Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for cauliflower, lentils and chorizo

The transformation that cauliflower undergoes in a very hot oven means there is now rarely a time when I don’t roast it first. Making cauliflower cheese? Roast, don’t boil, for a richer, less watery finish. For soup, roast first — boiling doesn’t release its full potential.

Roasting cauli with a few spices and paprika-laced chorizo creates a salad or side that’s packed with flavour and makes its own intense dressing; I often tub up leftovers for the following days. Cauliflower, lentils and chorizo — Prep 10 min Cook 35 min Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side.

500–600g cauliflower; ½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed; 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed; sea salt and black pepper; olive oil; 400g tin green lentils, drained; 2 tbsp sherry vinegar; 125g chorizo, chopped; 40g almonds, roughly chopped; 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced; 20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped.

cauliflower, green lentils, chorizo, roasting, paprika, sherry vinegar, almonds, spring onions, parsley, cauliflower cheese