A nutrient dense, delicious soul-food to make you stronger inside and out: The cauliflower delivers tons of antioxidants and sulphuric compounds to boost your natural defenses. The eggs and cheese deliver great flavor and protein to keep you fuller & stronger for longer.

This dish is even better the day after you’ve prepared it, just wrap it well and keep it in the fridge. Also it’s a great dish to bring to work or a fabulous snack for your kids (cut into bitesize cubes). If cauliflower is not your thing, you can replace with any other vegetables you like. (Recipe inspiration Ottolenghi)

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

1 small cauliflower (about 500-700g), outer leaves removed, broken into 3 cm florets. (or any other vegetable that’s in season. It tastes even better if you use grilled/oven roasted veggies, e.g. zucchini or eggplant)

optional: 2-3 medium organic potatoes (200g), cooked and skin on, sliced in 1cm slices

1 medium red onion (about 150-200g)

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Melted unsalted butter, for brushing

Optional: 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon nigella (also known as black caraway) or black sesame seeds mixed

7 large free-range eggs

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Parmesan or other aged hard cheese (e.g. gruyere)

1 cup  whole grain flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (mix with flour)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (mix with flour(

Freshly ground black pepper and salt

Method:

1. Steam the cauliflower florets in the steamer at 100°C (about 20mins) or in a colander that’s placed over boiling water. The florets should break when pressed with a fork. Set aside to cool. You can also steam the potatoes at the same time as the cauliflower, they will take a bit longer though.

2. Cut 4 round slices, each ½ cm, off one end of the onion and set aside. Dice the rest of the onion and place in a small frying pan with the oil and rosemary. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

3. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200°C (180° fan).

4. Meanwhile, brush a 24cm round springform (or another higher baking tray) with butter (sides and base). Toss the sesame/nigella mix around the inside of the pan so that they stick to the sides and base (hold it over the sink to avoid a big mess). Fill the springform with cauliflower, and potatoes.

5. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs and whisk well to combine. Add flour, baking powder and turmeric (through a sieve to avoid lumps), 1 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper. Whisk until smooth then add the cheese and basil.

6. Pour the egg mixture (over the veggies) into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange the reserved onion rings on top. Bake until golden brown and set, about 45 minutes. A knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. It needs to be served just warm (not hot or cold(. Enjoy with a cucumber, dill and mint salad dressed with a simple slightly sweet dressing (2 parts rapeseed oil, 1 part condimento bianco, salt, pepper, honey)

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!