It looks like a southern holiday for this lady. I am planning a trip back to my pretend homeland of Tennessee this December and I now have only 177 days to wait until I’m sitting in a chair at Arnold’s Country Kitchen (click here, please,) giggling and singing Merle Haggard to myself like a crazy person, while I eat the best plate of food ever.
I spent most of last week in New York City for shows and fun and while I had a great time, it definitely erased any doubt in my mind that one day I might end up there. There was a time, after I moved home to Los Angeles after college, where I could barely watch a shot of NY skyline in some TV show without getting a bit misty-eyed. I often almost regretted and second-guessed my quick and unforeseen decision to leave NYC. After all, I was a kid, got overwhelmed, and wanted to go back home–so I did. Ever since then, trips back (over the past 10 years) would seemingly reinforce that somehow, I shouldn’t have left.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have a place for all the food and the New York feeling in my heart but this trip just felt different. My place there, long term, felt so distant when it used to be nestled right near my frontal lobe. Although, on second thought, the country western bar we went to each night we were there–where gorgeous men dance on the bar to my favorite songs, might cause me to move there tomorrow. But seriously, my tiny travel fund (that I somehow keep replenishing,) is for the time being, destined for places more southern.
Today’s recipe features roasted cauliflower (I used a pretty purple variety) and rapini and is topped with avocado and served with a lemon and dill yogurt dressing. For those of you not familiar with rapini–it’s a dark and pleasantly bitter, leafy green that is a close cousin of broccoli rabe (which is in turnip family.) It’s delicious roasted (and NOT great raw!) and can be added anywhere where you otherwise would use other dark greens–kale, collard greens, or spinach. The dressing on this guy is served almost like a dip, rustically, in the center of the plate. Avocado is last but not least and is just awesome, like most avocados. You can toss a piece of grilled chicken on the plate but there’s really no need–feel free to disagree. Okay, I’m done chattering–click through below the pretty picture for the recipe.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the salad:
1 large bunch of rapini (approximately 30 stalks)
1 head of cauliflower,
1 large avocado
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
For the dressing:
1 small container (7 ounces) of non-fat greek yogurt
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
pinch of kosher salt
olive oil
Directions
To make the salad:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Prepare the rinsed and dried cauliflower and rapini by cutting the cauliflower florets into bite sized pieces and by removing the tough stem ends off the rapini (about 1/2 inch.)
3. Lay vegetables in one layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping vegetables over once, halfway through cooking.
5. After vegetables are cooked through and have a golden color, remove from oven and let cool.
To make the dressing:
1. In the yogurt container (why dirty another dish?), add the minced garlic, lemon juice, dill, and salt. I recommend making the dressing right after the vegetables go into the oven–the longer it sits, the better the flavor is.
To plate:
1. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of dressing to the center of each plate. Surround dressing with even portions of cauliflower, rapini, and avocado. Top with a sprig or two of fresh dill.
Little, nifty printable right about here:
- 1 large bunch of rapini (approximately 30 stalks)
- 1 head of cauliflower,
- 1 large avocado
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 small container (7 ounces) of non-fat greek yogurt
- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- pinch of kosher salt
- olive oil
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Prepare the rinsed and dried cauliflower and rapini by cutting the cauliflower florets into bite sized pieces and by removing the tough stem ends off the rapini (about 1/2 inch.)
- Lay vegetables in one layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20 minutes, flipping vegetables over once, halfway through cooking.
- After vegetables are cooked through and have a golden color, remove from oven and let cool.
- In the yogurt container or a small bowl, add the minced garlic, lemon juice, dill, and salt.
- Add approximately 2 tablespoons of dressing to the center of each plate. Surround dressing with even portions of cauliflower, rapini, and avocado. Top with a sprig or two of fresh dill.
- I recommend making the dressing right after the vegetables go into the oven–the longer it sits, the better the flavor is.
