It’s been a busy 2 weeks with weddings, shopping, birthdays and of course WORK but your girl is back! Not that I ever left, but I had to take a little break to tend to this thing called life. I will point out the obvious and say it has been absolutely freezing outside so I have a ton of soups and stews coming your way but for today I wanted to share one of the first dishes I ever took pictures of with intention of blogging. When I first started, I had no idea what to post or where to start but this was and still is one of my absolute favorite things to eat and it’s so ridiculously simple. If you have an oven and a brain you can make this.

I am soooooooo in love with Middle Eastern food. I love the bold flavors and freshness of every ingredient. The meals are hearty and always perfectly spiced with exotic flavors. One of my go-to’s at any Middle Eastern restaurant is arnabeet. The name sounds fancy but all it is is oven roasted cauliflower and a dreamy tahini sauce on the side. SO BOMB. Tahini paste also sounds fancy but its just pureed sesame seeds.

This dish makes a lovely appetizer at a party. It’s something different but doesn’t lack anything in the flavor department. If you are hesitant to make tahini sauce, than use hummus! It’s just as yummy and has a similar taste profile but different consistency.

This recipe is a double whammy. You can use the tahini sauce recipe with any other roasted veggie you’d like if you don’t like cauliflower but don’t be one of those people that dislike something they’ve never even tried. That’s a major no-no in my kitchen.

My dreamy tahini sauce…Just mix everything together in a small bowl

• 1 cup of tahini paste (sesame seed paste) this could be a little difficult to find but if you are a local of Allentown, then Elias Farmer’s Market always has it for about 5$.
• lemon juice from one lemon
• 2 grated garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

****The sesame paste is very thick, so once you add the lemon juice you have to mix it up really well. If it is too thick, than add more lemon juice. It should be more of a sauce than a paste

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tsp salt (more to taste)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin

1. On a large mixing bowl, add your cauliflower florets. Add your oil and toss around to coat your florets. Add all of your seasoning and mix again. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then flip all of your florets and bake another 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. It’s that simple!