Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Arugula Salad

In the last month or so this has become one of my go-to meals.  I’ve always been a bit of a meat snob and make every effort to buy local, organic, and humanely raised meat.  More recently, I’ve been trying to turn Meatless Monday into  Meatless Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so this recipe is ideal.  The chickpeas provide protein (and a crunch!) and the sweet potato helps to fill me up.  Beyond that, it can be enjoyed warm or cold, and is just downright tasty.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Arugula Salad

Makes 4 servings

4 cups arugula
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice from one lemon
3 tsp honey (more if you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the cauliflower, sweet potato, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper together in a large bowl, making sure that everything is well combined.  Pour the mixture onto a large parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Place the cloves of garlic on a small piece of tinfoil, drizzle with olive oil and then seal to form a pouch.  Place the foil wrapped garlic on the the cookie sheet along side the veggies – removing it after about 30 minutes.  Roast the rest of the vegetables for approximately 40-45 minutes total, stirring once or twice.  You want the cauliflower to have a nice golden color and the chickpeas to be slightly crunchy.

While the vegetables are finishing up in the oven remove the cloves of garlic (they should be soft and slightly golden) and place them in a small tupperware.  Smash them thoroughly with a fork. Add in the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper.  Place the lid securely on the tupperware and shake vigorously, emulsifying the mixture.  Taste and adjust to your liking.

When the vegetables are done roasting let cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.  Mix together a cup of your roasted veggies with a a cup of arugula and drizzle the vinaigrette on top.  Garnish with fresh herbs such as Italian parsley, fresh cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of finishing salt such as Maldon.

Enjoy!