Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Improvising in the kitchen is not a new thing when you have most of the ingredients except the two you forgot. Sometimes it is best to just go ahead and make it anyway. I mixed my own harissa powder... well something that resembled it anyways and as for the Italian parsley, that remained at the grocery shop. I did have some kale on hand however I served the salad as is and with the added sprinkle of Nigella seeds. Which my son found ironic but very fitting because it is a Nigella Lawson recipe. This dish or salad is quite flavourful and was the perfect side to our vegetarian wraps. There are leftovers to which we will enjoy with some fresh kale.    

Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

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1 small head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons regular olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, home-cooked or drained from a jar or tin

1-2 tablespoons harissa, to taste depending on the heat of the harissa

4 smallish ripe vine tomatoes, approximately 6 ounces in total

1 teaspoons se salt flakes, or kosher salt, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

2 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves

*harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste. Some ingredients may include a blend of rose petals, red peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander and caraway. 

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Trim the cauliflower and divide into small florets. Pour the oil into a large bowl, add the cinnamon and cumin seeds, and stir or whisk the spices together. Add the prepared cauliflower and toss to coat. Pour the contents of the bowl into a small oven proof pan or dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Do not wash out the bowl you've been using; as you will need it for the next step of the recipe.

Add the chickpeas to the already used large bowl and add the harissa, tasting it first to see if you want both tablespoonfuls. Again, toss to coat. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the bowl and stir to mix. When the cauliflower has had it's 15 minutes, remove the pan, quickly tip the chickpeas and tomatoes over the cauliflower, and toss to combine before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. 

When it is ready, remove from the oven and sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, then toss to combine with half of the pomegranate seeds. Divide the parsley leaves, without chopping them, toss to mix and scatter with the remaining pomegranate seeds.

To find this recipe and more Simply Nigella recipes visit Nigella Lawson by clicking *here* 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD