Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame
Spiced and Roasted Cauliflower is delicious all by itself, but drizzle on a creamy tahini sauce, sprinkle on some sesame seeds and it turns into one heck of an addicting, keto-friendly, side dish.
So, I am a bit curious and would love for you to humour me by thinking about the following… are you able to watch a TV show and remember every word and detail afterwards? Or, do you watch it and manage to forget it promptly?
I fall into that latter category. No matter how engrossed I might be in a show, by the end of that week, I don’t remember anything about it. So, I can rewatch that TV show with family and friends over and over again as if it was for the first time.
I think it’s a gift.
My daughter, on the other hand, thinks it’s yet another sign of me getting old!
**le sigh**
Well, not too long ago, my friend Dawn, talked about Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown on her blog, which got me thinking about it’s earlier episodes.
Aaaaand, I was drawing a total blank!
I couldn’t remember any of those earlier seasons of Parts Unknown. I couldn’t remember the extraordinary diversity of cultures and cuisines Bourdain managed to capture and share with me while I was on my couch or puttering around my kitchen. So, I decided to start rewatching Parts Unknown from season 1. And, I was in Tokyo, on season 2, episode 7, when the news of his early demise broke.
So, in honor of this connoisseur of culture and cuisine, I am sharing this Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame dish that has been very slightly adapted from his cookbook, “Appetites.”
Simply roasted cauliflower, with a smattering of olive oil, a dusting of salt, pepper, and coriander is a favorite to snack on in our house. And, unlike riced cauliflower, I used to always think that that spiced and roasted cauliflower florets didn’t really need any sort of dressing or mix-in. At least that was until I tried Anthony Bourdain’s version with a tahini, miso and red wine vinegar sauce.
This stuff is so addicting. My daughter and I have worked our way through a whole head of cauliflower prepared like this.
Sometimes I duplicate Bourdain’s recipe (which calls for miso + tahini + red wine vinegar) to a tee. But, most times, I am out of miso or tahini. So, most times, I just add in a tad more of either of those to make up for the other.
Like I did in the recipe y’all see here today.
As I used up the last bit of miso I had when I made a batch of these Spicy & Sweet Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes, so, I used a 1/2 tablespoon more of tahini and red wine vinegar mixed up with water to make the creamy sauce you see that got drizzled over the spiced and roasted cauliflower. As I love things hot and spicy, I added in a generous smattering of chili flakes as well. But, if you don’t want it hot and spicy, no worries, even without them, this Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame is a hard dish to resist!
In fact, if you are whipping some delicious burgers (like these Grilled Honey Chili Chicken Burgers) for Father’s Day or any of your summer BBQs or parties, this Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame would make a delicious accompaniment to it!
I would love to know if you’ve make this recipe or any other recipe from this blog so please do rate the recipe and let me know your thoughts below.
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Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. tahini
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 4 Tbsp. warm water
- 2 Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp. chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°. while oven is preheating add cauliflower florets to a bowl. In another small bowl, combine oil, salt, coriander, oregano, and pepper and toss it with cauliflower to evenly coat cauliflower.
- Arrange cauliflower in an even layer on a baking tray. Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes, turning sheet and lightly tossing cauliflower halfway through.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together tahini, vinegar, and water until smooth.
- When done, remove the cauliflower from the oven and add to a large bowl (there will be lots of bowls to wash up but totally worth it) In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with tahini sauce, sesame seeds and chili flakes (chili flakes are optional) to coat evenly. Serve.
Nutrition
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Healthy and so yummy with sesame seeds!
I was very sad too to hear of the sudden and early loss of Anthony Bourdain Shashi. I was a fan and enjoyed very much when the book “Kitchen Confidential” originally came out. Having worked in a hotel kitchen for 6 years, I felt I was able to identify with much of it. This Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame is a very fitting tribute. I’ll need to see about getting his cookbook “Appetites”. Thanks for this!
What a beautiful combination of flavours, I love roasted cauliflower all on its own but this sounds totally delicious. A lovely tribute to a great man.
I was sad to hear the news about Anthony Bourdain, too, Shashi. Sad and shocked! I also remember reading Dawn’s post, and I actually recorded that episode. (We were out of the country at the time, and I still haven’t gotten around to watching it yet…but I will.) Sad that he’s gone, but he leaves behind a long legacy for sure. So we’ve become big fans of roasted cauliflower lately, and I must admit that this version with sesame and tahini has my mouth watering! Why have I never thought about making a tahini sauce to drizzle over roasted cauliflower? Genius! I’m definitely pinning this to make next time I have a hankerin’ for cauliflower. Oh, and as far as tv shows? I’m the same as you. The only problem is when you get halfway through a show and then you remember the ending. Same goes for books. I’ve totally been there, done that at about 100 pages in. Haha!
Oh Shashi, this is a beautiful tribute to Anthony Bourdain, and an absolutely incredible recipe–the sesame is the perfect pair to the roasted cauliflower.
What a fantastic way to kick up your veggie dish a notch! Sounds so flavorful!
I am a huge fan of roasted cauliflower and I’m loving the addition of sesame seeds! What a great idea!
This is a lovely dish. I own the cookbook, and will have to re-read it. The book isn’t what I expected – maybe I didn’t read enough about it before purchasing it – but I love the concept. Thanks.
Love the recipe 🙂 Will be trying it soon so thanks for the idea 🙂
This looks so festive and delicious!
Great way to use cauliflower!!! So sad about Andrew Bourdain and also Kate Spade. What a tragedy – two beautifully talented people made in God’s image. Here’s an article that hit the mark for me. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/09/kate-spade-suicide-anthony-bourdain-depression-culture-success-column/687388002/ So I love this recipe and how you can sub with either miso or tahini, good to know. How convenient! I just ran out of tahini myself. Hope you and your daughter are having a great summer and squeezing in some adventures along the way. Love ya! xoxo
I was very sad too to hear of the sudden and early loss of Anthony Bourdain Shashi. I was a fan and enjoyed very much when the book “Kitchen Confidential” originally came out. Having worked in a hotel kitchen for 6 years, I felt I was able to identify with much of it. This Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame is a very fitting tribute. I’ll need to see about getting his cookbook “Appetites”. Thanks for this!
What a beautiful combination of flavours, I love roasted cauliflower all on its own but this sounds totally delicious. A lovely tribute to a great man.
Oh Shashi, this is a beautiful tribute to Anthony Bourdain, and an absolutely incredible recipe–the sesame is the perfect pair to the roasted cauliflower.
Love the recipe 🙂 Will be trying it soon so thanks for the idea 🙂