Honestly, this doesn’t need a fancy intro. You like cauliflower, I like cauliflower. We’re all screaming for… CAULIFLOWER. But! This ain’t no any old cauliflower rice or cauliflower wings. This is a Whole Roasted Cauli baby (yes I refer to my vegetables as babies. Back off), with a pretty unique marinade. And I recommend starting this recipe overnight so you get the most flavor seeped into your cauli baby. For my marinade, I actually used blended onion!

Why you ask? The onion adds a great creamy texture, sweetness, and makes for a lovely crust once baked! Plus, I know y’all have a ton of onions on hand with your grocery hoarding, so this a creative way to use em up! The flavor profile on this is a bit Indian slash Middle Eastern – there are no rules in cooking, especially during quarantine. So go at it and make this Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric, Fennel Seeds, and Dates!

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 small head of cauliflower – if you have a large one, just double your marinade measurements!
• Trim the leaves and the hard core out, but making sure the head is still all intact

Marinade:

• 3 cloves of garlic – peeled
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger – peeled
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 Indian green chilies or Serrano chili
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 large yellow onion – peeled and diced
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable, canola or olive oil

Scallion Tahini Sauce:

• 1/2 cup tahini
• ~1/4 cup water
• 3-4 tbsp chopped scallions
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt
• black pepper

Assembly ingredients:

• pita bread
• 6-7 dates – soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
• 1 full head of scallions – diced
• handful of fresh coriander – chopped
• butter lettuce
• 1/2 grape tomatoes – sliced in half

THE NIGHT BEFORE:

1. Ensure your cauliflower is trimmed of all the leave, hard core taken out while still keeping the head intact, washed and dried.

2. Blend all of the ingredients together for the marinade. It should be creamy, very fragrant of fennel seed and onion. Taste it. It should be slightly salty, spicy and earthy.

3. Place the cauliflower in a bowl that is slightly bigger than the whole head. Pour the marinade all on the top and flip the cauli over and pour the marinade inside the cauli, making sure to really rub it into all the crevices. You want that marinade to seep in and flavor the entire head. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and then foil and place in the fridge overnight.

NEXT DAY:

4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper then spray. Place your cauliflower on top carefully and spray the fully head. Drizzle some more oil on top if you’d like. This prevents the cauliflower from getting dry in the oven. I also sprinkle on a little water to help cook the cauli. Place in the oven uncovered and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. I like my cauli cooked through and to be fork tender. For the last 5 minutes, switch your oven to broil. This will allow the top to get a nice golden brown color and crispy up. Remove and let cool before handling immediately.

5. While the cauli is baking, prepare your sauce. Blend everything together until smooth, creamy, and a hint of green color. Taste your sauce – it should have a bright and fresh scallion flavor and make sure it’s salted well.

6. Toast your pitas over an open flame – I did mine directly on my gas stove on low flame flipping a few times until charred. Remove and drizzle a little olive oil on it. Stack until ready to serve.

7. Chop your dates and toss with your scallions and coriander. Set aside.

8. Spread your sauce generously on a large serving plate. Place your hot cauliflower head on top. Garnish with chopped date, scallion and coriander mix.

9. To eat, take pita, layer on lettuce, cut wedges of the cauliflower and place on top. Top with tomatoes, more dates if you’d like and drizzle with more sauce.

Enjoy!