Freekeh Vegetable Bowl
Freekeh Vegetable Bowl
I love having leftovers from dinners so I can mix and match different foods and get creative with different textures and flavors for lunch the next day. One recent afternoon I had some leftover cooked freekeh (I often batch cook a grain or seed so that we have it all week) plus cauliflower and brussels sprouts, so I put it all in a bowl, whipped up a tahini dressing, and voila! I had an amazing lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower, (sliced into bite-size florets)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup almonds, (slivered or sliced)
- 1 1/4 cups freekeh, (cracked)
- 2 cloves garlic, (pressed or minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, (pressed or minced)
- 1 pinch Red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves, (chopped)
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- To roast cauliflower, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and lime juice so they are covered in a light, even layer of oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and arrange florets in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast until florets are deeply golden on the edges (about 30-35 minutes), tossing halfway through.
- To roast brussels sprouts, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a 9x13 or larger baking sheet or pan with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Set aside.
- Remove any yellow or brown outer leaves from brussels sprouts, cut off stems, and cut in half.
- Blanch sprouts by soaking in boiling water for 1-2 minutes followed by soaking in iced water to stop cooking process.
- Drain sprouts and pat dry.
- In large bowl toss sprouts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- When all sprouts are coated in oil, spread onto lined baking dish or sheet to roast.
- Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes with a spatula or large spoon to ensure even browning.
- To cook freekeh, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and turning golden on the edges (about 3 minutes).
- Add freekeh and sauté for 2 minutes, then add garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt, and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook. Stir occasionally and reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer until freekeh is tender to bite (about 20-25 minutes).
- Drain excess liquid, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the dressing, in a bowl stir together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Whisk in water until you have smooth, blended tahini sauce.
- Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- To assemble individual bowls, top bed of cooked freekeh with roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
- Drizzle tahini sauce generously over the dish and top with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs and sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately.
