Looking for ways to spruce up your salads as we move from summer to slowly smelling a scent of sweet autumn? Try this warm spicy salad to give you that freshness a salad can deliver, but also the heartiness of some spice and cruciferous delights. The cruciferous veggies are well known for helping to aid a nice poop too, which always feels great, and it's good for you!
I was inspired by a local restaurant called Nuba (on Broadway & Bayswater, or gastown Seymour & West Hastings) they are Lebanese tapas dishes mainly, and the menu is fantastic, a must try if you live in Vancouver. I've been chomping down their delicious Najibs special, which is cauliflower tossed with lemon and sea salt and some tahini, I think they over fry it a little, but its mouth wateringly fantastic and hard to share without scoffing to yourself.
I decided to create a warm Lebanese inspired salad using this mouth watering ingredient. Here's how I did it, using the ingredients below, as you can see I'm not really a gal for measuring, go with what tastes best and what you like best, listen to your body!
Spinach, greens
Carrots, beets
Sweet potato
Cauliflower
Garlic
Lemon
Cumin
Olive oil
Simply chop up your carrots, beets into little cubes and smoother in olive oil, (you could also add a little honey after they have cooked if desired) and whack them in the oven at 350F in an oven proof dish (avoid aluminium where possible, its so much waste and not good for you) They should be done in around 60 minutes, sometimes the beets take a little longer, take the opportunity to sneak one in your hungry mouth to try. Chop the sweet potato into wedges and add to the oven for around 30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of wedges, just check them by prodding with a fork (like you might do to your partner to stop loud snoring). Good. They need prodding. Maybe start to keep a fork under your pillow. Next the Cauliflower, separate the florets and then add some crushed garlic, olive oil, rock salt, cumin (or tumeric) and fresh lemon juice and then grate the lemon peel to the florets, coating each one ensuring a nice pasty oil is covering the whole floret for maximum flavour. Whack in the oven with the rest for 30 minutes. Finally, lightly steam your greens adding some fresh lemon juice again to the leaves to help with digestion and add a lovely zing to the sometimes bitter leaves. Once everything is cooked, mix together in a fancy wooden bowl (not necessary of course) drizzle some more olive oil, rock salt, maybe some more grated lemon peel and you could also add some balsamic vinegar if desired. Scoff outside alone with a cosy blanket or with prodded non snoring partner and watch the leaves start to change colours ever so slightly....autumn is coming and I personally cannot wait :)
Cauliflowers have stacks of Vitamin C and K, and have been found to support digestion and cardiovascular systems, they also have anti cancer properties. For more amazing benefits of eating Cruciferous vegetables check out The Worlds Healthiest Foods here. Fractal Cauliflowers are something else???? What an amazing world we live in!
Enjoy dinner, and take advantage of the last of summer, welcoming the new season coming.
Namaste,
The Raw Yogini
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