Cauliflower w/ Dates & Tahini

I am in love w/ Alison Roman's new cookbook DINING IN.

She is a funny and honest writer and I want to make EVERYTHING in this book.

This is the first recipe I tried, and it is a winner. More of a winter dish, but hey, I always make cauliflower, no matter what the season.

This was great along side roast chicken.

Cauliflower w/ Dates & Tahini: (adapted from Dining In)

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 teaspoon cumin
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 dates, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450F degrees.

Using your hands, break the cauliflower into smaller florets, keeping the stalks long (this way you get some well-roasted tender parts as well as smaller, crispier parts). Toss the cauliflower and cumin with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast, tossing occasionally, until just starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the dates, toss to coat, and continue roasting until the cauliflower is deeply brown and caramelized all over and the dates are plump and starting to caramelize around the edges, 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk the tahini and 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the pine nuts are golden brown and become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool enough to coarsely chop.

In a small bowl, combine the chopped pine nuts, scallions, mint, cilantro, vinegar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the tahini onto the bottom of a large serving platter.

Remove the cauliflower and dates from the oven and place them on top of the tahini. Spoon the mint mixture over and serve with any extra alongside.

DEELISH!