Syrian Mnazalet Zahra / Cauliflower Stew

Everyone has childhood memories associated with food, whether it be of family meals, picnics, festive season meals, camping or merely the special weekend breakfast. This dish takes me to the old lemon tree in my grandmother’s home, nestled between the ancient walls of Damascus. The lemon tree was where all significant events, lunches and dinners took place. She would throw a carpet on the basalt stone flooring, scatter some pillows for guests to lean on and stories and laughter took place until the late hours of the evening with echoes breaking the silence of the night. She loved cooking this dish, and there is no Syrian who does not enjoy it. As a child I was not fond of this vegetable, but as I grew older, I started appreciating it and its health benefits. Did you know that one serving contains over 60% of your vitamin C daily allowance? Or that that 100 gram is only 25 calories?

Cauliflower, in my opinion, is an underrated vegetable. This white ball of supreme goodness belongs to the brassica family, which includes cabbage, kale, broccoli and sprouts. This family sits high on the chart among the healthiest of vegetables. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamin K, B6, C, Manganese, folate and potassium. It has anti-inflammatory properties, helps reduce the risk of heart disease and reduces the risk of cancer. If you are a fan then I recommend you try cauliflower and potato gratin or my favourite creamy cauliflower pasta.

Where my grandmother would deep fry the cauliflower beforehand, I opt to roast it in the oven as with deep-frying the cauliflower absorbs too much unnecessary oil. My recipe is diabetic friendly, keto-friendly and above all healthy, easy and quick, at 289 K a portion, what else can you ask for? Serve with a whole grain carbohydrate for maximum health benefits.

Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes

Roasting: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 kilograms cauliflower floweret

• 1 medium onion

• 200 grams lean minced beef

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 beef bouillon cube

• water to cover

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for frying the meat

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, for the cauliflower

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 cups chopped coriander leaf

Method:

· Preheat the oven to 200 C fan setting.

· Cut the florets into the size as seen in the photo.

· Brush the tray with olive oil and toss the florets with the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and lay them on a metal tray flat side down.

· Roast in the upper third shelf of the oven for 15 minutes then turn over every 5 to 10 minutes until all sides are golden. The roasting could take up to 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside once roasted

· Chop the onion finely and fry in 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 minute then add the minced meat and cook until all the juices have evaporated and season with salt and pepper.

· Add the roasted cauliflower, the beef bouillon and enough water to just cover the cauliflower as in the photo.

· Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft but still holds shape. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes if you prefer to reduce the stock.

· When ready, adjust the salt and add the minced garlic and chopped coriander and leave it to boil for 2 to 3 minutes, this helps infuse the flavours yet keeping a beautiful green colour to the coriander.

· Serve with coarse bulgur or a whole grain of your choice, preferably brown rice.

Notes:

· Roasting cauliflower adds depth in flavour to any dish or salad.

· Try it with a squeeze of lemon.

· As the health benefits of the Brassica family is very high, I recommend incorporating them in your diet at least twice a week.

Per Serving: 289 Calories; 19g Fat (56.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fibre; 25mg Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium.