Minestrone, a Hearty Winter Warm Up

2017 Minestrone

My hunt for a seriously good minestrone recipe continues, both in casual dining restaurants and in my own kitchen at home. Some days inspiration comes from colorful Pinterest photos or intriguing cookbook recipes, or more often develops as a random, freeform exploration featuring seasonal produce in the fridge. This week's version, an adaptation of Ina Garten's Hearty Winter Minestrone, was declared a success. Not surprising since Ina's recipes rarely disappoint. You'll find her original recipe online here and in her 2012 cookbook Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.

I took some liberties with the ingredient list, added a few vegetables and omitted others, changed the pasta, used leftover prosecco rather than white wine... and it was still delicious. Adaptability is what makes minestrone such an amazing soup, but don't just take my word for it.

"If all were right in the world, there would be as many recipes for minestrone - the Italian soup of simmered vegetables and beans- as there have been individual pots of it cooked. That's because it's really more of a process than a fixed recipe." J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Read more of Kenji's lengthy but interesting Food Lab treatise on minestrone here for some history, basic technique, ingredient suggestions, and a kettleful of researched fact and opinion.

My previous minestrone soups varied widely in flavor and ingredients, some more successful than others, and have combined fresh, frozen and boxed or canned ingredients. Perhaps incorporating dried beans and their cooking liquid will boost the next  kettle of soup to the next level of layered flavors. For now, I'm happy to work with this recipe again. Thanks for the inspiration, Ina, and thanks, Kenji for the encouragement to stray from a written recipe.
   

2015 Minestrone

2013 Minestrone

2012 Minestrone

2011 Minestrone 

2010 Minestrone

A 2017 Winter Minestrone

from an Ina Garten recipe

serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 strips of thick-sliced bacon, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups carrots, chopped

4 large stalks celery, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped (I used a poblano instead)

2 Tablespoons garlic, peeled & chopped

2 teaspoons Italian herb mix (Penzeys)

1 heaping teaspoon dried basil

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice

8 cups low-sodium chicken stock, divided

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

1 can small white beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups cabbage, chopped (I used Napa)

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 cup green beans, chopped (I used frozen)

4 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed

1/2 cup white wine (I used prosecco, because it was open)

2 cups cooked small pasta, tubes or small shells

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, &/or a gremolata mix of parsley, garlic and lemon zest for serving

Directions

1. Use a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until lightly browned but not crisp. 

2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pepper, garlic, Italian herbs and basil to the pot and cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add tomatoes with their juices, 6 cups of chicken stock and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender.

4. Add white beans, cabbage, zucchini and green beans; cook until heated through and cabbage is slightly softened. Add remaining chicken broth as needed, though minestrone should be fairly thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings (typically more salt and occasionally some hot sauce).

5. Add the wine and spinach; stir in until greens wilt. 

6. Spoon equal portions of cooked pasta, about 1/3 cup each, into individual soup bowls; ladle the soup over the the pasta. Top each with Parmesan and/or gremolata and serve.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Chickpeas & Herbs

Niece Slone arrived at the boat weighted down with Portland Chef Joshua McFadden's amazing new cookbook, Six Seasons: a new way with vegetables. This treasure presents nearly 400 pages of interesting commentary and appealing recipes for vegetables raw and vegetables cooked; a chapter of go-to recipes for tasty sauces and accompaniments to enhance fresh vegetables; a scattering of tempting recipes that incorporate meat, sausage and/or seafood; plus an occasional dessert. All of that and photos for most dishes. 

Co-author Martha Holmberg adds considerable talent and experience to this cookbook. An award-winning food writer and editor, former publisher and editor of Fine Cooking magazine and most recently food editor of the Oregonian newspaper, her guidance is felt throughout. I would love to hear this team share the back story of creating this book.   

The six seasons title reference acknowledges the overlap and variability of our Pacific Northwest growing seasons. McFadden notes "summer is where the action is", emphasizing different vegetables for early summer, midsummer and late summer. I flipped through the Late Summer chapter, waiting to see which photo drew my tastebuds' attention. Oh my, how to choose between sweet corn, peppers, chiles, tomatoes and more?! 

