I didn’t eat cauliflower growing up and I never really got into it until about 7 or 8 years ago. My good friend Claire taught me a warm salad hack: frozen carrots / broccoli / cauliflower florets + MorningStar Crumbles + lettuce + balsamic vinegar / Dijon mustard. I was hooked! And then inevitably a little too hooked so I had to cool with with the cauliflower for a while, and I no longer eat fake food substitutes.

Ever since I quit Diet Coke cold turkey, it’s been sooooooooooo much easy to eat more veggies!

Lately I’ve been majorly into cauliflower and cantaloupe. I think that’s my body telling me it wants me to stock up on some major vitamin C to maintain my health through the winter months and all the traveling I do! (Update: maybe this was also my body telling me what I needed for a baby??)

I’m very much into cauliflower “fried” rice and yes like most of you I’m sure I’ve tried and failed to make a satisfying cauliflower pizza crust. But I have for you today a cauliflower recipe that is easy, delicious and paleo if that is your thing!

It was absolutely inspired by one of the new fall dishes at my local True Food Kitchen restaurant – the Charred Cauliflower with harissa tahini, medjool date, dill, mint, and pistachio.

Picture of the charred cauliflower dish from True Food Kitchen autumn 2016 recipe. Cauliflower, pistachios, tahini, dill and mint.

I have been going to True Food Kitchen for years but it wasn’t until Claire (yes we are kindred food spirits) visited us in California last year that I realized it was founded by everyone’s favorite anti-inflammation doctor, Andrew Weil, MD! I have the True Food Kitchen cookbook too: Ture Food – seasonal, sustainable, simple, pure.

My husband and I have been gotten better at cooking in the past 2 years, so I was able to easily recreate the tastes in this charred cauliflower dish that I like with the assistance of the menu that calls out the main ingredients 🙂

Some of you actual chefs out there might be able to tell me what I could be doing better or better estimated cooking times.

Organic Charred Cauliflower with Harissa Tahini, Roasted Red Pepper and Dates (True Food Kitchen Copycat/Inspired) (Paleo)

My recipe differs from True Foods Kitchen version in that I don’t always add dill, pistachio or mint. I also add roasted red pepper. I grill my cauliflower but you could easily roast the red peppers and the cauliflower and it would just as good.

Paleo Cauliflower Ingredients:

• 1 head of organic cauliflower (non-organic is fine if you can’t find organic)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 – 3 dates, finely shopped (I love to cook with dates)
• 1/4 cup of organic sesame tahini
• juice of 1 1/2 organic lemons
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few dashes of harissa seasoning.
• organic extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for delicious, healthy and paleo roasted or grilled cauliflower: tahini, red peppers, lemons, dates and harissa.

Paleo Cauliflower Recipe Instructions:

• Clean and cut your organic cauliflower head. I’ve tried grilling cauliflower steaks vs cauliflower florets and pieces and I prefer the smaller, bit-size florets.
• Mix the cut cauliflower with the organic extra virgin olive oil (maybe a tablespoon or 2?) and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cut up the organic red bell pepper into strips and mix with a little organic extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper as well.
• Fire up the grill or preheat and oven to 400 degrees. If your are going to grill the cauliflower, I like to use a vegetable grilling basket. Grill the the cauliflower until charred and tender, about 20 or 25 minutes if I remember correctly. Or if you are using the oven, roast the cauliflower until tender about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the cut organic peppers in the last 10-15 minutes or so.
• As you are waiting for the cauliflower and red peppers to finish grilling or roasting, make the harissa tahini sauce. Combine the 1/4 cup of sesame tahini with the juice of 1.5 organic lemons. Combine with a whisk, fork or spoon. If you would prefer your sauce more liquid, add more lemon juice to taste. Add a few dashes of harissa to taste. You could add some organic red pepper flakes if you desire a little more heat.
• Once desired tenderness is reached (you still want a little bit of crunchiness – you don’t want your cauliflower or peppers too soggy), remove the organic cauliflower and red peppers from the heat or oven and allow to cool for about 2 minutes.
• Mix the roasted or grilled cauliflower and red peppers with the chopped dates. Either pour the lemon harissa tahini sauce onto the cauliflower, peppers and dates and mix together in a bowl, or plate the veggies and dates and drizzle the harissa tahini sauce over the veggie dish.
• Enjoy! One head of cauliflower makes 2 servings for me. This could easily feed 3 people though, maybe 4 if you aren’t as into cauliflower as I am 🙂

My charred organic paleo cauliflower recipe with harissa tahini, red peppers and dates. This is based off of the charred cauliflower dish from True Food Kitchen.