Cruciferous Veggies and Grain Bowl
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Cruciferous vegetables all contain phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber that are important to your health. Eating them regularly has been linked to lower cancer risks. Here we roasted broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts, all of which are cruciferous and when roasted brings out their sweetness and adds depth to the flavors of this dish. Serve the veggies over grains and drizzle with a favorite dressing and a few chopped nuts for a complete meal. Here we used farro as our grain, made a tahini sauce and topped with some chopped roasted almonds.
MAKES: 2 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 pound broccoli, cauliflower or a combination, cut into 1½- to 2-inch-long florets, stem sliced ¼-inch-thick, leaves reserved
½ pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup tahini
1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
6 tablespoon Ice water
2 cups cooked whole grains (such as farro, quinoa, or wheat berries), warm or room temperature
¼ cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Place the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the garlic and lemon juice. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, to give the garlic time to infuse the lemon juice with flavor. Add the tahini, salt and cumin to the bowl. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Add ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking after each addition. (It may seize up but don’t worry). Continue to add the water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk after each addition. The sauce will smooth out beautifully. Add more water if you want a thinner sauce. Adjust if necessary—if you’d like more tang, add more lemon, or for more overall flavor, add another pinch of salt. Set aside.
Meanwhile, make the farro, bring 3 cups water or Magic Mineral Broth (or vegetable stock) plus 1 cup rinsed farro to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the grains are tender but not mushy. You want them to have some “tooth”.
In a large bowl toss broccoli and cauliflower florets, stems and leaves, and the brussels sprouts with enough olive oil to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Don’t wash the bowl.) Roast on the heated sheet, rotating the pan and switching racks halfway through but leaving the vegetables themselves untouched, until browned and crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the grains are ready drain in a colander and toss in the bowl that the vegetables were prepared in(there will be enough residual oil in the bowl to coat the grains).
To serve, top the grains with the roasted vegetables, then drizzle with some of the dressing. Top with the almonds.