Ingredient availability made the decision an easy one. I went with a modified, ship's galley version of McFadden's 'Israeli-Spiced Tomatoes, Yogurt Sauce, and Chickpeas.' Six just-picked, garden-fresh cucumbers sat on the countertop, recently shared by a dock neighbor. Local markets offered mounds of fresh, in-season tomatoes and herbs, and my pantry held za'atar. Olive oil and vinegar substituted for the yogurt sauce, changing the flavor blend and consistency somewhat. A topping of feta cheese added to our second servings restored the savory edge quite nicely. I'll use yogurt and feta next time.     

The Seattle Times included the same recipe in their review of Six Seasons; "A menu for all seasons - and then some." Obviously, a popular choice. We agree! Thank you, Slone, for the inspiration. 

Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Chickpeas & Herbs

from a Joshua McFadden recipe in Six Seasons

For the tomatoes:
4 medium tomatoes, cored & cut in fat wedges
1 rounded tsp za'atar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 rounded tsp garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

For the cucumbers:
1 or 2 cucumbers, cut in fat wedges
1 handful each of fresh basil, mint & Italian parsley leaves; rough chopped; divided
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or substitute oil & vinegar mix)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the chickpeas:
1 cup cooked chickpeas (I used canned)
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin (or use green onions)
2 TBS red wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
Splash of extra-virgin olive oil
Sprinkle of the mixed fresh herbs from above
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional: crumbled feta cheese to sprinkle on top.

Directions:

1. Place the tomatoes in a wide, flat-bottomed bowl. Add the remaining 4 ingredients, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature while preparing the cukes and chickpeas.
2. In another bowl, add the cucumbers, fresh herbs, yogurt, salt and pepper. Toss gently together, taste and adjust seasoning. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the chickpeas.
3. In a third bowl, add the chickpeas and remaining ingredients. Toss, taste, and adjust seasoning.
4. Spread the tomatoes and their juices on a serving platter; layer the cucumbers plus any juices over the tomatoes; scatter the chickpeas and their dressing evenly over all. 
5. Sprinkle feta, if desired, over the top and serve. OR toss and serve in individual bowls.

McFadden suggests serving with warm "Slightly Tangy Flatbreads" - sounds good to me!

Sweet Potato - Fully Loaded

Inspired by a photo in Diana Henry's cookbook Simple, one lone sweet potato hanging out in the crisper became 'Breakfast for Dinner'. Containers of caramelized mushrooms and braised kale already lurked in the fridge along with several links of chorizo sausage, making this a quick cook. The recipe called for an accompaniment of baby spinach leaves, but the earthy bite of braised kale better balanced the potato's sweetness and the mushrooms' savory umami. Topped with a soft-yolk cooked egg, each bite was an ooey-gooey, savory-sweet delight.

This deceptively simple, boldly flavored dish was nearly effortless to construct, reflective of Henry's desire to offer a book of low-effort food ideas.

"What we mostly lack are ideas. That's what I tried to give... here. You don't have to be a chef. I'm not. You just need some inspiration to help you turn the ordinary--the building blocks of meals--into something special."

Simple inspiration comes through text and photos, most of Henry's recipes offering suggestions of alternate ingredients, plating notions or food pairings. So far I have played with recipes in chapters on Toast, Pasta & Grains, and Vegetables, adapting each to suit our palate and available ingredients. 

Loaded potatoes are nothing new, but this loaded sweet potato was indeed 'something special', perfect for any time of the day, even Breakfast for Dinner.

Cooking notes (suggestions rather than a recipe)

Bake or microwave a sweet potato in your regular manner. Split lengthwise and squish slightly to open up the inside (I sliced lengthwise into halves for 2 portions). Place on serving dish.

While the sweet potato is cooking, or ahead of time:

 - Heat butter and/or olive oil in a saute pan; add mushrooms (cut into thin wedges or slices) and cook until they give up their juices; continue cooking until liquid evaporates.   

 - Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add 3 cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup diced onion and cook until soft. Add 1/2 bunch of destemmed lacinato kale, coarsely chopped and 1/2 cup stock or water. Toss to coat greens, then cover and cook until softened and wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook until liquid evaporates. Toss with a heavy splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. 

Top the cooked sweet potato with a generous amount of the mushrooms and kale.

Add cooked coins of chorizo, or your favorite spicy sausage. 

Top with an egg or two, cooked with the yolk left soft and runny. This egg was fried...

...and this egg was poached. Mmmmm, good either way.

