cauliflower couscous with mint, feta and currants
My apologies for being so sporadic with my post lately. I can’t complain about the things that have been pulling my focus away from here; friends in town, my birthday, a promotion at work, the sunshine - all superbly exciting things. None the less, it’s time to realign my focus, and to use this new spring momentum to carry me into a positive rhythm of gratefully grazing. Spring is here and nature is on my side, it's hard not to be inspired to cook and eat everything in sight as the produce starts to roll into the green markets and the isles of fruits and vegetables become evermore vibrant and beg to be devoured.
As this transition from Winter to Spring continues to linger, I choose to spruce up my dishes with the bits of spring flavors that are available. The mint in this dish adds an immense punch of freshness that makes this otherwise winter-esque salad bright and refreshing.
It fascinates me when I am able to transform a food enough to trick the mind without altering its fundamental nutritional value. You’d never know this is cauliflower by looking at it, or even tasting it, but that’s all it is...cauliflower, pulsed to resemble a fine grain. Pretty groovy in my opinion. It’s fun to play with vegetables and create something that satisfies your craving for something it is not. This take on cauliflower transforms the vegetable into something that so closely resembles the texture, appearance, and flavors of couscous that it feels like you are eating a more hearty carbohydrate.
Cauliflower Couscous
- 1 head cauliflower
- ½ cup currants
- 1 bunch mint
- ¼ cup fresh feta
- 1 t curry powder
- knob of coconut oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
- salt
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. In batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it is about the size of couscous. It doesn’t take much, just a few pulses and you’re there. Set aside.
Crumble the feta. Pick the mint leaves from the stem, wash, dry and roughly chop them.
Heat a large skillet. Add coconut oil and swirl the pan to coat it evenly. Allow the oil to get hot before you add the cauliflower. You want the cauliflower to be lightly golden when cooked, but it cooks quickly so you need to start with a hot pan to achieve this. Add the cauliflower, after about a minute give it a stir. Let it cook for another minute, add curry powder, red chili flakes and salt, mix to coat, cook for another minute, and remove from pan. If your pan isn’t large enough, do this in batches, you only want a thin layer of cauliflower in the pan at a time.
Place the cooked and seasoned cauliflower in a bowl. Toss with mint, currants, feta and lemon juice.