This Nourishing Roasted Cauliflower Bowl is loaded with antioxidants and fiber from the roasted cauliflower, dinosaur kale, green bell peppers, apples, red cabbage, pecans, grapes and more. This recipe is ideal for a busy weeknight dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.
The Orange Tahini Dressing is a recipe you’ll be making over and over again. It’s that good!
You’ll see me using raw pecans in lots of recipes in the next few months because they are so naturally sweet- unlike walnuts- so they add a pleasantly sweet taste without added sugar, especially when they’re combined with fresh fruits and naturally sweet veggies like purple cabbage and roasted cauliflower. Yes, roasted cauliflower can be sweet- unlike raw or steamed cauliflower which is more savory.
It’s amazing how you can create natural sweetness without any added sugar by just using a few tips such as opting for sweeter tasting veggies, sweeter nuts (pecans or macadamia nuts) and also tossing in a few sweet fruits such as grapes and apples – or pears!
There’s no need to add a sugar-laden dressing when you’ve got natural sweetness inside your bowl already. Your body will thank you because those sugary dressings are full of inflammatory ingredients- causing your blood sugar to spike and whacking out your body. That’s what you don’t want.
So, what DO you want?
Real, whole, anti-inflammatory foods and natural sweetness that will leave you satisfied all day/night long without wanting to reach for the bag of cookies or crave chocolate. When you start adding healthy fats, whole food fiber from fruits and veggies, and quality protein (such as the tahini and pecans here), your body can use those foods as building blocks to give you energy and keep you healthy and happy. Yes, there is more serotonin in your gut than there is in your brain so your food influences your mood!
This recipe is super easy to make and ideal for a weeknight dinner or weekend lunch. You know I’m all about roasting cauliflower because it’s so easy to do and tastes delicious when added to any salad.
If you haven’t tried tahini before, just go to your food store and ask the customer service for it. All it is, as you can see in the above link from Wikipedia, is pureed sesame seeds; it looks just like peanut butter but it’s using sesame seeds instead of peanuts. See the ‘Note’ on the recipe below if you’re having trouble mixing your tahini in the jar.
The freshly squeezed orange juice, tahini, water, sea salt and pepper make this dressing hard to beat. You’ll want to make this dressing again and again. It’s ideal when served with raw chopped veggies as a snack or used as a dip for my grain-free Sweet Potato Flatbread.
I have a pretty good feeling, you’re going to love this nourishing bowl of goodness.
Enjoy!
xx
Craving more healthy recipes? Subscribe to The Healthy Apple monthly newsletter for FREE to receive new recipes and health tips straight to your inbox.
When you’re food shopping, try your best to buy organic ingredients. Here’s why I eat organic: The Benefits of Eating Organic.
If you make this recipe, rate this recipe below and post a picture of it on social media (tag @TheHealthyApple). I’d love to hear from you; you can follow me and chat with me directly on facebook // pinterest // instagram // twitter or book a private session with me.
This salad is full of healthy protein, fat and fiber. It's ideal for a healthy lunch or dinner anytime of the week!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into 1 inch florets
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 head dinosaur flat kale finely chopped and ends removed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup mixed salad greens
- 1 cup purple cabbage finely chopped
- 1 large Pink Lady apple diced
- 1 cup green grapes
- 1 bell pepper diced (green, red or orange)
- 2 Tbsp. pecans raw
- 1 Tbsp. dried cherries
- 2 tsp. fresh parsley finely chopped
- Pinch sesame seeds optional
Dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini well-stirred
- 3 Tbsp. filtered water
- Juice of 1 large orange
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Salad
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Place the cauliflower florets on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of oil, sea salt and pepper. Use your hands to massage the oil onto the cauliflower to make sure the veggies are all coated with oil. Add more oil, if needed. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown.
-
Meanwhile, massage the kale in a large bowl with your hands by coating your hands with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil and massaging the kale leaves with your hands until they are dark green and soft to touch, about 2 minutes. Add the salad greens, cabbage, apple, grapes, pepper, pecans, dried cherries, parsley and optional sesame seeds.
For the Dressing
-
In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, water and orange juice. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper; drizzle over the salad mixture and serve immediately.
This recipe is so easy – I took it with me to work and it was perfect.