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

It's Spring! and that means local asparagus is finally available. Grill it, roast it, steam it, or bake it; serve it plain or sauced with hollandaise. Mmmmm, I do love that vegetable during the few months it's available. An asparagus and mushroom galette spotted at a local bakery counter looked intriguing, so I purchased one as a taste treat. Gulp, $3.99 for a single-serving little pastry! 

The crust was crisp and flakey on top while the bottom tended toward soggy. The galette's generous mound of filling underperformed on taste, bland and lacking much flavor beyond the earthy essence of asparagus and mushrooms. Where was the punchy tang of goat cheese? "Hah!" I thought, "I could do this at home and pop that flavor."

Savory pies tempt me to indulge; sweet pies, not so much. What's more satisfying than a savory little homemade pie, it's flaky crust filled with seasonal vegetables and complementary seasonings? Answer: the same pie made with frozen pie crust dough. But that's just me, facing reality because I'm missing the requisite pie-crust making gene. No matter, a reliable red box of Pillsbury Pie Crusts had my back for this adventure.

Green onions, fresh parsley, dried tarragon, lemon peel and Parmesan cheese joined the basic filling ingredients of asparagus, mushrooms and feta cheese. Sour cream plus one egg added a moist binder to the mix. One circle of pie crust yielded four irregular squares, and the Hand Pie adventure was ready to roll.

The short version of the recipe is:
       Cook down the mushrooms
       Soften the asparagus
       Combine the filling ingredients
       Fill dough squares, shape, add egg wash for shine
       Bake at 400 F until golden brown

The first hand pies emerged from the oven with light, crisp crusts and mildly seasoned filling, an improvement over that purchased galette, but still not quite there flavorwise. Neighbor Marcie, recruited as a taste tester, suggested adding lemon zest, an acidic element to better balance the heavier mushroom and asparagus. Yes! swapping a lot of lemon zest for a little lemon powder made a subtle but noticeable difference in the second batch. Thanks, Marcie. Now I'm eager to play with some other Spring ingredients and flavorings in more hand pie or galette experiments. Sigh, elastic waistbands could become necessary wardrobe adjustments.

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

Yields 4 individual hand pies

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
5-6 asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
6 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered lemon peel grated zest of 1 lemon 
1 premade pie crust (Pillsbury recommended)
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) goat cheese ( Greek feta), crumbled
beaten whole egg wash to brush dough
2 Tablespoons fresh Parmesan shreds

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms until they brown. Add the pepper, vinegar and tarragon; cook until all liquid evaporates. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool.

Snap off & discard the woody stalk end of each asparagus spear. Keep the tender heads intact and chop the rest of the stalks into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe container with a Tablespoon of water; cover and nuke for 1 minute or until barely tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl use a fork to whisk together the egg and sour cream. Add the green onions, parsley and lemon zest; stir to combine. Add the cooled mushrooms and asparagus. Gently stir to combine, coating all ingredients with the eggy sour cream.

Unroll a single piecrust sheet onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness (if necessary) and cut into four squares, roughly 5.5-inches per side. (Use a straightedge if neatness matters to you - I went irregular and rustic).

Onto each pastry square place 1/4 of the filling mixture, typically a mounded 1/2 cup. Top each pie with 1 Tablespoon goat cheese crumbles. Fold each pastry corner onto the center of the filling, keeping the tips apart, and crimp the outside edges slightly. Brush the exposed dough lightly with some beaten egg wash and sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon fresh Parmesan shreds.

Place the hand pies on a silpat or parchment-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough. Preheat the oven to 400 F while the pies chill.

To bake, place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated 400 F oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet after 10 minutes to encourage even browning. Remove the hand pies to a wire baking rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheese Soup with Vegetables

Here's the recipe for today's warming bowl of soup, some comfort food to welcome the 2016 Winter Solstice on December 21, a day when the sun reaches its most southerly declination. This is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. In Seattle solstice daylight measures 8 hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds between sunrise and sunset. I mistakenly thought solstice had already arrived on several dark, dreary days earlier this month, times when the clouds covered the sun for the entire day. And today, the shortest day of the year, the sun shone all day. Go figure!

Humans have noted this special day for ages. link link  

"The Stonehenge monument - built in 3,000 to 2,000 BC - shows how carefully our ancestors watched the sun

 "Across the world in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient stonewalled city Mayan city of Tulum also has a structure honoring the solstices. When the sun rises on the winter (and the summer) solstice, its rays shine through a small hole at the top of one of the stone buildings, which creates a starburst effect. 

