Wood-Smoked Cauliflower And Carrots With Pistachio Crunch

Wood-Smoked Cauliflower And Carrots With Pistachio Crunch
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These roasted veggies are packed with bold, smokey flavors from cooking over a wood-fired oven or a charcoal grill with a few wood chips added if you don't have a wood-fired oven. The dish ties in together with a drizzle of yogurt or sour cream, sugar-glazed pistachios and cranberries. This recipe is by JeanMarie Brownson and was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
35
minutes
Cook Time
25
minutes
Servings
6
servings
Wood-Smoked Cauliflower and Carrots With Pistachio Crunch
Total time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup hickory or apple wood chips
  • 3 tablespoon ras el hanout or mild curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 large head (about 2 pounds) cauliflower (orange cauliflower if possible), cored
  • 1 pound skinny carrots, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1 large sweet onion, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4-1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • plain yogurt or sour cream thinned with a little milk, optional
Directions
  1. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, soak the wood chips in a bowl of water. Have a perforated grill pan ready. Mix 3 tablespoons curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
  2. In a small nonstick skillet, put 1/2 cup pistachio nuts and 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Set the skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar melts and glazes the nuts, usually 1 or 2 minutes. (Do not walk away, or the nuts may burn.) Cool. Break into small pieces. The nuts can be stored in a covered container for several days.
  3. Cut about 2 pounds of cauliflower into large, bite-size florets. Put onto a baking sheet. Add 1 pound of carrots and 1 large onion. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil over everything; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with salt-spice mixture; toss again to mix well.
  4. Put a perforated grill pan over the heat source. Add the drained, soaked chips to the coals or place on a piece of foil over the gas burners.
  5. Spoon the vegetable mixture onto the grill pan in a single layer. (Work in batches if necessary.) Cover the grill and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until vegetables are nicely golden and crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (Adjust the temperature of the grill or move the pan to a cooler side if vegetables start to get too dark.)
  6. Remove the cooked vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle with 1/4 to 1/3 cup cranberries and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the thinned yogurt, if using. Sprinkle with the glazed nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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