ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, FETA AND YOGURT DIP

by Humaira

My family and I have fallen in love with cauliflower after tasting our neighborhood restaurant's garlic, sage, fried cauliflower dish. Now, my kids rub their palms in excitement before digging into a head of roasted cauliflower. Let me note, I don't have adventurous eaters. I'm keeping the fact that cauliflower is rich in minerals and vitamins—C, K, B6, plus, fiber, protein, and potassium—a secret from my children. 

Since Afghan cuisine doesn't traditionally include appetizers, I decided to make a rich, creamy and flavorful cauliflower dip to serve at dinner parties or bring to potlucks. This dip will go well with veggies, pita bread or pita chips. I've also added a generous portion of the dip to veggie wraps, instead of hummus or mayonnaise. 

Roasted Cauliflower, Feta and Yogurt Dip

1 whole whole head cauliflower 

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt 

1 cup yogurt

4 ounces feta cheese

handful of dill (adjust to your taste)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

Preheat oven to 375°F and place a rack in the middle position. Trim the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower head. Carefully cut off and remove the stem but be careful to keep the head intact. 

Rinse and pat dry. Set on a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil all over and sprinkle the two teaspoons of salt all over the cauliflower. With your hands, rub the oil and salt on the surface (both top and bottom) until the cauliflower is well coated. 

Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and roast for an additional hour or until the cauliflower is golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside. A knife should slide in and out without resistance. Transfer the cauliflower head to a platter, let is cool before dividing the cauliflower into two halves. Save half for to serve with the dip or add to salad. Cut the other half into small pieces.

Transfer the roasted florets and all remaining ingredients into a  food processor and process until well combined and caremy. If dip is too thick, blend in one teaspoon of olive oil at a time to reach desired consistency. Serve with pita chips, veggies or the remaining cauliflower.

AFGHAN SPICY CHICKPEA SNACK:FAUX SEMIAN

by Humaira

Semian is a spicy fried noodle, traditionally made from a paste of chickpea flour, spices, salt and orange food coloring. Afghans serve this savory snack to guests at weddings or special parties. I love semian but I'm not a fan of food coloring or frying

Recently I discovered a healthy, delicious alternative to the traditional semian with the same crunch and spicy zing of the real stuff. I'm calling my concoction faux-semian.

Before Tobasco

Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls snack, faux-semian's main ingredient, is made with chickpeas, lentils and potatoes, It has a light simple taste that appeals to my daughter Sofia but lacks the seasoning I expect for a satisfying snack.

After Tobasco

In my effort to add flavor to the curls, I experimented with yogurt dip, lemon juice, and various hot sauces. It came as a surprise to discover that  a dash of Tabasco sauce transforms the Crunchy Curls into the spicy, flavorful snack of my childhood, semian . The main difference being that the Crunchy Curls are much thicker than the traditional semian.

I was hesitant about sharing my finding fearing backlash from foodies who turn up their noses to recipes that come from a bag. But, my UFF (uber-foodie friend), Katie, gave  her stamp of approval once I explained my joy with making a traditional Afghan snack from two American ingredients.  

I apologize to readers who don't have a Trader Jose's store nearby, perhaps it's time to move. You can add this snack to your super bowl party menu or serve as an appetizers at a casual dinner party.

Afghan Spicy, Crunchy, Chickpea Snack

Faux-Semian

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Bag of Trader Jose's Crunchy Curls

1 tablespoon tabasco sauce, adjust heat to your taste.

Empty the Crunchy Curls in a large mixing bowl. The mixing of the Tabasco sauce is a two person job. One person drizzles the Tabasco and the other tosses the Curls quickly so the sauce is evenly distributed. Pour contents of the bowl onto a cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes. Let it cool and serve.

ROMANESQUE CAULIFLOWER AFGHAN STYLE - ALMOST GULPEA

By Humaira

Growing up in a low income suburb of San Jose, I was mostly exposed to fruit and vegetables my Afghan refugee parents could find on sale, in Food4Less—red mushy apples, seeded green grapes, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce—organic heirloom tomatoes were not to be found in our shopping cart.

After living in San Francisco for the past twenty years, my shopping cart contents have gone organic, exotic and seasonal. Despite my expanded palette, it wasn't until a couple of year ago that I first laid eyes on a Romanesque cauliflower (a.k.a. Romanesco broccoli). There it was, in my organic veggie box—cone shaped creature with pokey green florets nestled among familiar cucumber, tomato and berries. I shoved the genetically mutated creature in the back of my fridge's vegetable container and forgot about it.

Since our first meeting, I've grown to love this delicate and nutty vegetable. I often toss the florets in olive oil and roast it. Sometimes I saute' or mash it, but my masterpiece was when I cooked it Afghan style—simmered in a thick sauce of onions, garlic, turmeric, cumin and tomatoes.

This recipe is similar to my traditional Afghan Gulpea/cauliflower recipe. If Romanesco cauliflower was available in Afghanistan, they would make it this way and I hope this summer you'll give this recipe a try.

Romansque Cauliflower Afghan Style

Qorma e Gulpea

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, pureed in a food processor or finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, pureed in a food processor or finely chopped

1 teaspoon. ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tsp. salt

2 tomatoes diced

1/4 cup vegetable 

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 1/2 head Romasque cauliflower, washed, stem removed, cut into large pieces

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottom pot. Add the onion and brown for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic cook, for an additional 2 minutes.  Add all the remaining ingredients except for the Romanesque. Stir well and simmer for about 8 minutes until the liquid reduces and you have a thick, oniony sauce.

Add the Romasque and stir to cover all pieces with sauce.  If you feel you don't have enough sauce to coat the cauliflower, add another 1/4 cup of the broth.

Put the lid on the pot, cook on low for 20 minutes (stirring every five minutes) or until the Romasque can be easily pierced by a fork. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce. The cooking time will vary but you want the result to be fork-tender, but not mushy.

Serve with nan, pit bread, or challaw, the Afghan white rice. A dollop of plain yogurt makes a heavenly addition.