Roasted Cauliflower w/ Tahini & Harissa

This is my first dish of my Sides That’ll Steal the Spotlight series, where I explore different side dishes that’ll become the star of the table. Here, I made roasted cauliflower and set it on a bed of tahini and harissa, two ingredients often used in middle eastern cooking. Harissa is a chili-based condiment that immediately brings big, bold flavors to any dish it’s in. It’s thought to originate in the Mahgreb region of Northern Africa, made up of today’s Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya. The name is inspired by harasa, the Arabic verb ‘to pound’. The simplest versions are normally just chilis, salt, and olive oil, but others like to add spices like coriander, cumin, and caraway. Here I made the harissa from scratch, but, you can just buy it pre made. Tahini is my favorite thing to pair with harissa, as its rich fattiness helps bring balance to the big flavors of the harissa. Roasted cauliflower brings texture but since it’s milder in flavor it’s the perfect way to show off the other ingredients. 

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