this isn’t so much a recipe as a suggestion because it’s so simple. it’s also something i eat every single day. i’m a creature of habit and when i find something i love i usually eat it non stop until the day comes when the idea of it turns my stomach. i expect i’ll be eating one of these a day at least through august. the perfect light and healthy meal for midday. and, the secret ingredient gives it just the kick i need to fully satisfy. {more after the jump, including an animation!}
i’ve been waiting a long time to fall in love with radicchio. i love how it looks but the bitterness of raw radicchio is not to my liking and i always end up picking it out of salad mixes. but grilled, with a sweet dijon dressing and some crunchy almonds… that changes everything. this is so simple to make, beautiful to serve and delicious to eat. i’m into it. *this is a salad that is better off as an accompaniment to a meal than the star of the show, in my opinion. recipe after the jump.
the what:
1 small head of radicchio, quartered
3 endives, halved
refined coconut oil
1/4 cup tamari roasted almonds, rough chopped
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
sea salt
cracked black pepper
the how:
cut bottom of endives (leave enough for them to stay together)
place quartered radicchio and halved endives onto a hot grill (or in my case, a grill pan, which i am mildly obsessed with!) *use refined coconut oil to grease the pan if you go that route
cook for a few minutes and use tongs to flip. grill radicchio until it’s softened, browned and charred and endives until they are softened and have clear grill marks (see photos above for what you’re aiming for!)
while veggies are grilling, mix 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard with 2 tablespoons of high quality grade A maple syrup
once the radicchio and endives are fully cooked, remove from grill and chop into salad bite sized pieces.
toss with dressing (as much or as little as you prefer) and almonds. season (liberally) with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. enjoy!
i have never seen a crazier looking vegetable than this one. so i ignored romanesco for awhile, i dismissed it as a veggie trend with all of it’s neon coloring and psychedelic shapes- too fancy for this girl. but yesterday, i broke. i bought a head. it was sitting next to some purple cabbage and i had some oprah aha moment where i pictured it mixed into a stir fry all colorful-like. and i knew, we’re going to be friends, this bizarre vegetable and I. and so we are. it’s delicious, and funky and has a great texture. i’m a fan, romanesco, i’ll stick with you even when neon isn’t cool anymore.
the what:
1 head of romanesco broccoli, chopped
1 cup (dry) forbidden rice
1/2 of medium/large purple cabbage, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of dark toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons shoyu (or substitute a little less soy sauce)
juice of one lime
2 green onions, sliced for garnish
siracha (optional)
the how:
prepare forbidden rice (i rinse thoroughly and then cook 1 cup of dry rice with 1 1/2 cups of water in our rice cooker). this can be done in advance or be cooking while you’re prepping the veggies.
heat sesame oil in a wok over medium heat. add onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes minutes. the onion should be softening.
add romanesco broccoli, one tablespoon of shoyu and the juice of 1/2 of the lime. mix it all up, cover and cook for 2 more minutes.
add cabbage, one tablespoon of shoyu and second half of lime. cook until the cabbage and romanesco are to your liking (I prefer a little crunch, but cook longer if you like a softer stir fry). When veggies are almost to your preference, add forbidden rice and one final tablespoon of shoyu (taste first and omit if you prefer it with less shoyu). I also add a few squeezes of siracha for some heat!
garnish with green onions. serve to amazed friends and family & enjoy!
