Whole roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite dishes at the restaurant ABCV in New York City. I have always wanted to replicate it at home. It is so filling, flavorful, and delicious. And it makes a nice “wow” statement at the dinner table or at a party. I asked the restaurant what they put in their garlic tahini sauce and they were kind enough to share the ingredients with me. I played around with it, and came up with this recipe that I think is pretty close to this restaurant favorite.
I made this recipe over Thanksgiving weekend for a large crowd- a whole head of roasted cauliflower is basted with herbs, spices, and maple syrup and sits atop a swathe of creamy tahini sauce, with pomegranate and parsley as garnish. This dish really plays up different tastes, colors, temperatures, and textures.
It really is a visually appealing dish! The pomegranate arils make this dish look so festive, and really ups the “wow” factor. If paired with a side salad for extra greens, this could be perfect for an individual lunch or dinner at home.
Let’s look at the nutritional profile of some of the ingredients that star here, excerpted from Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods Expanded by Anthony William.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower really is the star of the show here. It helps then that it is also so great for you, too. As a cruciferous vegetable cauliflower is right up there with broccoli in terms of health. Both are particularly great for your oral health care, as their high calcium content creates the right conditions for the creation of new enamel. Overall bone health is aided as these both directly combat bone loss.
Cauliflower contains great amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and healing sulfur compounds. The vitamin c and sulphur work together to target pathogens and increase immune system function.
Even though cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, it has the unique ability to be digested easily raw. To best take advantage of its nutritional profile, eat it raw or fully cooked. This way our digestion doesn’t pass up on what it offers in both states.
Garlic
Garlic is a great example of something that gets better over time and more complete when left alone. This is evidenced by the great growing period it requires, where with time garlic grows its own immune system strength against plant invaders. It is this strength that is then passed on to you- and in this recipe via the tahini sauce!
Garlic has great anti-pathogenic qualities, its ability to combat viruses, worms, parasites, fungus, mold, and bacteria in the body makes it nature’s pre-packaged medicine that you can take at the first sign of sickness.
Garlic has the ability to help fight off cold and flus, boost your immune system overall, aid in removing toxic heavy metals from digestion, and help fight viral-related cancers. What a powerhouse! Garlic in this recipe is included in raw form via the tahini sauce, and adds a nice bite. Eating garlic raw is the optimal way to take advantage of its great health benefits.
Parsley
Another great food for mouth-related issues, parsley is just a garnish in this recipe, but should be given honorable mention for the weight it carries as a healing food- look to parsley when you need help with mouth related issues such as gum disease, dry mouth, and tooth decay.
Parsley has the unique ability to alkalinize all body systems with far reaching and potent mineral salts. This is different from other plant foods, which may only be able to alkalize one or two body systems. It helps with DDT extraction, is a powerful pathogen fighter, pulls out heavy metals, and is a perfect adrenal stabilizer- making it perfect for when life is throwing you curve balls.
Final Thoughts
I used minimal salt in this recipe. There is none in the garlic tahini sauce and I offer using sea salt to taste for the roasted cauliflower. For both parts, I recommend using your discretion, paying mind to where you are at your health and using less salt if you need an extra boost.
Usually my recipes are oil free and that is true for this one as well. The tahini sauce makes this a more decadent dish- and definitely a crowd pleaser- this is a great recipe to keep on hand for when you are craving something more comforting, or need to appeal to a varied range of tastes, but the healing ingredients it contains surely makes up for this!
Do let me know if you end up making this dish- you can tag me on either Facebook or Instagram– it is very popular and heralded from the restaurant ABCV, and I would love to see how you enjoy it. It is so good it has lived on the menu and in the minds of patrons for years. Here, I created a slightly different – lower fat, oil-free – version.
To your health and happiness,
Muneeza
P.S.
Have you downloaded my Ultimate Clean Food Guide? It is filled to the brim with option after option of healthy swaps for common Standard American Diet foods such as chips, ice cream, bread, pasta, and more. I created this guide to help you transition your diet to healthier foods free from Medical Medium level 1, 2, 3, and 4 trouble maker foods. Find my favorite everyday recommendations for gluten, dairy, egg, corn, and soy-free foods- all FOR FREE! Click below to learn more and download your guide.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Food brush
- Serving dish
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 2 tsps onion powder
- 2 tsps smoked paprika
- 2 tsps cumin powder
- 2 tsps curry powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 - 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- Sea salt to taste
Tahini Sauce
- ¾ cup roasted tahini
- 2 lemons juiced
- 3 garlic cloves roasted & minced
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- 5 - 7 tbsp water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 430 F
- Trim the leaves from the cauliflower
- Add all the spices to a mixing bowl and add ⅓ cup of broth. You can also use oil if you are serving guests or at a party to make the dish more decadent.
- Place the cauliflower in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Pour the spice mixture on it 1 tbsp at time. Coat evenly.
- Then flip it upside down and brush the remaining spices on the bottom.
- Bake first the bottom side up for 20 - 30 minutes and then flip it up the right way and bake for another 20 - 30 minutes.
- The tahini sauce can be made whilst the cauliflower head is baking
- Place the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, mustard powder and water in a blender and blend until smooth but not runny
- Once the cauliflower is baked, take it out of the oven
- Pour some of the tahini sauce on the bottom of the serving dish
- Plate the cauliflower on top of the bed of tahini. Drizzle the remaining tahini all over the cauliflower head.
- To serve, garnish with pomegranate arils and chopped parsley
