Roasted Cauliflower Salad

(serves 4)

So i've had a handful of life-changing moments, or maybe so as not to exaggerate, what i call ingredient-changing dishes that i've had in my life ~ where this new-found respect for a certain vegetable or way of cooking happens in an amazing food explosion (in my mouth) and is followed by a lightbulb moment where I then suddenly understand the ingredient, and usually cannot stop cooking it for the next few months! The roasted cauliflower salad at Ottolenghi in London was one of them, and now here's my attempt at trying to re-live that moment !

Prep time: 45 min (for roasting cauliflower)

Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g mixed lettuce

1 pack roasted straw or oyster mushrooms (optional) 

Dressing

1 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
sea salt
pepper

Method
1.     Preheat oven to 180°. Line a tray with foil, and spray lightly with oil.
2.     Cut cauliflower into florets, using the stalk where possible. Dress the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on tray and put in oven. You will need to turn after about 20min.

(If you are using mushrooms also, cut/tear into bite-size chunks, toss with salt and pepper and olive oil and roast at the same time)

3.     To make the dressing, use a jam jar or a whisk in a shallow dish; mix the juice, mustard, garlic, parsley, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

4.     In a large bowl, put the cauliflower, tomatoes, and lettuce. Add the dressing and gently toss.

Once you've got the basics, the roasted mushrooms (or leek) are totally worth adding!å