Recipe: Whole Roast Cauliflower

For a plant-based alternative to a classic roast our whole roast cauliflower recipe is just the ticket. This dish presents beautifully and is a gorgeous centre piece for your Christmas dining table.

We’ve brought a bit of spice to your Christmas feast a harissa meets shwarma seasoning inspired paste to coat the cauliflower and have paired it with our favourite lemon yoghurt sauce and garnished it with pomegranate for a festive feel. This veggie dish will steal the show!

While cauliflowers may seem unassuming, they actually pack a nutritional punch with a vast variety of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, manganese, magnesium and phosophorus.

Cauliflower contains a good amount of fibre ­– important for feeding healthy gut bacteria, reducing inflammation and promoting healthy digestion. Cauliflower is also high in the essential nutrient, choline. Choline plays a major role in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes, synthesising DNA, supporting metabolism and liver health.

The health benefits of cauliflower are just a bonus! We love this delicious vegetable and excited to showcase it in this wonderful recipe. This recipe is from Bare Health Studio's Christmas ebook A Better Christmas featuring healthy and fun festive recipes and a guide to a more sustainable Christmas.

Whole Roast Cauliflower

Serves 4-8

Ingredients

• 1 whole cauliflower
• ½ pomegranate, arils removed
• 2 large handfuls leafy greens
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds
• Paste:
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp ginger, ground
• ½ tsp cinnamon, ground
• ½ tsp coriander seeds, ground
• ½ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp allspice, ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cloves, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper, freshly
• ground
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Lemon yoghurt sauce:
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt or coconut
• yoghurt
• A pinch of salt and black pepper
• ¼ tsp maple (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. To make the lemon yoghurt sauce whisk all ingredients in a bowl until combined.
3. To make the paste, combine all paste ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Rub paste over cauliflower until completely covered. Place cauliflower on a lined baking dish and roast for 45-60 minutes (depending on the cauliflower’s size) or until a knife easily pierces the core.
5. Once cooked, remove from heat and place on a serving dish lined with a bed of greens and topped with lemon yoghurt sauce, flaked almonds and pomegranate.

Clinical nutritionist, Anushka Malcolm and naturopath, Lily Zurlino are entrepreneurs from South Australia. Anushka and Lily are avid health foodies, they are passionate about developing nourishing whole-food recipes and guiding people to live a healthier, more balanced life. Anushka and Lily founded Bare Health Studio, an online multi-modality clinic offering both nutrition and naturopathy services.

Anushka and Lily met at Endeavour College of Natural Health studying health sciences, where their journey in natural health began. When they graduated, their passions came to life as they worked together for one of Australia’s leading health and wellness retailers, giving them real insight into the needs of modern day Australians. They recognised that 1:1 support was needed in order to achieve the best health outcomes, however, healthcare was often put aside due to the inconvenience of attending appointments.

As a practicing members of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS), Anushka and Lily are constantly engaged with the latest in industry research, some of which they love to share on their social media platforms.