On gut feelings
So often what we come back to in a nutrition practice is the gut feeling. The literal and the figurative. What is your gut telling you? Which of the following come up:
- pain
- fear
- tightness
- bloating
- numbness
- lack of breath
- disconnection from movement
- burning
- heat
- coldness
All of these are indications of something. We might call the symptoms, we might call them signs, we might call them fleeting, we might call reoccurring. At the very least, to notice is to begin to pave a road to the signs.
Well, then…
So then, what the hell happens when our gut feelings change? Have we paved a road wide enough to allow for new traffic? Have we distanced ourselves from the old bottlenecks that always used to happen during this time of the day?
If you’ve been in a wellness incubator for a while, you may be frustrated when your needs change. All of a sudden, that strict style of eating that felt freeing now feels restricting. All of a sudden that high energy and clear skin are replaced by a lackluster affect and dullness all around.
This isn’t your body betraying you. This is your body sending you signals, this is your body trusting the road you’ve built enough to keep sending information down the highway. The road may just need a little maintenance, that’s all. Why wouldn’t it?
Whole Roasted Head of Cauliflower
Ready to take your dinner party to the next level? This two step head of cauliflower first gets a gentle dunk in boiling water to pre-cook it, then it marinates in the fridge until you're ready to roast! So simple with a huge whallop of flavor. Omit the honey for Whole30 or vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower leaves removed and a 1 inch hole cut into the stem from the bottom
Marinade
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup scallions
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems roughly chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional, but helps it stick)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 medium jalapeno keep the seeds or leave them out, depending on how much spice you prefer!
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole head of cauliflower, bring heat down to a medium boil and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cauliflower. You want the majority of the cauliflower covered by the boiling water.
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Meanwhile, make your marinade by combining all the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
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Remove the cauliflower from the boiling water and allow to drain and cool rightside up for about 10 minutes on a plate or in a colander. This is to ensure that the marinade sticks to the cooled cauliflower; if it's too hot, the marinade will just slide off. Not so fast!
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Slather the whole cauliflower in the marinade and evenly coat it.
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Either store the cauliflower in the fridge until ready to cook (up to two days ahead of time), or start cooking! Preheat the oven to 425 and when ready, place the marinated cauliflower on a baking tray and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until browned.
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Remove from the oven, allow to cool briefly and serve over a bed of greens or alongside your favorite starchy side dish. I like to drizzle extra olive oil, sprinkle flaked sea salt, black pepper, extra cilantro leaves and even a crumbly white cheese like feta or queso fresco. Up to you! Serve by slicing large wedges, similar to a cake.