Do you guys feel the same way I do when you wake up on Monday morning? The weekend has ended, and you’ve successfully stuffed your face full of all kinds of sweet, savory and fattening foods for the past couple of days. The start of the football season has not helped out with this little situation. So Monday morning, you wake up, and you are ready to detoxify. You’re pretty gung-ho about it for about 24 hours, and then Tuesday rolls around…and you are like “screw this, give me some fat!” This is my life. Every week is the same old deal, but I feel like…at least the attempt is there! At least there are those detoxifying Mondays, even if the rest of the week is completely unsuccessful. Who am I kidding…I’m totally stuffing my face full of Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies right now, and I’m totally not apologizing for it…
I’m not a diet person. I’m just going to throw it out there. I usually just eat what I feel comfortable eating, and because I’m a pretty avid runner, my diet tends to include a lot of carbs and protein. That being said, I do try to eat as many veggies as possible.
I was super excited about this salad. I’ve been wanting to make it for a couple of weeks, ever since I had curried cauliflower for the first time at a local restaurant. I thought that curried cauliflower on top of a bed of kale, with other veggies, would be the perfect lunch.
The kale is sautéed to perfection for just a couple of minutes to wilt it. On top of the kale, I add halved cherry tomatoes, steamed broccoli, chickpeas (one of my true obsessions), avocados, mission figs and cauliflower that has been tossed in a blend of spices and roasted in the oven.
Throw some nuts on top for a little crunch!
Beer: Paradox Beer Company’s Skully Barrel Project #9
Brewed By: Paradox Beer Company
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol Content: 7.0%
Description: I’m just going to hop right into it…I love Paradox. I love them so much. They always have something new and crazy up their sleeve, and I get excited with each and every release. They experiment…and it works…and it’s amazing. I wanted something slightly sour with wine-like characteristics for this beer pairing. Paradox’s Skully Barrel #9 seemed to fit that description perfectly. It’s wild and funky. It is the perfect compliment to this salad and the cauliflower. Paradox may be slightly difficult to find, so another wild ale will do just fine. Find one that has wine-like characteristics with just a hint of sourness.
Have a great week, everyone! Here’s the recipe!
Yields 4
10 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and black pepper
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 5 cups kale, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 6 fresh mission figs, cut in half
- 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- dressing of choice (I used Annie's Green Goddess)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the cauliflower to the bowl and toss until it is fully coated. Roast the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a large saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the kale and saute until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and remove from heat.
- Assemble your salad by layering sautéed kale, curried cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, figs, broccoli, avocado, and chickpeas. Drizzle your dressing of choice on top or on the side and serve immediately. Enjoy
