Over the course of the weekend, we celebrated two birthdays and Father’s Day, which meant a perfect time for me to experiment with a new recipe!
I wanted something new and exciting, but summery! I’ve also been paying closer attention to Ayurveda principles when it comes to the food I eat, so I was wanting to create a recipe that would allow me to balance my vata dosha.
So, after a Google search of “vata summer recipes”, I came across this recipe from Joyful Belly, one of my favourite resources for all things Ayurveda.
However, since I don’t tolerate quinoa very well and there were other people that were going to be there this weekend that also don’t eat quinoa, I decided to sub out the quinoa for cauliflower rice!
Those of us who have vata as our dominant dosha, however, don’t tolerate raw vegetables very well, either, so this recipe requires that you cook the cauliflower rice, which I prefer anyways!
It hasn’t even been 48 hours since I first made this recipe, but it was so good that I had to share it with you today! I proudly hoarded all of the leftovers for myself and am sure you will do the same! It’s truly that good and perfect for any summer dinner!
We served this side dish with grilled chicken and a wide variety of other sides, but I think it would make the perfect side dish for grilled shrimp or grilled salmon!
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (approximately 1.5 cups), chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- The juice of 1 lime
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- While your oven is heating, rice your cauliflower using a food processor.
- Take your riced cauliflower and transfer it from your food processor onto a lined baking sheet. Lightly season with sea salt and put it in the oven to cook for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
- While your cauliflower is cooking, add your chopped onion to a large serving bowl and then mix up the dressing by combining the olive oil and lime juice together in a smaller bowl, leaving the herbs to the side.
- When the cauliflower rice is cooked, remove it from the oven and measure out 6 cups of cooked cauliflower rice.
- Add the 6 cups of cooked cauliflower rice to the large serving bowl with the onions. Adding the hot cauliflower rice to the raw onions will allow the red onions to become slightly tender. Toss the cauliflower rice and onions together, then allow to cool to room temperature.
- When the salad has come to room temperature and approximately 30 minutes from serving, add the herbs and dressing to the salad. Toss so all ingredients are distributed evenly.
- Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, toss again, and serve.
This recipe also makes great leftovers! Today, I am likely going to enjoy the last of the leftovers warmed up and topped with sardines! The lime, cilantro, and mint will pair perfectly with some deliciously oily sardines!
As always, if you try this recipe – let me know! I’d love to hear back from you!
