Roasted Cauliflower + Chickpeas + Mustard Dressing

Can I interest you in some roasted cauliflower? Or maybe some roasted chickpeas? These are both just about the greatest thing ever...at least in my book they are! Pair them with this mustard dressing and you've got yourself another simple dish that is sure to please. I love all the ingredients in this recipe but have to admit that once I put the mustard dressing together, I wasn't so sure if it might have too strong of a mustard flavor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that once the dressing was mixed with the roasted chickpeas and cauliflower it mellowed out immensely. This has ended up being a new favorite dish of mine for ease of preparation and great flavor. It is also a complete meal with the addition of quinoa that adds extra protein and fiber so you can be sure you are getting what you need from your plant based diet. Try adding in some brussels sprouts as well for a nice variation. 

The recipe was first spotted within the beautiful blog photos from Bluebird and originates from Gwyneth Paltrow's and Julia Turshen's cook book, It's All Good. A quick google search gave me the ingredients and more inspiration to put this together. 

Gather your ingredients and begin...

Start by preparing your chickpeas and cauliflower for roasting...roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare your dressing and cook your quinoa. Just a note about the dressing, I chose to use lemon instead of white wine vinegar like the original recipe called for. I also sought out a Dijon mustard that didn't use white wine vinegar. My reasoning is that white wine may or may not be a vegan product as many use animal remnants in the production. After searching on the shelves I found this great Dijon mustard from Maille that doesn't use any white wine vinegar in the ingredients, just vinegar. And as luck would have it, it is an award winning Dijon mustard! Win, win. And the lemon in the dressing to me was just perfect!

Once chickpeas and cauliflower are ready...toss with the mustard dressing and serve over a bed of quinoa. Simply wonderful!

Roasted Cauliflower + Chickpeas + Mustard Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained and patted dry on a kitchen towel
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• olive oil
• mineral salt
• 1 cup quinoa (I used tri-color)
• 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• fresh cracked pepper, to serve
• lemon wedges, to serve

Mustard Dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• juice from 1 lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 1 - 2 tablespoons evo or olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare cauliflower and chickpeas, toss together in a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and dash or two of salt. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

In a medium pot, add quinoa, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover and let set 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a small bowl, prepare your mustard dressing and set aside. You may like to double this recipe and have some to drizzle over top your plated serving.

Once roasting is done, let cool a few minutes. While still warm, place cauliflower and chickpeas in a medium size bowl, add dressing and toss. Add in parsley last or top your portion when before serving. Tastes great warm or at room temperature.

Serve cauliflower and chickpea mix over a nice bed of quinoa along with lemon wedges.

Serves two with left over quinoa.

Enjoy often and eat more chickpeas!