Fibromyalgia: Meet Your Match: Cauliflower nuggets with chimichurri sauce

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Cauliflower nuggets with chimichurri sauce

The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, an elimination diet for individuals with autoimmune diseases, has guided my eating for the past four months. Recently, I eliminated foods on the FODMAPs diet to solve some additional food problems.

One of the problems with being on such a restricted diet is there aren't a lot of food options. One tends to glom onto one particular food and eat too much of it.

Yes, this is a confession. I adore coconut and have eaten too much of it, especially given the fact that I have no gallbladder. In the absence of a gallbladder, the liver has to take over the function of processing fat in the body. I think I would have gone on blissfully eating tons of coconut if it hadn't been for getting my blood checked recently.

After all, coconut is healthy, right? It has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial healing properties, both of which I was going for by eating a lot of coconut. Of course, that's when eaten in moderation.

I guess the lesson learned is beware of how much fat, whether good or bad, that you eat, especially if you have no gallbladder. All of this means, I will be very sad when Valentine's Day rolls around because my favorite treats all use coconut and I cannot eat them right now.

The FODMAPs diet for individuals lacking certain digestive enzymes also stirs me clear of cauliflower. But I made Cauliflower Nuggets with Chimichurri Sauce before I added the FODMAPs. Cauliflower is healthy and delicious and hopefully not a problem for you.

Here's what you need for two servings:

1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 handfuls of mixed greens
1 cup of cucumber, cut into matchstick pieces
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic granules
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
salt and pepper

"I think I'll nap while you get my dinner ready."

Here's what you do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower nuggets with a drizzle of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on the baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden and tender.

In the meantime, make the chimichurri sauce. Put the fresh cilantro, olive oil, garlic, onions, dash of salt and pepper in your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy.

Once the cauliflower nuggets are done, toss with chimichurri sauce. Serve on a bed of greens and top with cucumber pieces. Enjoy as a side and add a protein of choice.