Jewelled red quinoa, slow roasted onions & paprika cauliflower

I'm a fan of bowl meals. Dishes that have lots of yummy stuff going on but are piled high in a bowl and eaten with just a fork.  Call me lazy but at the end of a tiring day, that's my idea of comfort. 

This dish ticks that box for me and is currently on high rotation in my house. The quinoa is "jewelled" because it's studded with sultanas, chopped nuts, lemon and lots of herbs.  The cauliflower and the roasted onion are delicious components on their own but are definitely a little bit magic when put together.

It's one of those meals that is vegan (and gluten free) but you could easily serve to a meat eater and they wouldn't feel as though they were missing out on anything because it's so rich and full of flavour.

Once you've made the turmeric roasted onions for this recipe, I'm betting you'll make them again and again. I use them all the time. Stirring them through whatever grain I'm cooking. Adding the chill flakes and sultanas just before they're finished cooking is really simple and leaves you with a really smart little component. 

Red quinoa is a favourite of mine because it's a little firmer than the white variety. If you can't get red quinoa though you could easily sub in the more commonly available white variety or even brown rice or barley

A generous squeeze of lemon just before you eat is essential. I'll be curling up with this tonight. x

Jewelled red quinoa, slow roasted onions & paprika cauliflower

2 cups cooked red quinoa (another variety is fine also) 

1 head cauliflower

3 onions

3 big cloves garlic - finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp good quality hot smoked paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/3 cup sultanas or raisins

1 large handful toasted almonds - roughly chopped.

Mint  - big handful, roughly chopped

Parsley - big handful, roughly chopped

Thyme - small handful, leaves pulled from stem (optional) 

Zest of one lemon

1 lemon  - cut into wedges for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

 Slow roasted onions 

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees. Slice the onions from root to tip into eigths.  Place them in the roasting dish, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the cumin and turmeric. Toss to ensure onions are well coated in the seasonings.

Roast until soft and sweet. Five minutes before they are finished add the sultanas, garlic and a generous sprinkle of chill flakes. 

Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until the end. 

Paprika Cauliflower

Chop cauliflower into florets. Place in a large roasting pan and coat generously with oil. Sprinkle with the hot smoked paprika and some salt. 

Roast until soft and starting to brown on the tips. 

Assembly

Use your cauliflower pan as the serving dish. Add your cooked quinoa to the pan and then the onions. 

Roughly chop the almonds and add to the pan. Add the herbs and lemon zest. 

Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with wedges of lemon. 

Enjoy!