Spicy Moroccan Cauliflower Dinner Inspired by Ruhama

Last week, I spotted some big beautiful fresh cauliflowers at my local farmers market. They looked so fresh and vibrant that I couldn't resist bringing one home with me.

Once I got home, though, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to make. I knew one thing: I didn't want an ordinary cauliflower recipe. I was in the mood for something flavorful, exciting, and a little different from my usual roasted cauliflower dishes.

So, I went online for inspiration.

Many of my friends have mentioned a Middle Eastern cook named Ruhama, so I decided to visit her website and see what everyone was talking about.

If you're not familiar with Ruhama, it's time to meet her.

According to her website, 

"Ruhama Shitrit is an Israeli-American recipe developer and content creator who shares authentic Middle Eastern recipes through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube under her brand, RuhamasFood. Drawing from her Iraqi heritage, she creates both traditional and modern interpretations of Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine."

Her recipes look delicious, approachable, and full of bold flavors that make you want to say, "wow" and head straight into the kitchen. She is a delight to watch in her videos!! She is quick, to the point, and fun!! 

I was especially inspired by her vegan Moroccan Cauliflower Video Recipe. Of course, being a food blogger and recipe developer myself, I couldn't help but adapt her idea to my own taste by adding some ingredients and leaving out others. I have a feeling Ruhama would understand—we all tend to make recipes our own and there are a million ways to make Moroccan cauliflower online.

The end result was an incredibly flavorful cauliflower dinner that was anything but ordinary.

Sometimes all it takes is one beautiful head of cauliflower from the farmers market and a little inspiration from another cook such as Ruhama to create a meal you'll want to make again and again.

Thank you, Ruhama, for the inspiration. Our vegan Moroccan cauliflower dinner was absolutely delicious. 

Here is the recipe I made- now you can make it with adaptations of your own to suit your taste!!

Ingredients: 

1 head of fresh cauliflower, sliced into steak slices

3 tomatoes, sliced

5 mini sweet peppers(any color) sliced

3-5 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (your choice)

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds +

1 teaspoon of ground cumin +

1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth

Salt

Cracked pepper

2 cups of jarred chunky salsa (mild, medium, or hot) 

+ 1 cup of water

1/4 cup of pitted whole or slice Kalamata olives

2 cups of cooked chickpeas (1 can, washed and drained) 

1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (optional if you don't like it)

Directions; 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place tomatoes, sweet peppers, red onion, cumin seeds, cumin and 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth in a large rimmed skillet that eventually can go in the oven. Begin to cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add cauliflower slices and the cauliflower crumbles, garlic, olives, salt, cracked pepper, salsa and an additional 1 cup of water . Cook for about 10 minutes covered. Remove lid, cook 5 more minutes. Add chickpeas and place in preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Top with lots of fresh cilantro (if you like cilantro) and serve.

My Notes: 

1. Serve with rice or quinoa for a satisfying meal

2. I use organic mild salsa from Aldi

3. All my recipes are naturally gluten-free 

4. This is an easy and tasty plant-based meal

5.Personally, I don't add any oils to my recipes- I use water or broth instead 

  

Computer Repairs and Best Buy

Recently, my desktop computer started acting up. It was becoming very slow, programs were frequently closing, and even typing had become frustrating. I would type something and then wait several seconds for the words to appear on the screen.

Since we have a Best Buy membership that includes computer support and repairs, I decided to use their remote service, where a technician can access your computer while you are on it and fix any problems.

Unfortunately, it was not the experience I expected.

I initially spoke with a very pleasant young woman from Panama City. We communicated easily, and she spent about 20 minutes asking detailed questions about the issues I was having with my Mac Mini. I explained that the computer was slowing down, programs were closing unexpectedly, and typing had become delayed and difficult.

She told me she would need to transfer me to the technical department but assured me she would pass along all the information we had discussed. She also took two phone numbers in case we were disconnected to make sure we re-connected.

After being on hold for about five minutes, a technician took over remotely. He exchanged a few online messages with me, assuring me that everything would be fixed. He worked for about 15 minutes, electronically. Using the chatbox, he said goodbye and asked if I had any questions.

I did have questions... but he was no where to be found. He just left the chatbox..

After waiting a while, I disconnected the remote session and happily went to explore my newly "fixed" computer.

Well... Google Search, email, Instagram, ChatGPT, and several other programs no longer worked.

WHAT?!?! Are you kidding? I wanted to cry. 

After many attempts, a message eventually appeared telling me that JavaScript had been disabled, which explained why so many programs and websites had suddenly stopped functioning.

I tried not to get too upset and told myself I could probably figure it out. Thankfully, after some searching and troubleshooting, I was able to re-enable JavaScript and everything started working again.

Whew!! Was that necessary??? 

I then called Best Buy to let them know what had happened and to ask for a report showing exactly what the technician had done to my computer. Unfortunately, I kept getting put on hold, only to be disconnected.

Has anyone else used this service? What has your experience been?

We have actually used it successfully in the past. In fact, previous technicians stayed on the phone with me the entire time, explained what they were doing, and answered my questions along the way.

This experience was very different—and honestly, very frustrating.

