I’ve always made my own salad dressing. My mom does it. My grandmother before her, did it. It’s just the way we do in my fam – and I’m not mad about it! We all have our own variations, and I wanted to share my basic formula with you. Theres a simple combo that works magically all on it’s own, or you can enhance it with different additions, like turmeric!

Speaking of turmeric… Did you know that the biggest health benefits of consuming turmeric, exist in it’s key compound -> curcumin? And, did you know that most of the curcumin ingested gets metabolized before your body has a chance to absorb it (I’m referring to bioavailability here)? Simple solution! When you cook with turmeric, make sure to combine it with black pepper – together, bioavailability is significantly enhanced! Both black pepper and turmeric have awesome health benefits – so it’s a win-win!

Here’s how to dress any salad:

Ingredients: 

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp of a good spicy mustard

1 tsp real salt 

Optional:

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 – 1 whole scallion, thinly sliced

Fresh dill, minced

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, in place of vinegar

Dijon mustard, in place of spicy whole-grain mustard

Directions: 

Simply mix it all together and store in the container of your choice, in the fridge!

Cups, wraps, whatever you want to call them – they go down easy, pack a healthy punch, have tons of flavor and color… you can’t go wrong! I made these for a big family get-together and everyone loved them! Full disclosure – I had organic corn tortillas on hand too, but everyone pretty much preferred the cabbage cups. Why not?! Guilt-free and full of nutrients, including vitamin C. Did you know that cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, have antioxidant super powers?! Adding more to your life is a no-brainer!

So with no further ado, here’s the step by step:

(feeds a gathering of 6-8)

Ingredients:

1.5 c raw cashews

1 red onion, halved and sliced

3-4 clove of garlic

1 lemon half or whole lime, juiced

Real Salt

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed

1 avocado

1 Tendersweet cabbage, whole leaves separated

2 purple sweet potatoes, peeled

1 eggplant, peeled

2-3 zucchini, peeled

4 cups pre-soaked and cooked black beans

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, seperated

2 c matchstick carrots or spiralized carrots, for serving

2 scallions, thinly sliced for serving

Directions: 

Soak the raw cashews in a bowl of cool, filtered water for at least an hour (I do 2 hrs usually). Then, drain, rinse and add to a food processor with 1/2 cup of water, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp Real Salt, the citrus juice, a handful of cilantro leaves (reserve the remainder for serving) and a whole avocado. Give it all a whir and add more water as needed, to reach your desired consistency (I like mine a little on the runny side, so I can easily drizzle it on the tacos – but a thick dollap is a beautiful thing too!).

Cube the eggplant, sprinkle with Real Salt and set on a paper towel; allow 15-20 minutes to drain some of the moisture from the vegetable. Cube the zucchini, rinse the eggplant and toss both vegetables together with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkle of Real Salt. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread the veggies out and roast them gently at 300 degrees until they begin to brown (30-45 min).

Boil the sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes, careful not to let them get mushy (aim for “fork tender”) and then cube them and set aside. Add your red onion slices to a skillet or pan, with a swirl of olive oil and caramelize on low heat until they begin to gently brown (approximately 20 minutes).

Get your black beans from the fridge, and toss into the pan with the red onion. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan with another swirl of olive oil. Heat bean mixture on low heat for about 10 minutes to meld flavors. Set out all your goodies in a variety of bowls for a taco assembly station!