Romesco with Roasted Cauliflower & Fennel

I made this as a quick middle of the week dish.  I wasn’t sure exactly where I was headed when I started.  I just knew I wanted to use cauliflower and fennel.  Both of these totally underrated vegetables are great for helping detox extra estrogen, something that I’m really aware of since I’m estrogen dominant.  I just love how food simply and effectively supports my body!

Once I decided on the cauliflower and fennel, I knew I wanted a comforting sauce to go along.  Enter Romesco!  Don’t let the 9 ingredients intimidate you!  I bet you have most of them sitting in your pantry.  This super simple sauce comes together in a minute in my VitaMix blender.  How much easier could it be???

And then you’re left with this creamy, deep flavored sauce with a bit of heat from the fresh garlic and chile flakes.  I don’t blend mine until it’s completely smooth.  I like a bit of texture and bite left from the almonds and I like to see the bits of the green parsley in the beautiful red sauce.

Once the vegetables come out of the oven all roasty-toasty, I place them on a big ol’ pile of arugula and top with sauce.  I like to finish with just a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

Why I use nutritional yeast.
Nutritional yeast is a good source of B vitamins, protein, fiber and trace amounts of potassium, calcium, and iron.  It adds a great nutty and slightly cheesy flavor to your dishes.  Being dairy-free and gluten-free it is generally well tolerated.

[lt_recipe name=”Romesco with Roasted Cauliflower & Fennel” servings=”4″ prep_time=”30M” cook_time=”20M” total_time=”50M” difficulty=”Simple” summary=”Simple vegetarian dish to help balance your hormones.” print=”yes” image=”http://annyssa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/img_8125-225×300.jpg” ingredients=”1 head cauliflower;1 fennel bulb;16 oz jar roasted red peppers;14.5 oz can diced tomatoes;1/2 cup raw almonds;1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves;2-3 garlic cloves, peeled;2 tablespoon lemon juice;1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste;1/8 teaspoon red chile flakes, optional;1/2 extra virgin olive oil;arugula for serving;nutritional yeast for garnish, optional” ]Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.;Cut the cauliflower into florets. Place the florets onto a baking sheet.;Trim the top and bottom from the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half. Lay the half bulb flat side down on the cutting board and slice the fennel into thin slices. Repeat with other half. Add the fennel to the baking sheet.;Drizzle the cauliflower and fennel with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and browned.;While the vegetables are roasting make the Romesco.;Place the roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes, almonds, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and chile flakes into a high powered blender. Blend on high until the sauce is creamy in texture.;To serve, pile arugula into bowls. Place the roasted vegetables on top of the arugula and spoon the Romesco on top. Sprinkle with a bit of nutritional yeast for some extra B vitamins.;;[/lt_recipe]