Quick Pickles: Apples and Onions with Chinese Five Spice and Caraway

Note: I made this one up on the fly, so all measurements are approximate.  It's not a perfect recipe, but it did the trick.

• 2-3 C water
• 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T agave, sugar, or other sweetener
• 1-2 t Chinese Five Spice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 t caraway seeds
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced across the grain into half rounds
• 2 medium apples, such as Junami, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, etc., thinly sliced (with core removed)

In saucepan, bring water, vinegars, and seasonings to boil.  Let boil for 5-10 minutes.  Pour liquid over onions and apples.  Let sit for 10-20 minutes.  Drain liquid, remove bay leaf, and serve alongside something that needs a hit of fresh, pickly, spiced, biting sweetness, like Spiced and Roasted Chickpeas and Cauliflower.

Spiced and Roasted Chickpeas and Cauliflower

Adapted from http://jenessasdinners.blogspot.com/2013/08/roasted-cauliflower-quinoa-and-spiced.html

Ingredients (makes about 4 large servings)

• 1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried well
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. garam masala (or, if you don't have any garam masala, as I didn't, use a mix of mostly cumin, some cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and a little bit of nutmeg and cloves)
  
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In bowl, combine cauliflower florets, chickpeas, spices, salt, and about half of the olive oil.  In large sheet tray, pour the rest of the olive oil (about 3 T).  Put oiled sheet into preheated oven for 2-3 minutes, just until the oil is hot but before it smokes or changes color.  Once oil in sheet tray sizzles when a drop of water is added, add the chickpea/cauliflower mixture.  Spread it around, so you have one layer (or as close to it as possible).  Put in oven, stirring occasionally (but not more than once every 5 minutes), until chickpeas are roasted and largely crispy on the outside, about 30 minutes.

Once chickpeas and cauliflower are roasted, remove from oven.  Mix with fresh lemon juice.  Salt to taste.  Add fresh parsley, if you have it.  Or fresh mint might be delicious.  Serve with cooked quinoa, roasted squash, lettuce, or other side.  Add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt for creaminess, chunks of avocado, and/or pomegranate seeds.