Now we settle for cooking fabulous meals out of cookbooks instead. This is super simple and the prep is so easy it could be a weeknight side dish. The pesto makes enough for two batches. I had to sub in some parsley and I used all the stems--tasted great!
Pesto:
2 bunches fresh cilantro (leaves and soft stems only)
½ cup toasted pecans or cashews
3 tbsp grated cotija cheese
zest of 2 lemons
1 garlic clove
1 cup olive oil
Roasted Cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower, florets separated
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of fine sea salt
Fresh black pepper
2 fresh thyme sprigs (optional—if you have some around, great)
⅓ cup grated cotija cheese
Make the pesto first. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water;
set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the cilantro and
cook just until bright green, 1 minute. Transfer to the ice bath to stop
the cooking and drain. Squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible
with your hands or in a clean kitchen towel. Coarsely chop the cilantro
and put it in a food processor. Add the nuts, cheese, lemon zest, and
garlic. Pulse until a coarse purée forms (it should be fairly chunky).
Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until it’s the desired consistency.
Set aside.
Heat
the broiler. Put the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and toss
with the olive oil. Season with the salt, a few grinds of black pepper,
and the thyme, if using. Broil until the cauliflower is just tender and
the edges are well browned, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway
through cooking.
Remove
the cauliflower from the oven and toss with about 1/2 cup [120 ml] of
the cilantro-pecan pesto. (Reserve any extra pesto for another use;
store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Transfer the
cau¬liflower to a serving plate. Sprinkle with the cotija and then the
lime juice, and serve immediately.
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