Photo: [Michelle Langton]

Does a warm, spicy, hearty salad made with some cruciferous delights sound like a little piece of heaven to you?

Looking for ways to spruce up your salads as we move from summer to the scent of sweet autumn? Cruciferous veggies like cauliflower have stacks of Vitamin C, K and have been found to support digestion, cardiovascular systems and also have anti-cancer properties. They are well known for helping to aid a nice poop too, which always feels great and is good for you!

I was inspired by a local restaurant called Nuba where they serve mainly Lebanese tapas dishes. 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, sea salt and some tahini. I think they over-fry it a little, but it’s mouth-wateringly fantastic and hard to share without scoffing them down yourself.

I decided to create a warm Lebanese-inspired salad using cauliflower.

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 and beets into little cubes and smother in olive oil. Whack them in the oven at 350F in an oven proof dish (avoid aluminum if possible, it’s 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 their thickness, 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 turmeric) and fresh lemon juice. Grate the lemon peel onto the florets, coating each one ensuring a nice pasty oil is covering the whole floret for maximum flavor. Whack it in the oven with the rest of the veggies for 30 minutes.

Finally, lightly steam your greens adding some fresh lemon juice 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/or you could also add some balsamic vinegar if desired.

Enjoy dinner outside and take advantage of the last of summer. Welcome the new season either alone with a cozy blanket, or with prodded non-snoring partner and watch the leaves start to change colors ever so slightly. Autumn is coming and I personally cannot wait. Namaste.

Michelle Langton is a Registered Yoga Teacher who’s volunteering for Yoga Outreach, providing yoga and complimentary holistic services to positively augment women’s recovery. She is a self confessed cake loving Registered Holistic Nutritionist, who also studies holistic bodyworks. Her passion is learning how we can heal our bodies through food, touch, yoga, laughter and love. Sometimes she doesn’t shower or brush her hair every day and she secretly likes how her armpits smell. She likes to sing out really loud in the shower with a rock voice. She misses home, but she’s glad to be away from it. She’s scared and excited all at once about life. Sometimes when she does yoga she wishes she could be stronger. Sometimes when she meditates she thinks about boys. She’s fearless for adventure. She’s passionate about love. Those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind! You can read The Raw Yogini blog here.

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Editor: Jennifer Townsend

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