Cauliflower Couscous with Dried Fruit and Almonds

Photo for Epicurious by Chelsea Kyle.

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JP tells me this week's bag from Glade Road Growing should include cauliflower.   While I like my cauliflower in florets or steaks, you can also use it in "rice" form as a low-carb and gluten-free substitute for semolina (a coarse grind of high-protein durum wheat) in couscous.

Apparently, Trader Joe's has found its "cauli-rice" so popular that it instituted rationing this summer, as reported by Well and Good.  While folks have never been able to nab a location of that popular chain for Blacksburg (or even Roanoke), it's easy to make your own "cauli-rice," using a grater (or food processor). 

For other ways to serve cauliflower, check out my recipes for Beet, Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad and Aloo Ghobi Chana Masala (Curry with Potatoes, Cauliflower and Chickpeas).

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Ingredients:

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into quarters.
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup golden or conventional raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced dried apricots (I prefer California apricots which are tarter)
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
1/2 parsley, cilantro, basil or a combination chopped

Directions:

1. 1.  Toast almonds in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
   
   2.  Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate cauliflower into a large bowl until rice-like in texture.  If you prefer to use a food processor, fitted with a blade, you can coarsely chop the cauliflower and pulse, working in batches as needed.  This will make about 4 cups.
2. 3.  Thin miso with water and whisk together with honey in a small bowl.
3. 4.  In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add cauliflower and stir to coat. Season with pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until cauliflower is softened, 3–5 minutes. Add honey-miso mixture, raisins or cranberries and apricots; stir to combine. Cover and continue to cook until just tender, 3–5 minutes more.
4. 5.  Transfer cauliflower mixture to a serving platter and stir in half of almonds. Top with remaining almonds and chopped apples and herbs before serving.

Fennel-Apple-Winter Squash Tart

Photo by McKel Hill for her blog Nutrition Stripped



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This week's farm share is slated to include fennel and I thought I'd do a recipe for a tart to celebrate.  With it being apple and winter squash season, why not combine all three? My recipe uses delicata squash and an onion, while butternut squash is pictured.  You could even use sweet potatoes instead.


This tart features a gluten and soy free vegan crust. If you'd prefer a conventional butter crust, see my recipe here.  I also have a recipe for a crust that includes corn meal and cheese here.  You can make the rice and the quinoa flours called for in this recipe by chilling the grains and then running them through a blender.

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Serves 6 - 8

Crust:

½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup quinoa flour
¼ cup cornstarch
8 tablespoons coconut oil, chilled
6 tablespoons ice water
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Filling:

1 delicata squash, unpeeled and halved, (or 1 half large butternut, peeled and quartered), seeds and strings removed and then sliced thin. 
1 large Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored and sliced thin
1 fennel bulb, end trimmed, sliced thinly (reserve the greens and stems for another purpose)
1 large onion, peeled, end trimmed, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves chopped
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, whole leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  To make the crust, combine all the rice and quinoa flours and corn starch in a large mixing bowl.  Start making small balls or chunks of the chilled coconut oil that you'll be working this into the flour and gradually adding in the ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. At this point, the dough will look very crumbly. Work your hands into the dough bringing it together- use a pastry scraper to help get the dough off the the sides of the bowl. Spread the dough out in a well-greased cast iron skillet, making sure that the dough comes all the way up to the top of the sides so that you will have the option to fold it over..  Chill for 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator.  If you don't have a large skillet, you can roll the dough out on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet instead.

3.  To make the filling,  combine in the sliced squash, apples, onions and fennel in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and seasoning and gently toss.  Arrange in layers until the entire crust is full. When the crust is warm enough to work, gently fold the edges on top of the sliced filling. Drizzle entire tart with additional olive oil and sea salt.

4.  Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F or until crust is golden brown.

5.  If you'd like you can serve each slice with a dollop of  Greek yogurt, a crumble of goat or feta cheese, soy sour cream or McKel Hill suggests cashew spread ( I prefer Molly Patrick's recipe because it avoids the brewer's yeast, but you may want to spice it up with fresh garlic and Dijon mustard.)  In addition, or instead, you can also used a few of the fennel fronds torn apart for a garnish.