Happy 2015! Here's to a month of holiday detox (and having to cross out '01/14' on a daily basis). I hit that holidazed and confused peak while on vacation: all of the eating and drinking and merry making takes it toll. And I get it-- people love juicing. But I live in NYC, and it's pretty chilly these days, so I need something spicy and warm, yet light and satisfying. This vegan, anti-oxidant packed salad fits the bill.

Pomegranates are my antioxidant of choice. They are the only food to contain Punicalagin, which is amazing for heart health and lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol. It's packed with pistachios and chia seeds, for healthy fats and energy. The dressing I made is a creamy lemon tahini infused with tagine spices to produce an absolutely amazing spiced sweetness. I love tagines in the winter-- those slow cooked Moroccan spice infused pots of chicken and lamb that are warm and delicious. But at this point, I need to take a break from the meat. The hybrid of that rich, flavorful spice with a light salad is spot on. Cinnamon is a metabolism kickstarter- a miracle spice.

Moroccan Spiced Pomegranate Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

vegan, detoxifying, and satisfying | serves two as a main, four as a side

Ingredients:

Salad:
Lettuce of choice (I used Iceberg and Romaine because I had them on hand. Try Spinach and Mesclun, too!)
1 Pomegranate
3/4 cup Pistachios
Optional: Chia Seeds to sprinkle on top

Dressing:
Sesame Tahini [I use this brand, suggested by Bon Appétit a few issues back]
1 Lemon
Tagine Spice, also called Ras El Hanout [I use this authentic spice blend by Zamouri Spices but you could alternatively make your own using a recipe like this one]

Directions:

To begin, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. [Martha Stewart has a quick video here on an easy way to get the seeds out]
Optional step to toast your pistachios, by setting the oven to 350 degrees, and cooking pistachios on a baking sheet for 6-8 minutes (until fragrant). If you want, you can rub off the skins while warm by placing them in a paper towel and rubbing away (friction!)
Make your dressing, by combining equal parts Tahini and water. To make 1/2 cup of dressing, use 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup water. Stir in 2-3 Tbs of your tagine spice, whisking rapidly to combine. To finish, stir in lemon juice, tasting the whole time [as lemon sizes differ, just keep tasting.]
Stir everything together and serve!