On another note, I made a really good cauliflower recipe last night for dinner which will be my next post. I got a beautiful locally grown cauliflower at the local farmers market. Can't wait to share this new recipe.

Mushroom Recipes Over The Years

After more than 15 years of blogging, my recipe archives are starting to feel a bit like a treasure hunt. Every time I search for something, I discover old recipes I haven't thought about in years.

Recently, I went looking for mushroom recipes. I simply typed "mushrooms" into the search bar on my blog and started browsing through the results.

 I discovered quite a collection—and several recipes I had completely forgotten about over the years. It was like opening a time capsule from my own kitchen. Some recipes brought back memories of family dinners, while others reminded me of ingredients and cooking techniques I haven't used in a while.

It was fun revisiting these recipes and seeing just how many ways mushrooms have found their way into my kitchen over the years. From comforting soups and hearty main dishes to simple sides, mushrooms have always been one of my favorite ingredients.

If you're a mushroom lover, I've rounded up some of my favorite mushroom recipes from the archives. I hope you'll find a few you might enjoy.

Mushrooms:

Roasted Mushroom Scampi  

Herbed Penne with Spinach  and Mushrooms 

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

Do you like spinach and artichoke dip- you'll love this.

Asian Mushroom Soup 

Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy

Mongolian Mushrooms and Tofu ( link)

Portobello Burgers  (link)

My Notes: 

1. One of my readers, Angie, left a comment about heavy metals in mushrooms. I had no idea. So, I looked it up and found this article which I think is important to read about mushrooms. Who knew?

Heavy Metals in Mushrooms  (link to article I found online)

Growing Fresh Herbs in Pots On The Deck- Easy and Tasty

I enjoy growing fresh herbs in pots on my deck in the summer. It's so easy and fun and you get the benefit of fresh tasty seasonings all summer. I start with small little plants that I get from a nearby organic farmer. I plant them in pots and they start to grow rather quickly. I usually water them daily as anything growing in pots dries out rather quickly.

I use the herbs in salads, soups, tea, and other cooking all summer. At the end of the summer, when the herbs are in full bloom,  I cut them down and dry them for use all winter.

How to Plant Herbs in Pots on Your Deck

There’s something satisfying about stepping out onto the deck and snipping fresh herbs for dinner or iced tea. This week I picked up  organic herb plants — lemon thyme, basil, lemon verbena, rosemary, oregano, mojito mint, and sweet marjoram — I planted in containers on my deck.

Even if you’ve never grown herbs before, planting herb plants in pots is surprisingly easy. Most herbs thrive in containers, smell amazing, and provide a little outdoor kitchen garden.

Lemon Verbena - wonderful to make into tea

Here’s exactly how I planted mine.

The Herbs I Bought So Far

• Lemon Thyme
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Mojito Mint
• Sweet Marjoram
• Basil
• Lemon verbena

 Most of them love sunny, warm conditions.

Sweet Marjoram - not sure what I'll use this for

Choosing the Right Pots

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using pots that are too small. Herbs may start tiny, but they grow quickly once summer arrives and have deep roots.

Rosemary

Rosemary can get big and bushy, so I plant it in its own pot.

• Pot size: 12–16 inches wide
• Depth: At least 12 inches deep

Mojito Mint

Mint spreads aggressively and likes more moisture than the other herbs, so it absolutely needs its own container.

• Pot size: About 12 inches wide
• Depth: 10–12 inches

Lemon Thyme, Oregano, and Sweet Marjoram

These herbs all enjoy similar growing conditions, so they can share one larger planter.

• Pot size: 16–18 inches wide
• Depth: 10–12 inches

The Best Soil for Potted Herbs

I use a lightweight potting mix rather than garden soil. Herbs hate soggy roots, so drainage is very important.

A few tips:

• Always use containers with drainage holes
• Don’t pack the soil tightly
• Add a little compost if you want, but herbs generally don’t need heavy feeding

How to Plant the Herbs

Planting them is very simple.

1. Fill the containers about two-thirds full with potting mix
2. Remove each herb gently from its nursery container
3. Loosen the roots slightly if they are tightly packed
4. Place the herb into the container at the same depth it was originally growing
5. Fill in around the roots with soil
6. Water thoroughly

That’s it.

Sunlight and Watering

Most herbs love sunshine. My deck gets plenty of sun, which these plants appreciate.

Egglpant, tomato, potato ,and zucchini Tien (link to recipe)
 topped with fresh herbs from my herb garden (before cooking)

Herbs That Prefer Drier Soil

• Rosemary
• Lemon thyme
• Oregano
• Sweet marjoram

I let the top inch of soil dry slightly before watering again.

Herb That Likes More Moisture

• Mojito mint
• Basil

Mint prefers evenly moist soil and may need watering more often during hot weather.

Not Done Yet- I still want to get some more basil and stevia plants

I still may go back and pick up some basil. For some reason, I never have any luck growing basil despite everyone I know says it grows like a weed. I'm also hoping I can find some organic stevia plants somewhere. 

Last year I dried my stevia and mint and then processed the dried herbs together in the food processor. OMG- I added it to tea- loved it.  

In the past, I used to grow sage, but I never used it. So I did not buy any this year. 

Roasted Summer Zucchini Basil Soup  (link to recipe)