"Stonehenge is carefully aligned on a sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunset...

"It is thought that the winter solstice was actually more important to the people who constructed Stonehenge than the summer solstice. The winter solstice was a time when most cattle were slaughtered (so they would not have to be fed during the winter) and the majority of wine and beer was finally fermented.

With no cattle to slaughter and a total lack of homebrew to sample, I'll honor the Winter Solstice with a bowl of soup, some comfort food to warm the tummy and recognize the shortened daylight hours. I'll also celebrate the fact that from now on the days will grow longer, minute by minute, until we reach the summer solstice with its promise of maximum light. Sigh, my inner California girl is so ready for more hours of sunshine!
   
This cheese soup is not showstoppingly pretty, not even close, but it does pack a delicious flavor punch. Think cheese fondue studded with healthy vegetables and you're close. Version 1 of the recipe came from the Vincent Price cookbook, A Treasury of Great Recipes. Price's recipe for Vermont Cheese Soup strained the vegetables (leeks, celery & onions) out of the broth to produce a silky liquid base for melting the cheese. I added carrots to the mix in Version 2 and did not strain out the vegetables. This produced a more casual, rustic soup, somewhat heartier than Price's refined, suitable-for-company presentation.    

Photo: Version 2 Cheese Soup with Vegetables

In Version 3 cauliflower and broccoli florets, minced garlic and fresh thyme joined the party. I tinkered with the process, played with the seasonings, and voila! we have a new current favorite. Here's the 2016 version of Cheese Soup with Vegetables from my galley.

Cheese Soup with Vegetables

3 Tbs butter

1 fat leek, chopped (white part only)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup cauliflower florets

1/2 cup broccoli florets

2 Tbs flour

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half

Hot sauce, to taste, or sprinkle of cayenne (optional)

Generous splash or two of dry vermouth or sherry

1 cup, firmly packed, shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Fresh thyme leaves for topping

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks & onions; stir occasionally & cook until softened.
2. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, cauliflower & broccoli; cook for a minute or two until garlic is fragrant. Sprinkle the flour, pepper & nutmeg over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook until the mixture just begins to brown.
3. Whisk in the chicken broth & cream. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables soften to desired texture.   
4. Move the pot off the heat & stir in the hot sauce and vermouth. Let the soup cool slightly to avoid curdling when you add the cheese. Slowly add the shredded cheddar and jack cheese, whisking until the cheese melts. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately.

Note: to hold and reheat, remember to use low heat. DO NOT let it boil or it will separate. I guarantee it. The soup will taste the same, but look... unlovely. 

Orange, Fennel and Olive Salad

One lone fennel bulb remained in the crisper, it's green-grocer partners already used in German potato salad (link), potato hash with sprouts and fennel (link), and a seafood soup (link). One fennel bulb... now what? Fennel has a pronounced anise-like flavor, one that takes center-stage in most dishes, but one small bulb wasn't much to work with. The Flavor Bible lists oranges, black olives and coriander among suggested pairings with fennel so I went with those ingredients to whip up a fast fennel salad. It was a good decision; we loved that flavor combination and the crunch. Salty olives, licoricey fennel and the sweet-tart tang of citrus play well together.   

Orange, Fennel, and Olive Salad

Serves 4        

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons fronds

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 oranges (or 4 clementines)

1/4 cup small olives, pitted and halved 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coriander 

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Red-pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)

Directions:

Halve, core, and thinly slice bulb (preferably on a mandoline). In a bowl, toss fennel with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. 

Slice away peel and pith of oranges and cut flesh into segments. Add to bowl with fennel and stir in small olives such as Nicoise, reserved fennel fronds, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with coriander, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, and (optional) red-pepper flakes.

Note: this pairs well with fish, as a side dish or as the flavorings in a fish-in-parchment entree.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

"So let the whole damn world go by

'Cause I just want to testify

From now on it's me and my

Sweet Potato Pie Fries" - with apologies to Ray Charles

Sweet potato fries are a recent addition to my favorite food list. Not too many years ago you wouldn't find sweet potato anything as my favorite, no way! Just mention sweet potatoes and my taste buds would recoil at the thought of another cloyingly sweet Thanksgiving casserole topped with brown sugar and mini marshmallows... but that's history. I have since learned to enjoy baked Hasselback sweet potatoes, nuked sweet potatoes mashed with a bit of butter, sweet potato wedges roasted with a hint of honey and cinnamon, and of course the ubiquitous restaurant-prepared sweet potato french fries. Sigh. if only I could replicate those crisp-on-the-outside fluffy-in-the-middle sweet potato batons, but baked in the oven and not deep fried. Baked seems so much healthier than fried, but the secret to a crisp exterior remains elusive. 

