Roasted Cauliflower Dip (#Vegan, #LowGL, #Glutenfree)

Over the last few days I have started thinking about ways in which I can promote my blog and possibly make money out of it which is taking a lot of thought. There are so many ways I can go and things I can do and it is almost just too much to get started and so I don’t!

I am being a bit unfair on myself I am doing some small bits but I suppose that part of me is holding back because I really enjoy writing this blog and if I was to turn it into a profession where I had pressure to make money out of it would I enjoy it as much? I guess I will not know the answer to that until I am 2 years down the line.

At the moment I think I will continue to do small bits and promoting it in a way that I enjoy but not expecting it to make much money. That way if it does it will just be like a little bonus to me rather than something I am supposed to get. Well enough of me talking about rubbish that I am sure you are not really interested in at all (this is getting a bit like a diary, not what I intended when I started but it is working for me).

So for my recipe today we have another dip along the lines of a hummus replacement although this one came more from thinking about baba ganoush and replacing the aubergine with cauliflower. It has a much stronger flavour than aubergine but is a great use of cauliflower and perfect if you want something a little bit different.

Now Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable which are largely accepted to be among the healthiest foods you can eat. They are full of vitamins and minerals and well as phytonutrients. A lot of research has been done on cruciferous vegetables in the last few years and their benefits are growing by the day. Without going into lots of details about them it is important to say that any healthy diet should include at least one portion of cruciferous vegetable per day, so here we have it.

The other great thing about cauliflower is it is absolutely full of vitamin C meaning it has amazing anti-oxidant properties and so regular consumptions has a lot of benefits. The other thing to mention about this dish is that it comes in at a GL of approximately 15 and due to its very low carb content a GL that is virtually 0 per portion. So if you are worried about your blood sugar then a double portion of this with 2 Spiced Buckwheat Crispbreads would make an excellent snack.

Roasted Cauliflower Dip

Makes 12 Servings

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

300g/10.5oz Cauliflower
2 tbs Mild or Medium Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin
Salt & Pepper
2 tbs Tahini
2 tbs Lemon Juice
1 Garlic Clove
4 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

2. Cut cauliflower into florets and mix with mild olive oil, cumin and season with salt and pepper.

3. Place cauliflower in baking dish and bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until soft and slightly browned.

4. Once cauliflower has cooled slightly combine it with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. You might want to add a bit more oil if you want it smoother.

5. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.

6. Serve with bread of choice or raw vegetables and a small sprinkling of paprika.

Nutrition

The nutritional data for this recipe is based on 12 portions and data is per portion.

The highlight include

• Low GI of around 15
• Very Low GL of just over 0 per portion
• No cholesterol
• Low in sodium
• Low in sugar
• Very high in vitamin C