The change in season also brings about a change in the way we eat. We look forward to more soups, curries, casseroles and other heartwarming dishes.
For this dish, forget steamed cauliflower, which I personally find is tasteless, boring and often doesn’t smell very appetizing. Here, it is all about layers of flavour, which can simply be achieved by roasting the vegetables first. The tiny burnt pieces on the vegetables add complexity and a deeper oomph to the whole plate.
Roasting the cauliflower highlights a nutty flavour. I also include some carrots, which when roasted get nice and sweet, and a roasted red pepper, which also adds a sweet and smoky flavour. All these flavours are brought together with a rich tomato sauce and some tangy goat cheese.
It is a perfect dish for this season and the upcoming cold days. Besides leaving the whole house smelling good, it is a kind of comfort food which does not require lots of time and effort.
Roasted Cauliflower Casserole
A comfort food dish highlighting a roasted cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- 1 large carrot
- 1 red pepper
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 large eggs
- 80g soft goat cheese
- Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, to serve
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and cut the stems into chunks. Slice the carrot into thick rounds and quarter the red pepper. Place them in a 30cmx20cm oven proof dish. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables once midway through cooking.
- In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Chop the onion and add it to the pan. Sauté for 10 minutes until transparent and golden in colour.
- Add the finely chopped garlic, chili flakes, dried thyme and ground coriander seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and add the cinnamon powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are roasted, chop them into smaller bite-size pieces and leave them in the same roasting dish.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the roasted vegetables and mix until everything is well combined.
- In a small bowl, beat the 2 eggs. Add small chunks of goat cheese into the eggs and beat well together. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the vegetables.
- Place the roasting dish back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is nice and golden in colour.
- Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top.
