Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Morning!

So I’ve been trying to eat a bit more grain free lately – due to tummy issues!  So I’ve done a ton of research and checked out tons and tons of recipes and cauliflower is basically a grain and dairy free person’s perfect food!    It really meld into anything you want it to be from super creamy alfredo type sauce, to a low carb stand in for mashed potatoes to chicken wings to a grain in salads!    Over the past few months we’ve eaten a lot of cauliflower recipes (and enjoyed them too!)

The other day I wanted a yummy salad but was bored of plain old greens.   I used to make a super yummy bulgur wheat tabbouleh & was totally craving that recipe so I got to thinking and this was created!  You can serve it with any protein you like – I did some leftover grilled salmon but chicken, tofu, tempeh would all be great as well!  Get that protein in to keep your belly full!

This salad is FRESH, bright and crisp and would be an awesome addition to a potatoes salad heavy BBQ!   The longer you let the flavours marinate the better – so make ahead of time if you can!

 

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

1 head cauliflower – chopped into small pieces – ideally rice sized but totally up to you!

1 bunch fresh parsley – washed, de-stemmed and chopped

1 handful of cherry tomatoes- cut in half

1/4 purple onion – diced

1-2 TBSP sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) ~ for crunch!

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

2 TBSP olive oil

No-salt added seasoning (I used Epicure sundried tomato) (optional)

Dash of stevia or 1/4-1/2 tsp honey, agave or maple syrup (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Toss chopped cauliflower, chopped parsley, tomatoes, onion & sunflower seeds into a bowl! 

Mix dressing together (my favourite way to mix dressings  is in a mason jar and shake shake shaken) pour dressing over salad and mix together!   Let the salad sit for a bit to let the flavours marinate together – overnight is best but work with what time you have!

NOTES

If you don’t like cauliflower you could easily sub bulgur wheat, quinoa or any grain in this recipe!

Cucumber is a great addition to this salad!

A few pieces of mint can be added for some extra freshness!

Enjoy and please let me know if you give it a try!

xo Jessica

Meal Plan January 13-19

Glad everyone enjoyed the meal plan so much!  It was one of my top posts of all times!

Anyways – here’s what’s on schedule for this coming week! 

Monday – Burger, Homemade Fries & Salad (I’m making myself these Lentil Walnut Burgers)

Tuesday – Chicken Soup with Homemade Bread ( Vegan Irish Soda Bread)

Wednesday – Family Dinner

Thursday -  Chicken & Brown Rice Casserole with asparagus and probably salad  - in the recipe – will sub unsweetened almond milk for milk & use the non condensed milk version.  

Friday – BBQ Pork and Veggies (peppers, onions and zucchini), roasted sweet potatoe (served with sweet chili sauce) – I will likely skip the pork and have BBQ tofu (marinated in hoisin sauce)

Weekend sometime – Turkey with all the Fixins – probably everything here – we went for dinner at people’s houses for Christmas and missed out on Turkey Leftovers!

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Other things I’m making for a successful week – So a bunch of girlfriends and I are doing the 90 day Bikini Body Mommy Challenge – it’s a free online workout challenge and we are officially done week #1!  It’s hard work – but I’ve seen results in the first week – WOOO!

To keep myself eating ok – I need to do prep on the weekend – so I will me making;

Kale Chips (sorry the recipe is a little wacky on here – but hopefully you can read it)

Quinoa Coconut Granola Bars

Some kind of hummus – (likely will be making the curry/raisin one which I love to eat with carrots)

My friend Tasha’s low fat Granola to go in cultured coconut milk yougert!

PS – if you are ever looking for Dairy Free Snack ideas – check out this post – huge list (with links!)

Hope you are enjoying these meal plans!!

Meal Plan January 5-10

Hey guys!

So I posted on facebook last night to see if anyone was interested in seeing our weekly meal plan – even if it didn’t include recipes and there was lots of interest!  So here is the first one!

