsps white balsamic vinegar

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, and sliced red peppers with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, stirring the vegetables a couple of times as they roast.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to the package directions, but sub in the chicken or vegetable stock for the water. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the thawed peas. Drain and return to the pot over low heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.



Pour the orzo onto a plate and spoon the cauliflower mixture over it. Drizzle with the balsamic and serve immediately. Enjoy!