RAWkin Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad

My fiancé’s mother arrives tomorrow morning so I have been busy cleaning, planning meals and trying to get some work done in advance because well, it’s difficult to get things done when I’d rather be enjoying time spent with my guests. There were three things that came to mind when I started thinking about my newest post…

1.     I needed to get a post written for my blog today!

2.     I wanted to try and use things I had on hand and in my refrigerator

3.     It is sunny and beautiful and I wanted to create something light and refreshing

Are you ready to see what I came up with?? Of course you are because you already got a sneak peek from the picture above! Silly me J. Anyway, I used a handful of raw veggies, a couple of fresh herbs, some citrus, olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Voila - RAWkin Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad. This was so easy, requires no cooking and is surprisingly addicting.

Typically I choose one item in the recipe to talk about in terms of the health benefits…and well, lets be honest, most times it is a vegetable. Today I have decided to switch things up a bit and feature the amazing herb, Parsley! Parsley is rich in so many vitamins such as: Vitamins A, K, Beta Carotene, Folate, Iron and Vit C.  Actually, the Vitamin C found in Parsley supports the absorption of Iron and can help cure anemia and fatigue. This herb can improve the hormonal balance in women and can be helpful in easing cramps during menstruation and other pre-menstrual symptoms. Parsley is also a power plant when it comes to chlorophyll and can curb the growth of bad bacteria in the body. Its volatile oils can prevent certain forms of cancer and consuming parsley daily (uh hum…in your smoothies or juices! Add it to this recipe!) may reduce high blood pressure and prevent high blood pressure. So next time this little herb is used as a garnish on your plate – EAT it!!

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower

1 red bell pepper, diced

2-3 zucchini chopped into cubes

1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced (I used yellow!)

1 cup of kalamata olives, sliced

½ cup of chopped mint

½ cup of chopped parsley

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Juice from two lemons

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

Sea salt

Directions

Grate or finely chop the cauliflower (so it looks like rice or little crumbles) into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from ½ of one lemon and 1/8 cup of EVOO into the bowl and stir. Set aside.

Chop the remaining veggies and herbs and add them to the cauliflower along with the olives.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, garlic and salt. Once it starts to emulsify pour it over the veggie mixture, stir and serve!