Israeli Cauliflower ‘Rice’ with Felafels

Serves 2 I’m such a big fan of cauliflower. It’s so rich in a wide variety of nutrients, such as vitamins C and K, folate and fibre, plus it’s really versatile. It’s a great lighter alternative to rice, not to mention a delicious way to up your serves of vegetables.

½ head cauliflower, broken into florets

½ tablespoon olive oil

1 spring onion, finely sliced

60g ( ½ cup) mushrooms, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, minced sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander 2 tablespoons sultanas zest and juice of ½ lemon

50g baby spinach leaves

¼ cup toasted nuts and seeds (a mixture of pepitas, sunflower seeds, flaked or slivered almonds, pine nuts or pistachios) 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander

2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

240g (about 3 large or 6 small) good-quality store-bought felafels, cooked or heated according to packet instructions

GARLIC YOGHURT SAUCE

130g ( ½ cup) plain Greek-style yoghurt

½ garlic clove, minced juice of ½ lemon

1 To make the yoghurt sauce, place all the ingredients into a small bowl. Add a good pinch of salt and stir together well. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

2 Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble grains of rice.

3 Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the spring onion and mushroom and cook for a few minutes or until they begin to soften.

4 Add the cauliflower ‘rice’ and the garlic to the pan with a good pinch of salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

5 Add the ground spices, sultanas, lemon zest, juice and baby spinach to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until the spinach has wilted.

6 Turn the heat off and add the toasted seeds and nuts along with the chopped herbs and stir together well.

7 Divide between two bowls and top each serving with half of the felafel and a dollop of garlic yoghurt sauce.