Yesterday, I had one of my snacky days. I grazed all morning and wasn’t in the mood to cook a large lunch. I had an greek omelet and fruit for brekkie, apple and PB for an early morning snack and blueberry quinoa-millet bake for a late morning snack (recipe to come!). When it came to lunch, I didn’t know what I was in the mood for and my usual quick-fixes didn’t sound too appealing…

It all started with a head of cauliflower. I decided to chop it up into florets and season with olive oil, garlic, a little lemon and salt and pepper. After roasting in the oven, I decided it needed a little sprucing up. I added some sauteed onion but couldn’t stop there. I was in the mood for beans so I added two cups of cooked chickpeas that were in the fridge. I still wasn’t satisfied so I added some spinach for color and a handful of grated parmesan for the cheesy, salty flavor I felt was missing. Then I dug in!

And there you have it – a random saute/salad/vegetarian lunch or main dish that turned out quite delicious! Nothing frilly but definitely filling, this could be served as a side dish or a light lunch or dinner. Next time, I will roast the onion with the cauliflower and use red onion for more color 🙂

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, chopped and cut into florets
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp of olive oil, divided
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white or red onion, chopped
2-3 cups of raw spinach, roughly torn or chopped
2 cups cooked garbanzos (or chickpeas) or 1 15-oz can would work too
1/3 cup grated parmesan
ground black pepper (or crushed red pepper if you want heat, add this in with the onion, if so)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. In a large bowl, toss chopped cauliflower with garlic, 2 Tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or grease then add cauliflower. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, add remaining 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until transculent, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and garbanzo beans and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
3. Add in roasted cauliflower and stir to combine. Remove from heat, sprinkle in parmesan cheese. Taste and then season with salt and pepper to your liking, if desired. Enjoy!

This recipe is featured on Amy’s Simply Sugar and Gluten Free blog for Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays this week!