Moroccan Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato

For the past three years, August has been an anxiety-ridden time for me.

It always began with the first Target back to school commercial, which happened, uh, in JULY.  I would immediately rush to change the channel and then swear off going to any store that sold school supplies for at least three weeks.

The presence of Halloween costumes, autumn-scented candles, pumpkin recipes, and orange paraphernalia would continue to escalate my fears until the first teacher work-day in which I could no longer be in denial about the fact that summer.was.over.

This year, of course, is different. I'm going back to school as a student, not a teacher. While I've had plenty of nerves about my new role as a student, I can't say that they compare to the pressure in preparing a classroom and curriculum for 100 students. I will always respect teachers and their continual efforts in providing a meaningful education for their students. 

The first few weeks of school are going to be a time of adjustment for me as I navigate how to manage my time, (Class, reading, MORE reading) so I will be keeping things simple on the food front. 

Simple as in a limited number of ingredients that are thrown together in thirty minutes or less.  These Moroccan roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes are a perfect example. I was so in love with the Moroccan Chickpea Stew I made last winter that I wanted to create something with similar flavors this fall. (Yep, I said it. I'm admitting that it's fall.)

Other than the lengthy list of spices (which you could shorten), this is a ridiculously-easy-to assemble recipe. Just throw everything on a baking sheet, toss liberally with olive oil, and roast to carmalized vegetable perfection. The sweet potato makes this hearty enough for a vegetarian lunch, but you could use it as a side-dish, or even add some yogurt sauce, crumbled goat cheese, and pita bread and turn it into a dinner meal. 

Good luck to students and teachers starting school on Monday!

**The colors aren't off here. The tumeric lends a lovely yellow hue to the cauliflower. :)

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Sweet Potato

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, chopped
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6-8 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.

In a small bowl, combine all the spices and the sugar

Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spread out chopped cauliflower and sweet potato amongst the two baking sheets.

Drizzle olive oil over both pans, then sprinkle with spices. Use your hands to toss the vegetables and make sure everything is evenly coated in oil and spices, adding more oil if necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through to avoid burning.