So a few words about my eating – I have a husband that loves to eat meat – so I always include meat in our dinner meals – I really enjoy chicken and seafood but red meat and pork I could always pass on (and often do!) I typically eat pretty plant based for my breakfast/lunch and snacks.  We don’t often plan for dinner on Saturday or Sunday – we usually either throw something (think soup/stews) together or go out for dinner either at friends houses or restaurants or we plan last minute and make a big dinner like Newfoundland Jiggs Dinner or my husband cooks!! (which I love!)  

Breakfasts – for breakfast I often have toast with avocado, nooch and sea salt; sugar free cereal with fresh fruit and sees/nuts and almond milk; eggs and toast; coconut yogurt with berries and seeds; scrambled eggs with veggies; leftovers from dinner; green smoothies; rice or wasa crackers with nut butters and dates – you get the idea…  Mom’s muffins are one of my favorites!

Lunch – lunch is often the veggie left overs from dinner;  or a snack plate that’s full of veggies, hummus, crackers, fruit; salad rolls are another favorite with peanut butter sauce; stir-fried veggies; quinoa salad etc. 

Snacks – dates stuffed with nut/seed butter; kale chips; tortillas chips with salsa/guac, energy balls; apples or celery with nut butter; fruit & nut trail mix; banana with peanut butter and sunflower seeds; larabars; smoothies.

Are you interested in seeing more posts like this? 

Jessica

Guest Post <Saffron Chicken Tagine on Honey Raisin Couscous>

 

Hiya guys!  Today I’m excited to have a post from my bestest friend Tasha from her new blog Imperfect Girl Trying to Live a  Healthier Life!  Her blog isn’t 100% dairy free, however, she strives to eat dairy free as much as possible and almost always suggest dairy free alternatives if she does use dairy!  Her blog is fantastic for meal idea as she’s always posting mouth watering ideas and recipes!  Also check out her facebook page here!  Thanks Tasha for doing this post – this recipe is mouth watering!

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Hello DFB followers! I feel very honoured that Dairy Free Betty asked me to do a guest post.  My name is Tasha, and I am an Imperfect Girl Trying to Live a Healthier Life.  I started my blog in May as a way to document and share my journey toward living a holistically healthier life.  I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is one of my favourites...

Saffron Chicken Tagine on Honey Raisin Couscous

Ingredients

Chicken

2 tsp cinnamon, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika and turmeric

3 chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 diced onion

1 TBSP grated fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic minced

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup pitted dates or raisins

1 tsp lemon juice

pinch of saffron

14oz jar artichokes drained and quartered

1 cup frozen peas

Cornstarch

Couscous

1/2 cup juice (orange or apple)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

1 tsp sat

3/4 cup dry couscous

Directions

Mix together 2 teaspoons of each cinnamon, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, & turmeric, in a large resealable bag.  Cut up 3 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  Get the chunk wet & toss them in the resealable bag coating them with the spices.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet, over medium heat. Add the chicken breast, and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms and 1/2 a small diced onion to the pan, cook 2 minutes.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, and a clove of chopped garlic, sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of pitted dates (I also use raisins when I don't have dates on hand), 1 tsp lemon juice, and a pinch of saffron threads.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

At the 15 minute point of simmering prepare couscous.  In a medium sized saucepan add 1/2 cup of juice,  (the original recipe calls for apple juice, but I often use orange juice.  This time I used Happy Planet Mango Peach.) 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup golden raisins, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons raw honey, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and bring to a boil.  Add 3/4 cups dry couscous of choice ( I used whole wheat), stir in, cover with lid, and remove from heat.  Let stand for 5 mins, and then fluff with a fork.

Increase heat and add a mixture of cornstarch and water and stir in to pan.  When sauce begins to thicken, add 14oz of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered, as well as 1 cup of frozen peas.  Lower heat and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve over Honey Raisin Couscous.

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Enjoy!

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Yum hey?

Tasha has a long list of meal ideas for when I come to visit, this is officially being added to the list! 

Have a great day – and my next post (hopefully) will be full of a TON of dairy free snack ideas!

PS – I changed my commenting section back to how it used to be – so now everyone should be able to comment!!

Jessica