Roasted Cauliflower and Mustard-Hummus Rice Bowl with Garlicky Spinach & A Vegan Mustard Tasting Party

One of the main things I will miss when I leave Houston will definitely be the people: my friends, my co-workers and the awfully friendly strangers. If it weren’t for connecting so well with my co-workers, I don’t think I would have enjoyed Houston as much. And you know how I know we met special people?

They were not only amused but also excited about our idea for a mustard tasting party.

This idea had been brewing for nearly as long as our idea for a tamale party. Somehow, I managed to convince Rob, that yes, I wanted the mustard variety pack at Trader Joe’s, and yes, I knew we only had 6 months left. Oh and yes, we already had another 3-4 other mustard varieties.

We proposed the idea: help us eat our mustards, let’s have a mustard tasting party. We figured we had enough mustard to sample, but everyone also brought their own favourite mustard as well. Collectively, we had 12 mustards. Everything from a Mango Diablo mustard, to a honey and whiskey mustard, to a creole mustard and nearly the entire gamut of Trader Joe’s mustards. 😉

The question, of course, was what to serve at a (vegan-friendly) mustard tasting party.

I loved the suggestion for small boiled potatoes for tasting the mustards individually. I also made plain roasted cauliflower and Rob cut up some pita bread to serve with fresh hummus. Our guests provided some chips, pretzels, sausages and beer [including ginger beer].

The small potatoes were a resounding success. I was impressed that they all looked different when sampling, too.

For those curious: I think we all really liked Trader Joe’s Basil Mustard. The El Diablo Hot & Spicy mustard also earned high praise, but I didn’t try it since I was warned it was uber spicy. I also highly recommend Stadium Mustard that our friend brought us from Cleveland, which sadly did not make an appearance because we ate it all before the party (you can see it pictured here with my vegan cheese-stuffed sausage and sauerkraut, though).

We had a bit of odds-and-ends leftovers after the party and they combined fabulously. So fabulously, I just had to share it. Knowing that hummus+mustard worked well in my vegan deviled eggs, I worked with a mummus sauce (mustard + hummus). Worried my rice bowl may be too beige, I added the leftover roasted cauliflower and hummus to freshly sauteed garlicky spinach. I was thinking Terry’s Sesame Wow Greens would have been great, but I went with something more simple: spinach and garlic finished with toasted sesame oil. It complemented the hummus really well. (Of note, I just made a single serving but increased the amount to serve 4 in the recipe below).

Leftovers need not be boring and I may never have had the forethought (or energy) to make such an involved recipe. But I highly encourage you to try it out. 🙂

Not that I need new mustards right now, but which one is your favourite? Have you ever made homemade mustard?

This is my submission to this month’s No Waste Food Challenge.

Roasted Cauliflower and Mustard-Hummus Rice Bowl with Garlicky Spinach 

1 large cauliflower, chopped into medium florets
1 tbsp oil of choice, melted if solid
salt and lemon pepper seasoning, to taste

8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb baby spinach
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

hummus (we used our favourite recipe)

your favourite mustard

cooked brown rice, to serve

1. Roast your cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, mix together the cauliflower florets, oil and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Even space the cauliflower onto 2 silpat-lined  baking trays and roast for 40 minutes, stirring half-way through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. Make your rice.

3. Prepare your hummus.

4. Right before you want to eat, prepare your garlicky spinach: In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, place 1/4 cup water. Once hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so.  Add spinach and cover with a lid. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until somewhat wilted and a brighter green. You may need to do this in batches if you don’t have enough room. Remove from heat and drizzle with toasted sesame oil.

5. To make your bowl, place brown rice in a bowl. Top with 1/4 of the spinach, 1/4 of the roasted cauliflower and 1/4 cup hummus. Add your favourite mustard, to taste.

Serves 4.