Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Lemon Tahini and Toasted Seeds

A deeply comforting winter dish centred on brassica vegetables, creamy tahini, fresh herbs and crunchy toasted seeds. Serve as a generous vegetable side or add your favourite protein to make it a complete meal.  

Serves: 4 as a side  
Prep time: 15 minutes  
Cook time: 50–60 minutes  

Ingredients  

For the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts  

1 whole cauliflower  
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved  
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the Brussels sprouts  
1 teaspoon ground cumin  
1 teaspoon ground coriander  
½ teaspoon smoked paprika  
Sea salt and black pepper  
Zest of 1 lemon  
Juice of ½ lemon  

For the lemon tahini sauce  

⅓ cup tahini  
Juice of 1 lemon  
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced  
1–2 teaspoons maple syrup or raw honey, optional  
3–5 tablespoons warm water, to loosen  
Sea salt, to taste  

To serve  

¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped  
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds  
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds  
Extra lemon wedges  

Method  

Preheat the oven to 200°C.  

Trim the cauliflower base so it sits flat, keeping it whole.  

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Gently lower in the cauliflower and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Drain well and pat dry.  

Place the cauliflower on a lined baking tray. Drizzle generously with the olive oil, letting it run into the florets. Rub over the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice.  

Roast for 35–45 minutes, spooning any oil from the tray back over the cauliflower once or twice as it cooks, until golden on the outside and tender through the centre.  

While the cauliflower is roasting, toss the Brussels sprouts with a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add them to the tray for the final 20–25 minutes of cooking, cut-side down where possible, until crisp and golden.  

To make the sauce, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup or honey, warm water and salt in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.  

Transfer the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts to a serving plate. Spoon over the lemon tahini sauce, then finish with parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and extra lemon.  

Serve warm.