Recently I have been obsessed with turmeric and tahini. I've been sprinkling turmeric on everything; from my overnight oats in the morning to my salads or hard boiled eggs with a little sea salt (do it!) and with tahini it's the base for my salad dressings, energy bites, and toasts with avocado! I've been trying to incorporate turmeric more into my daily life because of it's health benefits- the one that did it for me- the anti-inflammatory properties it has. The downside of turmeric? The stuff gets everywhere and stains like crazy! All my white dish towels are now a nice golden yellow. Oh well, things could be worse! Anyways, over the weekend I was planning on making a some sort of gut healthy spring time recipe including a new dressing to go along with it and it hit me that I've never combined tahini and turmeric together! Done and done!

Now that spring is finally here, I am all about the lighter and quick meals, especially ones that are good for your gut. Around this time of the year I feel like I like to do a spring cleaning of my diet rather than my closet. I don't go on a diet, ever, I just like to make sure I am eating whole/real foods and eating the right foods for my body- ones that are full of nutritional value and are going to fuel my body. So what's in this bowl?

First off, I decided to make this bowl completely vegetarian. You're going to receive so much protein from the seeds and nuts and enough healthy fats from the avocado and the dressing to keep you full and satisfied that you won't miss a thing.

Let's talk: Hemp seeds. Hemp seeds have a nutty, sweet flavor and are slightly oily in texture. These are something you should be sprinkling on your salads, toasts, oatmeal, or homemade protein bars daily! Hemp seeds are a rich source of a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and are a great source of fiber! Adding three tablespoons of hemp seeds to a salad or smoothie adds 10 grams of high-quality protein. Yes! Next up, pine nuts: The protein and magnesium in pine nuts makes them an excellent source of energy, so whenever you’re feeling tired, pop a few! They boost your immunity, build stronger bones, and fight free radicals. Also, they taste so good roasted in the oven in a little bit of coconut oil...

Kale. You're probably sick of hearing about kale, but it is so good for you. It is great for aiding in digestion with its high fiber content. It is also a great detox food and full of iron and calcium! Cauliflower. Instead of roasting cauliflower I wanted to make it into "rice." I've done this so many times when I've made my grain free tabbouleh, that I wanted to give it a go again. This cruciferous veggie has many detoxification and anti-inflammatory benefits that help aids in digestion!  I added avocados in this bowl because, honestly I can't go one day without eating them, but also it is said that avocados are soothing for the intestine and therefore help aid in digestion! They contain soluble and insoluble fibers that help to keep digestive system running smoothly. OK, one last thing- radishes. Radishes are a natural cleansing agent for the digestive system, relieve bloating, and help to break down and eliminate stagnant food and toxins built up over time! Did you know that?

So as you can see this bowl is doing your gut some really good things and once you add the creamy turmeric tahini dressing on top, you'll be in superfood heaven!

This whole dish can be prepared pretty quickly and made in large batches, which is great for Sunday prep nights! I like to massage the kale in olive oil for this dish to get rid of the bitterness and I also decided to sauté the pine nuts for a few minutes, as well as the cauliflower rice in Nutiva's Organic Red Palm Oil. I hadn't tried this before, but it gave the nuts and the cauli rice a really rich buttery flavor! Their oil is organic, Non-GMO, sustainable, habitat-friendly and orangutan-safe. Also, red palm oil Is high in antioxidant vitamins A and E!

I think you're going to love this! It is such a good flavor combination from the creamy, savory dressing to the crispy fresh radishes, buttery avocado, toasted pine nuts, all mixed in with the crunchy kale and cauliflower rice!

Main Meal/Salad
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Total time: under 30 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower (medium sized)
1 bundle of kale
1/2 cup of parsley
1 cup radishes; thinly sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 avocado
2-3 tbsp. of nutiva red palm oil

Turmeric Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup warm water*

*Add more or use less water depending on consistency. More will result in a thin consistency, less will ensure a thicker/creamier dressing.

Directions:

For the dressing:

Whisk the ingredients in a small bowl, taste test, adjust & set aside.

1. First, wash, de-stem, and chop the kale. Add it to a bowl with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Massage the kale for 5 minutes with your hands. Set aside.

2. Remove the cauliflower leaves and the tough end of the stalk. Use a food processor (the S-curved blade or grater attachment) or the coarse side of a grater to grate the cauliflower into rice-size pieces.

3. In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of nutiva red palm oil to the pan. Once warm, add the the grated cauliflower with 1 tbsp. of water, and stir to mix.

4. Cook over medium heat, with the lid on, to let the grated cauliflower steam for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but still with a little bite. Check after 3 to 4 minutes to make sure there is still enough water in the bottom of the pan to stop the cauliflower from sticking. Once finished, remove from the heat and set aside.

5. In a small non-stick skillet, add 1 tbsp. of nutiva red palm oil and once it becomes hot add the pine nuts. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. They will cook fast; be careful not to burn. Remove and place on a paper towel to release excess oil.

5. In a large mixing bowl add the kale, cauliflower rice, radishes, avocado, and mix with the turmeric tahini dressing. Finish with the toasted pine nuts, parsley, and sprinkle the hemp seeds on top. Give it a light toss. Enjoy!