Cauliflower Quinoa Bowl
bartaco is inspired by the beach culture of brazil, uruguay and southern california .
I am currently having a love affair with cauliflower. Cauliflower tacos. Cauliflower wings. Cauliflower soup. If it is on the menu, I’m giving it a try. However, I’ve been a bit more skeptical about trying these on my own at home. This weekend, I taught a class in Nashville and hung out with friends in the area. We gave a local favorite in the 12 South district a try, bartaco. The neighborhood is a cute and trendy street, lined with shops like Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James boutique and a coffee lover’s dream, Frothy Monkey.
What I appreciated about bartaco was the array of vegetarian and vegan options on their menu. I was able to enjoy one of my favorite types of cuisine without being envious of my friend’s plates. If you are ever in the area, the plantains are worth the visit alone. I ended up ordering their Cauliflower Rice Bowl for my entrée. Roasted cauliflower and red peppers, brown rice, nuts and romesco sauce. That was it. I was still thinking about the dish and how simple, but flavorful, it was throughout the weekend. I decided to recreate it for this week’s lunch with my own tweaks.
-CaCera
Ingredients:
½ Cup Quinoa
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 can chickpeas
½ Head of Cauliflower
Cilantro
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine ½ cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. (I often add Not Chik’n Natural Vegan Bouillon Cubes by Edward & Son for additional flavor to my quinoa)
Cut bell peppers into strips and cauliflower into smaller pieces. Layer on a baking sheet, along with the chickpeas (rinsed and drained).
Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and your seasonings of choice. I combined seasoned salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika and onion salt.
Roast vegetables between 15-20 minutes depending on how soft or firm you like them.
Layer vegetables on top of two to three tablespoons of quinoa and top with cilantro and a sauce of your choice. I decided to give a Mango Habanero Salsa a try.
Have you successfully recreated any restaurant favorites recently? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.