A Food52 recipe offered a promising start with a recipe that won Community Pick status. A spicy Southwest seasoning mix hit all of the right flavor notes, but the fries refused to crisp up enough to suit us me. We cheerfully ate almost the entire batch anyway. A remaining handful of baked fries were a tasty addition to the next morning's breakfast hash.

Hilary's new spiralizer was no match for two largish, unpeeled sweet potatoes so she cut most of the sticks by hand. The few shreds that came off the spiralizer hit a hot, lightly oiled skillet and proceeded to wilt more than crisp and taste too strongly of peel rather than tater. Forget the pan-fried approach for skinny shreds!  

The hand-cut, oven-baked method produced such tasty fries that we voted to give it another kitchen test... soon. Perhaps more time in the oven will do the trick; we'll be more patient in the future. I just can't get enough of those spicy sweet potato fries.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Chili Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce

recipe closely adapted from the Food52 cookbook

serves 3-4

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut in large sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoky chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon smoky paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, more or less to taste
Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Use your hands and toss the sweet potato sticks and olive oil in a large bowl.
3. Add the salt, cumin, chile powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne to a small bowl and stir to mix.
4. Add the spices to the potatoes and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Arrange the potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet.
6. Bake in preheated oven on the lowest rack until the undersides are browned, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes with a large spatula and bake an additional 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and serve on a warmed platter. Offer Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream as an optional topping.

Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon  lime juice

lime zest (optional)
2 teaspoons sweet Thai chili sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich

Hilary and Ron worked together to prepare dinner last night, while I sat at the other end of the kitchen and played guest. What a treat! Ron built a healthy and delicious Greek salad and Hilary prepared an amazing roasted cauliflower sandwich. 

Usually I rave about toasted meat and cheese sandwich combinations, not roasted veggies, but this sandwich deserves enthusiastic praise. It comes long distance from one Washington to another; via Hilary from Ann Marie's recreated version of a favorite at Taylor Gourmet in Washington DC - with a few suggested tweaks of my own.

Sandwich love happens when the first bite brings a satisfied smile and happy taste buds without the brain fretting over what's on the inside of the fresh, crusty roll. Yum! Sweet, spicy, tangy, smooth and crunchy registered immediately and called for a second bite. Mmmmmm, this was SO tasty and satisfying that I didn't want to set the sandwich back down on my plate between bites. 

Hilary had raved about the sandwich when she enjoyed Ann Marie's original, but I blew off the notion that a vegan sandwich could be all that good. Wrong! The filling combination hit all the right flavor and texture notes and I'm already plotting some other presentations: tortilla wraps, savory crepes, pizzas or open-faced tartines...  

No, I'm not going to forgo my favorite green chile cheeseburgers or grilled cheese combinations, but this Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich has joined my list of favorites. Try it, you're going to love it and won't miss the meat. I promise. 

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich with Hummus and Greens

variation of a recipe from Ann Marie at CiaoMama

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
smoked salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 large crunchy rolls or buns, warmed or toasted
hummus (homemade or purchased)
sweet Thai chili sauce
arugula, spinach and/or baby kale

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil for easier clean up. 
2. While the oven is heating, cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces and wash thoroughly. Thoroughly pat dry on paper towels.
3. Spread cauliflower on baking sheet. Pour olive oil over the cauliflower florets; then sprinkle with cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked salt and pepper. Use a clean hand or wide rubber spatula and toss the cauliflower to evenly coat each piece with oil and spices. Then spread out evenly in a single layer across the foil-lined pan.
4. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and toast the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, giving the pan a little shake half way through. When roasted to your liking (lightly colored OR with little crunchy, burnt bits), remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
5. Slice the rolls horizontally and spread both top and bottom halves with hummus. Top each bottom half with cauliflower, a drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce and a handful of arugula. Add the top part of the roll, compress slightly and enjoy.