Roast Beetroot & Cauliflower Salad with a Creamy Tahini Dressing

This easy salad is so delicious! 

There's plenty of prebiotic goodness in the beetroot and cauliflower - those prebiotics have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, which is so important in the perimenopause and menopause, when inflammation can potentially increase due to the loss of estrogen and testosterone.  

This is one of the recipes I share in Dr Louise Newson's new book here. 'The Definitive Guide To The Perimenopause and Menopause'.
As well as contributing my top gut health tips!

I like to eat this salad warm from the oven or cooled and saved for later. Both work well. 

Tip: If you have your oven on to roast these vegetables, think about what else you can roast at the same time, so this makes it even more worthwhile having the oven on. 

Photos by Kirstie Young Photography for the balance menopause app 

For the salad:
320g raw beetroot
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ large cauliflower (about 600g) washed and cut into small florets
30g almonds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Handful of parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
1 heaped tablespoon unsweetened natural yoghurt 

Preheat the oven to 200˚ C regular/180˚ C fan forced

Chop the stems off the beetroot and thoroughly wash off any soil – no need to peel them. Then cut into small wedges and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, pinch of salt and pepper.
Put the beetroot wedges on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes or until slightly soft to the touch. Tip: always aim to under, rather than overcook beetroot to help retain the nutrients.
Toss the cauliflower in the remaining olive oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Put on a separate baking tray and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is slightly golden around the edges.
For the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the almonds, cumin and pumpkin seeds to the trays to lightly roast. 
Remove both trays from the oven and allow the beetroot, cauliflower, almonds and seeds to cool to room temperature, or if you prefer this salad warm, then use straight away.
In a large salad bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together. If the mixture looks too thick, add a little water. The aim is to get to the consistency of thin custard.
Chop the parsley and add to the salad bowl.
Add the beetroot, cauliflower, almonds, cumin and pumpkin seed mix to the salad bowl. Using your hands, gently mix the dressing through the vegetables before serving. 

I often like to add some more protein to this salad by crumbling in some firm tofu or adding cooked egg.