Roasted Za’atar Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing

Eating the rainbow is a good way to ensure that you are getting a wide range of different nutrients, but don’t forget about the plain old white produce. Different colors of fruits and vegetables generally have higher concentrations of specific vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. White, and shades of white produce contain potassium and magnesium, two important minerals that can be deficient in western diets. Cauliflower has the added bonus of being a member of the cruciferous family, boasting special sulfur compounds that have been found to fight cancer. It also offers high levels of vitamins C, K and some of the B vitamins.

Basically all you need is oil and a bit of salt for delicious roasted cauliflower but I added in one of my favorite spice blends for this version. Za’atar varies by region and cook but it usually contains a mixture of thyme, oregano and/or marjoram, sumac, roasted sesame seeds and sea salt. The thyme, oregano and marjoram all have herby, earthy flavors while the sumac is much brighter and tastes like lemons, the sesame seeds add some nuttiness and the sea salt brings it all together and balances it out. It is used all over the Middle East for a variety of dishes, the most obvious place I have seen it here in the Pacific Northwest is crusted onto pita bread with olive oil in restaurants and donair stands. The herbs have all been used for many, many years and their health properties have long been valued by the people who use them. It is very authentic to have it on pita bread and the reason isn’t so much flavor but that all the nutrients it contains actually help with the digestion of the wheat. All of the individual herbs can be found at most grocery stores but the blends are a little harder to come by, though they will definitely be at any Middle Eastern or ethnic market (I get mine from the South China Seas shop at Granville Island Market). Keeping with the Middle Eastern theme I used some tahini (sesame butter) and honey to make a quick dressing to contrast the crispiness of the cauliflower with some creaminess and sweetness.