This vegetarian main dish pops with citrus and nutty flavors, complemented by the subtle sweetness of honey; it also makes an attractive side dish. Cut whole heads of cauliflower into planks for a unique way to serve the ubiquitous veggie.
Honey-Orange Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower
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Ingredients
- 2 small heads cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2/3 cup dry red quinoa
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 cup canned no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
- 1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside. Trim any outer leaves from the cauliflower heads, keeping the core intact. Set cauliflower heads, stem sides down, on a cutting board. Cut two 1-inch-thick slices from the center of each of the heads, to get a total of four cauliflower planks. Save the remaining parts of each head for another use. Brush both sides of the slices with coconut oil; place in prepared pan. Sprinkle cauliflower with salt and pepper.
- Roast cauliflower for 20–30 minutes or until tender and bottoms and edges are browned. (If some of your planks are thinner, you may need to remove them to a warm plate until the rest are finished.)
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water; drain well. Add quinoa to pan with onion. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15–20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. You may need to add more broth if quinoa looks too dry.
- Finely shred enough peel from one of the oranges to make 2 teaspoons; set aside. Peel oranges, making sure to remove all the bitter white pith. Seed and section the oranges. Add chickpeas and honey to quinoa mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add orange peel, orange sections, radicchio, and oregano. Cook 1 minute more, stirring gently to avoid breaking up the orange sections. Season to taste with more salt, if needed.
- To serve, set one cauliflower plank on each of four serving plates. Spoon quinoa mixture evenly over cauliflower. Sprinkle with feta and pine nuts.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Honey-Orange Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower
Amount Per Serving
Calories 515
Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g
29%
Saturated Fat 9g
45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 8mg
3%
Sodium 770mg
32%
Total Carbohydrates 73g
24%
Dietary Fiber 11g
44%
Sugars 32g
Protein 13g
26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
PER SERVING (1 cauliflower plank and about 3/4 cup quinoa mixture): 515 cal, 19g fat (5g mono, 5g poly, 9g sat), 8mg chol, 770mg sodium, 73g carb (11g fiber, 32g sugars), 13g protein
