Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I have been loving this roasted cauliflower salad for lunch during my luteal phase! It's an easy and nutritious hands-off meal, which makes it great for a busy work-from-home day. All you need to do is chop your cauliflower and onions, then bake it with chickpeas in the oven. Serve over spinach, parsley, and cucumbers and you got yourself a meal!

Ingredients for your luteal phase: cauliflower, onion, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cucumber. During the luteal phase, you want to focus on fiber-rich foods to support the large intestine in flushing out excess estrogen and consume nutrient-dense food as your body's metabolism naturally speeds up.

Cauliflower, part of the cruciferous vegetable family, contains Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) which decreases the concentration of metabolites that activate the estrogen receptor, making it a great way to lower estrogen. It’s also packed with vitamin C, which aids proper hormone production and is an antioxidant, which reduces inflammation.

Onions are one of the easiest ingredients to add to a luteal phase recipe! They are high in antioxidants, help regulate blood sugar levels, and are a great source of manganese and potassium.

Cucumbers are a great way to hydrate yourself through food, which is especially important during the luteal phase when you might experience bloating or puffiness.

Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans are great for luteal because they are high in fiber which helps flush out excess estrogen, but also high in vitamin B6 which aids progesterone production. It's also a good source of plant-based protein - and protein helps stabilize blood sugar which can help balance your mood as you go into your menstrual phase.

Tahini is a luteal phase food because it's essentially just sesame seed butter. Sesame seeds (therefore tahini) are high in zinc which is crucial for progesterone production and they contain lignans which help block excess estrogen as progesterone rises.

Garlic is filled with anti-inflammatory properties, and studies actually show that the consumption of garlic helps significantly reduce premenstrual symptoms with a confidence interval of 95%!

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Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Serves: 4 Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 head Cauliflower, florets

• 1 can Chickpeas

• 0.5 Red onion

• drizzle of olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
  

Lemon Tahini Dressing

• 4 Tbsp Tahini

• 4 Tbsp Water

• 1 Lemon, juiced

• 2 Garlic clove, minced

• 1 tsp Cumin

• 2 tsp Harissa

Serve on:

• 4 cup Spinach, chopped

• 1 cup Parsley, chopped

• 2 cup Cucumber, chopped

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F

2. Rinse, dry, and then cut your cauliflower head into small, individual florets, then move them onto a large baking tray.

3. Drain and rinse your chickpeas, dry them off with a towel, then add to the baking tray.

4. Cut your onion, lengthwise, into thin strips. Add them to the baking tray.

5. Drizzle olive oil, then add salt and garlic powder to the tray and use your hands or a spatula to mix it thoroughly so the veggies are evenly coated in oil and seasoning. Then place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden and the chickpeas are crispy.

6. While the veggies are cooking, prep your lemon tahini dressing and chop your spinach, parsley, and cucumber so it's ready to serve.

7. Make the lemon tahini dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small jar and stirring until smooth. Add more water/lemon juice until you get to the consistency of your choice - I like it a little thicker so I often opt for less water.

8. Add the cooked veggies on top of the spinach, parsley, and cucumber. Then top with the lemon tahini dressing.