As with most recipes, the most delicious ones come from pure happenstance and whatever I happen to have on hand. This mole cauliflower came about for two reason. An assistant who made a massive amount of mole and a last-minute potluck where I needed to bring a dish. I happen to have a head of cauliflower on hand, so I set to work.
I realize this the mole sauce may be a red flag for some because at it's root, it's a complex process with 25+ ingredients. However, you have options here. To start, find local Mexican grocers who might have homemade mole paste for sale. This is best place to start. If you can't find any there, make a quick version from a recipe like this or this. Or of course, if you're in it to win it, make an authentic batch.
Nuts: Pepitas a are a kitchen staple for me but you might not have them on hand. Look and see what nut/seed was used in the mole sauce and try to either match or compliment that. Toasted almond slices or pecans would be lovely.
Grain Bowl: Really the only thing missing, to make this a dinner, is grains. I could easily make a meal out of this cauliflower mix with the help of quinoa, farro, or millet.
Mole: If you don't feel like trying your hand at mole, you could swap out sauces. I'd recommend roasting the cauliflower in a romesco sauce or a flavorful masala paste. The flavor in this dish is really in whatever you roast the cauliflower in- don't skip!
Yum!!! I have been obsessed with cauliflower lately! This looks so so good!!
This was excellent! And easy (ok, so I used a store bought mole....).
This recipe sounds absolutely wonderful. I checked out the authentic mole recipe and it sounds great. I would warn people to be careful with store-bought moles - I tried a jar of Doña Maria (recommended by a Mexican) and it was awful. (My other experiences with mole are homemade and restaurants.) Nothing like a fresh-made mole. Even a simple one is a better choice. By the way, "mole sauce" is a redundant expression: mole is the Spanish word for sauce…
Another possibility for an easy mole is a recent recipe posted by Ali of Gimme Some Oven: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/holy-mole-sauce/ I haven't tried it yet, but her recipes are usually excellent.
Wow, that looks really tasty. Mouth watering