Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Vegetable Medley with Spiced Beans

(#notafoodphotographer)

Last week I had some leftover veggies hanging around in the refrigerator, so I again fired up ChatGPT to see what it could come up with.

Having learned my lesson the last time, I specified what I wanted: 

Create a vegan recipe (not soup) that incorporates some or all of these ingredients on hand: cauliflower florets, red bell peppers, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, baby spinach, white beans, chickpeas, lentils. Also on hand are a wide variety of dried spices and herbs, vegetable broth, and grains.

It came back with the first draft of the recipe posted below, but it listed some stuff I didn't have. It also decided to use ALL of the proteins I had listed, which seemed a bit like legume overkill, so I refined my request:

omit coriander, and is it necessary to use white beans, chickpeas, AND lentils?

ChatGPT amended the recipe:

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Vegetable Medley (it's a MEDLEY, y'all) with Spiced Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup cooked white beans, chickpeas, OR lentils (choose one)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets and red bell pepper slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until they are tender and slightly browned.
• In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cumin powder, turmeric, and remaining paprika to the skillet. Stir well to coat the vegetables with the spices.
• Add the baby spinach and cook until it wilts down, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked white beans, chickpeas, OR lentils (choose one) and vegetable broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend together. If the mixture looks dry, you can add more vegetable broth as needed.
• Once the roasted cauliflower and red bell peppers are done, add them to the skillet and gently stir to combine all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Let the mixture simmer for an additional 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
• Serve the roasted cauliflower and vegetable medley with spiced beans over your choice of grains, such as quinoa or brown rice.

Feel free to customize the recipe according to your taste preferences. Enjoy your flavorful and nutritious vegan dish!

I ended up using the last of my whole wheat orzo instead of quinoa or brown rice, and I liked it - but it needed a little something.  I ended up squirting on some sriracha - and it totally did the trick.