Horray for spring and backyard BBQs! It is truly one of my favorite times of year! I love the smell of just about anything on the grill, the feeling of the sun on my face, watching my kids run barefoot through the yard, and spending time laughing with friends over delicious food on our patio. And BBQ season certainly doesn’t have to be a time to feel guilty or to break your healthy eating patterns. In fact, the sides with which you pair with your protein with can most definitely be both nutrient rich and delicious! I usually keep things simple on the grill, some organic / grass fed meat seasoned with a variety of spices, fresh squeezed lemon and olive oil and pair it with a ton of different side veggies. Almost as delightful as the creations the day of, are all the leftovers!
After soliciting feedback from friends, it seemed the consensus was for a few new “sides” to bring to the next BBQ! So here are two recipes for you for to bring to that next party, Curried Roasted Cauliflower and Grilled Corn with Lime & Parmesan. Both recipes are really quite simple and they bring a new combination of flavors to veggies that are already part of your BBQ!
I like to do the prepping of veggies in advance then complete the presentation come BBQ time! The corn takes 5 minutes on the grill when you’ve already got it heated up and the cauliflower, after roasting, just needs to be tossed with some spices, currants, greens, nuts and yogurt just before serving. Yum, yum, and yum! You’ll be sure to impress your friends with these unique beautiful dishes.
Please post your photos on Instagram and tag me with your creations @ChrissyDCoach. You will receive a complimentary meal plan guide for the month as a form of gratitude for reading this article and executing the recipe J.
Curried Cauliflower with Tangy Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4 sides
Ingredients
· 1 large cauliflower with leaves
· 1 Tbs. curry powder
· 1 tsp. turmeric
· 1 Tbs. unrefined coconut oil
· 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
· 1/4 cup 2% fat plain yogurt (coconut yogurt for dairy-free option)
· Juice of ½ lemon
· 1 large handful of pitted dates, chopped
· 1 large handful of sliced almonds
· 4 large handfuls of watercress
· Sea salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 410 F and let the coconut oil melt in a baking tray.
2. Meanwhile, prep the cauliflower into equal sized medium florets and clen the leaves well.
3. Carefully remove the tray and toss the cauliflower florets in the hot oil, sea salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes until tender and golden at the edges. After the first 5 minutes, add the leaves to the baking sheet and toss.
4. While cauliflower is roasting, in a large bowl, mix the curry powder through lemon, season with salt to taste. In another bowl, mix the almonds and dates.
5. To arrange, fold the cauliflower gently into the curry powder yogurt sauce in a large bowl. Then on a platter, layer some of the watercress, top with cauliflower, layer up the almonds, dates and additional sprigs of watercress.
Grilled Corn with Lime & Parmesan
Serves 4-8 sides (if you cut in ½)
Ingredients
· 4 ears of corn
· Sprinkle of cayenne pepper to taste, chili oil, or hot smoked paprika
· Juice of 1 lime
· 2 more limes cut into chunks
· 3 Tbs. butter
· A large handful of finely grated Parmesan cheese or queso fresco
· Sea salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
6. Before grilling, boil your corn on the cob on a medium simmer in salted water for 4 minutes then pat dry.
7. Place corn on the hot BBQ for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.
8. Move corn onto a serving plate, add the butter and sprinkle the cayenne and/or paprika, freshly grated Parmesan, lime juice and finish with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Serve with extra lime wedges.