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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry Salad
Despite my resolve to eat in a balanced, complete way (that does not consist of eating three meals of cold cereal a day) while Zach is in Alabama, I still found myself having a staring contest with the contents of my pantry a few nights ago. I fancied some cauliflower, but I seemed to be unable to progress beyond "cauliflower." It was just me and the cats in the house, I was faced with mountains of homework from my first week back in nursing school, and my goal was to whip up a hearty, one-dish salad of sorts, but my preoccupied brain just wasn't able to gather it's usual enthusiasm for simple, pure cauliflower. I most frequently steam cauliflower and savor it's creamy flavor with just a bit of salt and pepper, but sometimes, even one's cauliflower needs a reawakening...
So, after I steamed the cauliflower, I stirred in some curry spices... and some chickpeas for protein and extra fiber... then added some raisins. I had a bounty of lovely romaine lettuce on hand, so I put the tender leaves to work as a base for my quickly concocted cauliflower curry, and finally gilded the whole ensemble with a perfectly ripe sliced peach, and a good dollop of fat free yogurt! I was still slightly distracted throughout the creation of the dish, and it wasn't until I'd settled comfortably at my desk with the aforementioned plate of salad and curry, pulled out my notes, and took the first bite, that the cauliflower suddenly had my full attention...
Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry Salad
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup raisins
2 T minced onion
1 T of your favorite curry spices (I used coriander, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves)
Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
2 peaches, sliced
Plain fat free yogurt OR soy yogurt
~ Steam the cauliflower until just crisp-tender.
~ In a dry, nonstick skillet, cook the chickpeas, cauliflower, raisins, onion, and curry spices over until just heated through, stirring occasionally.
~ To serve, place a nice pile of romaine leaves on a plate, and top with the cauliflower mixture, a sliced peach, and a generous spoonful of yogurt or soy yogurt! Simple!
Looks like you came up with yet another delicious dish!!
ReplyDeleteSure does!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for ideas on what to do with chickpeas -- this is great!
ReplyDeleteCauliflower,chickpeas, and curry are a great combo! I've not had a salad like this, and it sure sounds good! This would make a great lunch or dinner!
ReplyDeleteThat salad looks good! I like the addition of the sweet raisins and to the savoury cauliflower and chickpea curry.
ReplyDeleteCauliflower goes so well with spices I love it. Looks fabulous and I love the dollop of yogurt on top. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe'd like to invite you to participate in our July berry recipe contest. All competitors will be placed on our blogroll, and the winner will receive a fun prize! Please email me, sophiekiblogger@gmail.com, if you're interested. Feel free to check out our blog for more details. (Click on my name in the message header link to visit our blog. :)
ReplyDeleteVeggieGirl, thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteCookieMouse, thank you as well! :-)
Allen, I'm so delighted that I could help in the chickpea department! Do let me know how the chickpeas turn out!
Paula, thank you so much for visiting! I do love salads that work for both lunch and dinner...
Kevin, many many thanks! I love how surprisingly well chickpeas go with sweet flavors...
Jeena, thank you! Me too! :-)
Sophie, thank you so much for the invitation! Your contest sounds terrific!