Gaby Dalkin is the down to earth chef and recipe developer behind What’s Gaby Cooking. Gaby’s third cookbook, Eat What You Want debuted this week and she had us at the title.
Healthful eating has come a long way in the last decade, thanks to so many chefs, bloggers and home cooks applying their best culinary efforts to direct our population in a healthy direction that is also enjoyable.
Try Gaby’s bowl recipe below for perfect proof of what modern, healthy cooking looks like. Feeling lazy? Just make the dressing, keep it in the fridge and pour it over just about everything you eat this week!
Cauliflower Shawarma Bowl
Serves: 4
I originally came up with this recipe as a side dish, serving the cauliflower on its own,
because it really is that good. It has all the rich, crispy flavor of a meat- based shawarma, which
is perfect for a Middle Eastern street food–style bowl with fresh veggies, hummus, feta, and
tahini dressing. Serve it with pita chips and you have yourself a meal.
Ingredients:
2 pounds (910 g) cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 cup (240 g) hummus (page 51)
1 cup (55 g) shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup (95 g) shredded purple cabbage
1 cup (145 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup (120 g) sliced Persian cucumbers (about 1 cucumber)
½ cup (75 g) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup (240 ml) Lemon Tahini Dressing (see recipe below)
Toasted pita chips
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put the cauliflower florets on the prepared baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine
the turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, paprika, and olive oil and stir to blend.
Drizzle the spiced oil on top of the cauliflower and toss to combine so the florets are
evenly coated. Roast for 35 minutes, or until the cauliflower is caramelized and
browned.
3. To assemble the bowls, schmear ¼ cup (60 g) of the hummus in the bottom of 4 bowls.
Top the hummus with equal amounts of the romaine, cabbage, tomatoes, and
cucumbers. Pile about ¾ cup (245 g) of the roasted cauliflower in the middle of each
bowl and sprinkle with the feta. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the lemon tahini dressing
and serve toasted pita wedges alongside to scoop up anything you want!
Lemon Tahini Dressing
(Makes 2½ cups)
Maybe one of my best creations yet. It’s great as a drizzle, perfect for dipping veggies, and
doubles as a vegan Caesar salad dressing. Just know that tahini likes to thicken up, so if you
store this in the fridge for a few days, you’ll want to thin it out with a little more water before
using it. But don’t worry—it will still retain its flavor.
Ingredients:
8 ounces (225 g) tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until perfectly
smooth like a peanut butter. Stream in 1 to 2 cups (240 to 480 ml) water a little bit at a
time until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
