(Recipe adapted from Flavors of the Sun by Christine Sahadi Whelan)

ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower, stem and greens discarded, and cauliflower broken into florets

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground ginger

Pinch of cayenne pepper

¼ c. + 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt, divided

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

½ c. dried brown lentils

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 tsp. honey

½ bunch scallions, cut into slices and separated by color

2 ½ c. loosely packed spinach or arugula

5 dates, pitted and chopped

½ c. roasted unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

Handful of fresh mint, torn, for garnishing

2 tbsp. pomegranate arils, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2.     Rinse and pat cauliflower dry; reserve.

3.     In a large mixing bowl, stir together cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Add ¼ c. olive oil and stir to combine. Add reserved cauliflower and toss to evenly coat with spice mixture. Turn cauliflower out onto prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with a ½ tsp. each of salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower in preheated oven until it is just tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

4.     While cauliflower is roasting, add lentils to 2 c. of lightly salted boiling water. Stir, cover pot, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer lentils for 15-20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water from lentils and reserve.

5.     Whisk together lemon juice, tahini, honey, and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large bowl. Add 2 tbsp. of water and whisk mixture until it is smooth.

6.     Add the lentils to the tahini mixture, along with the white parts of the scallions, and ¼ tsp. of each salt (taste before adding) and black pepper. Mix gently to combine.

7.     Arrange spinach or arugula on a large serving platter. Evenly top with lentil mixture, followed by the roasted cauliflower. Garnish with dates, almonds, green scallion slices, fresh mint, and pomegranate arils… in this order.

Makes 6-8 side servings.