Holy hannah, you’re going to want to grab some mints for this one. I’ve been stinking up my breath with this dressing for years, but never thought anyone else would want the recipe due to it’s lethal, date derailing capabilities. But it turns out that my pals really dig it. So here I am sharing it with you. Because we’re pals too, right?

My favourite part about this dressing is that it is versatile and super easy to make. I put it on roasted veggies like carrots, brussels sprouts, beets and my personal favourite, cumin roasted cauliflower. I’ve also been known to toss it on my favourite grilled meats. It pretty much goes well on everything and brings lame leftovers back to life with a serious punch of flavour. Now let me give you a short run-down on all the healthy details of this dish before we get to the recipe, because learning is fun, no? 

I get a ton of questions from women who have eliminated dairy from their diet, in order to improve their digestion, skin, hormonal balance and weight loss efforts, but they are concerned about where they will get their calcium. Valid concern, however, despite popular belief dairy is not the best source of absorbable calcium and can wreak havoc on even the toughest guts. So where do I suggest you get your calcium? Basically everywhere else- veggies, nuts, seeds and even fruits. Because since when does relying on one food group for a specific nutrient make any sense? It doesn’t. I suggest mixing it up and focusing on a variety of whole foods. Not only do whole foods contain calcium, but they also offer all the other nutrients necessary for building healthy strong bones. 

Think of your bone as a puzzle. Just as a puzzle is made up of many pieces, your bones are made up of many nutrients such as magnesium, boron, zinc, copper, boron, potassium, folic acid and vitamins C, D, E and K. Each of these nutrients act as a ‘piece’ necessary to complete the complex matrix of the bone’ structure. All these puzzles pieces can be obtained from a diet rich in a variety of colourful whole foods straight from Mother Nature (not a cow’s teet).

So what does all this bone health chatter have to do with caesar salad? Well, at the heart of this death breath caesar dressing lies calcium-rich tahini. Tahini is ground sesame paste with a bitter & nutty flavour. It has become a staple in my pantry as it can be used in sweet or savoury dishes, make awesome salad dressings or used on it’s own as a nut-free alternative to peanut butter or almond butter and is full of bone-building minerals and protein. But not to be out-down, the almighty kale in this salad comes in with a ridiculous 1,062 mcg of Vitamin K. That’s roughly 1,300% of the low-balled recommended daily intake recommended by the FDA & Health Canada. Vitamin K helps to regulate osteoclasts, the cells that help rebuild, remodel and repair bone. So once again kale, you rock. But we’re not done yet. The pumpkin and sunflower seeds in this dish add in other bone building nutrients like vitamin E, phosphorous, magnesium, copper and zinc, while lemon dishes out your potassium and vitamin C. So you might not make friends with this death breath salad but at least you’ll build some good strong bones. 

Death Breath Caesar Salad

2016-02-14 12:53:12

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Ingredients

1. 1 Bunch Kale
2. 2 Tbsp Sunflower seeds
3. 2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
4. 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)

For the dressing

1. 2 Large Cloves of Garlic, minced
2. 1/2 Cup Tahini
3. 3/4 Cup Filtered Water
4. Juice of 1 Lemon
5. 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
6. 1/2 tsp Salt
7. 1/4 tsp Cracked Pepper

Instructions

1. Thoroughly rinse and dry kale.
2. Tear into bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl.
3. Toss all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until well combined.*Alternatively, add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake like a polaroid picture.
4. Massage 1/2 of the dressing into the kale.* Add more or less dressing to suit your tastes.
5. Top with sunflower & pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of cheese nutritional yeast.
6. Share with a loved one and enjoy!

By Heather Allen

Heather Allen http://www.heatherallen.ca/