Recipe: Mendocino Farms’ curried couscous with roasted cauliflower

Dear SOS: At Mendocino Farms, they make this incredible cold couscous salad that’s out-of-this-world yummy. I don’t usually like couscous, but there is something great about this cold yet tangy summer salad. If possible, could you track it down?

Doris Perl

Sherman Oaks

Dear Doris: Even if we haven’t formally hit summer just yet, this brightly colorful and refreshing couscous salad from Mendocino Farms is a perfect way to celebrate the warmer weather we’ve been experiencing lately.

Mendocino Farms’ curried couscous with roasted cauliflower

50 minutes. Serves 10

1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous or orzo

1 head cauliflower, florets broken into pieces

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

3 tablespoons light brown sugar, more to taste

3 tablespoons oil

2 small carrots, peeled, finely diced

1 cup vegan mayonnaise (or mayonnaise)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

1. Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the package. Rinse in cold water, drain well, put in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a separate bowl, toss the cauliflower with the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne, brown sugar and oil. Spread out on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until cauliflower is browned around the edges but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Remove just the cauliflower and put it in the bowl with the pasta.

3. On the same rimmed baking sheet, place the carrots and, using a spatula, toss the carrots with the leftover spices and oil. Roast the carrots until brown around the edges but still crunchy, about 8 minutes. (If you find that the spices and oil are a little overly browned from roasting the cauliflower, toss the carrots using the same proportion of new spices, salt, sugar and oil.) Add to the couscous.

4. Fold in the vegan mayonnaise, cilantro and lime juice with the pasta. Taste, and adjust spices and seasoning if desired. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

EACH SERVING

Calories 390

Protein 7 grams

Carbohydrates 46 grams

Fiber 4 grams

Fat 19 grams

Saturated fat 3 grams

Cholesterol 0

Sugar 5 grams

Sodium 513 mg