I am always on the hunt for good recipes, but sometimes that hunt just involves tasting something I like when out to eat and then trying to recreate it in my kitchen. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, it is traditional to eat apples and honey, symbolizing the cycle of both the calendar and life, and the hope for a new year of sweetness and joy. I was going to my sister-in-law's parents' house and wanted to bring a vegan appetizer that was similarly symbolic, so I made the one below. I had seen something on line that was similar and involved chevre and balsamic vinegar, so instead I modified it to make the version listed below. And doesn't it look beautiful? It was a big hit. The second recipe was one I created after tasting something with these ingredients (and a few others) at Whole Foods last week. I was rushing from meeting to carpooling and back to a meeting so I ran in to the market to grab a quick bite. This cauliflower recipe is my version of that dish. Enjoy!
Belgian
Endive stuffed with Apples, Dried Cranberries and Walnuts
2 heads of Belgian Endive 2 Pink lady apples, washed, cored, diced into small pieces 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest 1 Tablespoon fresh Orange Juice ½ cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup shredded Daiya cheddar cheese ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Rinse and dry endives, trim the bottom (root end) to separate leaves. Set aside. In a bowl, toss diced apples with extra virgin olive oil and orange juice until lightly coated. Add nuts, dried cranberries, cheese and salt. Stir gently until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated in the mixture. Place a small spoonful at the base of the endive leaf—enough for one bite—and lay the leaf on a plate. Continue, placing each leaf in a circular pattern on the plate.
Cauliflower with Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins and Capers
2 heads of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces 2 TBSP pine nuts ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup capers Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pam Salt to taste
Preheat the oven to roast at 350. Place the cauliflowers, pine nuts, raisins and capers in a roasting pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with a two pinches of salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven, until cauliflower is fork tender. Check at 10 minute intervals, spraying with Pam to coat and tossing the mixture each time to bring moisture up from the bottom. Serve immediately.
