Cauliflower Couscous with Lentils & Turmeric-Tahini Dressing

Cauliflower Couscous with Lentils & Turmeric-Tahini Dressing

Couscous! The food so nice they named it twice. I realize that I may be taking my cauliflower couscous obsession a little far.  It's still mind boggling to me that cauliflower can quickly be pulsed into "couscous" in about 30 seconds using a food processor. Pure magic. Taylor and I were getting ready to sit down, clink our wine glasses together and eat a peaceful dinner while the sun slowly set over Tumbleweed Farm.  After a few bites I ruined the moment and decided that I wanted to share this recipe. I whipped out my camera (Taylor saw this coming and filled his wine glass a little fuller) and I snapped away. More wine for him equals another recipe for the blog. Win win! The truth is, this meal isn't something to scream over the mountain tops because it is the best meal on earth, however, it is really good (and worth interrupting a romantic dinner with your husband for.) We've been making slightly different versions a few times a week for quick lunches or dinners and I figured what the heck, not every recipe needs to be over the top delicious, VERY good and healthy works too! I especially love sharing recipes that we eat on a regular basis because I think you will enjoy them as staple meals in your household too. With the change of weather and the longer days we've been enjoying lighter meals like this. I've also been really good about cooking up huge batches of lentils, chickpeas, and pre-chopping a ton of veggies so that we can quickly throw them into lunches or dinners in a flash. Ever since the farm season has started any chance I can save a little time in the kitchen is a good thing! These days my priority is our seedlings (not my stove!) Each week more and more things get seeded and our greenhouses are quickly filling up. Thank god for our watch dog.... This version of cauliflower couscous is slightly different from my last version since I left the cauliflower completely raw, added cooked lentils and a delicious turmeric- tahini dressing. I've been hearing that turmeric has a lot of great health benefits and have been adding it to salad dressings recently. This particular dressing is extra delicious with the added spice of cinnamon and nutmeg. Read here for some of the benefits of turmeric. This was our first dinner of the season eaten outside and it felt so good having the sun shining down on us while we enjoyed this simple meal. Since I wasn't originally going to post this recipe take the measurements with a grain of salt. Add whatever you'd fancy to the dish (chopped apple, fennel, kohlrabi, beets, white beans etc. would all be nice additions) you can save some time by cooking a big batch of lentils the day before and adding them to dishes like this all week long. Pour some wine and enjoy!

Cauliflower Couscous with Green Lentils and Turmeric -Tahini Dressing

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets (make sure the cauliflower is completely dry)
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/4 of a red onion, diced
  • 1 cup cooked french green lentils (or lentils of your choice)
  • 1 small avocado, cut into small chunks
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup parsley, diced
For the Turmeric Tahini Dressing:
  • 2 TBS tahini
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 TBS raw honey
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Prepare your dressing by combing all the ingredients and whisking until smooth. This works best with an immersion blender. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. Set aside.
  2. Place your cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until it becomes the consistency of couscous. DON"T over process or you will end up with mush!
  3. In a large bowl toss together the cooked lentils, cauliflower "couscous," and chopped veggies. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. *If you have extra dressing store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. *If you need to cook your lentils at the same time as you prepare this dish it will take about 20 minutes to whip up.

Comments