Can you eat cauliflower leaves?

Yes, cauliflower leaves are completely edible. They have a similar taste to kale. Just rinse them well to remove any dirt before using. Some leaves will be thinner than others, so be mindful that you don’t overcook those leaves. If not a fan of the leaves, you can always do regular kale and either massage it with oil or roast it in the oven until softened to your liking.

How do I make this meal gluten-free?

To keep the protein high, but gluten-free, opt for grains like quinoa or millet as a substitute. You can also use regular white or brown rice as well.

How can I meal prep this meal?

Allow each component of this meal to cool. In an airtight container, divide the farro, roasted vegetables and lentils between 3 different airtight storage containers. Pour some of the orange chipotle tahini sauce into separate airtight containers to serve with your prepped meals. You can reheat the containers in the microwave or spread out the farro, cauliflower and lentils on a baking tray to reheat in the oven at 400F for 5-6 minutes or until warmed through.

Roasted Cauliflower Bowls with Orange Chipotle Tahini Sauce

Description

These Roasted Cauliflower Bowls with Orange Chipotle Tahini Sauce are nourishing and packed with 22 grams of plant protein. An easy to assemble weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

2–3 cups of cauliflower florets or medium head of cauliflower
1 1/2 cups cooked French lentils or 1,15 oz can French lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, in peel
1 cup dry farro
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 tsp ground coriander, divided
2 tsp garlic powder, divided
2 tbsp avocado oil
Salt & Pepper

Orange Chipotle Tahini Sauce (makes 4 servings)

4 tbsp tahini
1–2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (deseed or use less if you don’t like spicy)
2 tbsp orange juice (juice of half a medium orange)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
4 tbsp water

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt it like you would pasta and once boiling add in the dry farro and cook for 17 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
To one parchment lined baking sheet, add the cauliflower and garlic cloves plus 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander, 1 tsp garlic powder, pinch of salt and 1 tbsp oil then toss to coat. To a second parchment lined baking tray add the lentils and the remaining cumin, coriander, garlic powder, pinch of salt and oil and again toss and coat evenly. Spread both the cauliflower and lentils out evenly on the tray with cauliflower pieces placed cut side down.
Place both trays in the oven to roast for 15 minutes. Remove both the garlic cloves and lentils from the oven. Flip the cauliflower and place it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges.
Place the tahini, peppers, juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, peeled roasted garlic and water into a small blender and blend on high until smooth. Add additional water if needed to thin it more to your desired consistency.
To assemble bowls add farro, the cauliflower and top with lentils. Spoon over some sauce and enjoy.

Notes

Place your cauliflower cut side down on the baking tray. Doing this will allow the cauliflower to sear better on the roasting tray, which will result in your cauliflower being more caramelized as it roasts.

If you want to reduce food waste, roast up the cauliflower leaves. Just chop them, coat the same way you do the cauliflower and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender and serve.

Add more veggies. The cauliflower can pair well with a lot of different veggies like butternut squash, peppers, or carrots. You can also replace the cauliflower with something like broccoli or brussels sprouts if you are not a fan.

If you want more protein, feel free to serve with some plant-based crumbles. To illustrate, adding a serving of some plant based crumbles can make this meal reach 37 grams of protein.

Tone down the spice by using less chipotle peppers. Use less chipotle peppers or by deseeding the chipotle peppers before adding to the sauce.