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Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!

It's all about FOOD.

Tangle of Heirloom Carrots in a Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette atop Tangy Sour Cream, Garnished with Dill & Sesame Seeds

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I know you will be participating in a lot of “sinful” eating this weekend. I know this because I will too. 😄 Here’s my recipe for a side dish that will balance out all the decadence that comes with a holiday weekend: heirloom carrots with pomegranate molasses vinaigrette and tangy sour cream, garnished with dill and sesame seeds. It’s simple. It’s easy. And can be made vegan if you leave out the sour cream. You know there will be cole slaw at all the cookouts you attend. Stand out and be the prize winning guest with a little something different. 🥕

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RECIPE (serves 4): Heirloom carrots with pomegranate molasses vinaigrette and tangy sour cream, garnished with dill and sesame seeds

â–ªGet yourself 3 heirloom carrots (one orange, one yellow, and one purple).

â–ªWith a vegetable peeler, shave along the length of each carrot and place in a bowl of ice water to allow to crisp. Have a separate bowl for the purple carrot because it bleeds.

â–ªIn another bowl, mix 3 tbsp of avocado oil, 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 tbsp of pomegranate molasses, the juice of 1/2 lemon, a generous pinch of Maldon sea salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk thoroughly, taste and adjust to your liking.

â–ªMix 1tbsp of pomegranate molasses vinaigrette into a bowl of 2 tbsp of sour cream.

â–ªRemove heirloom carrots from ice water, pat dry and toss with pomegranate molasses vinaigrette.

â–ªSpread a thin layer of tangy sour cream on a plate. Load it up with dressed heirloom carrots. Drizzle extra vinaigrette using the same mixing spoon you used for the sour cream. (The marriage of these two combines richness with sweet tanginess.) Garnish with dill and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

A Bean, Clean & Green, Played Up with Habanero Harissa, Persian Cucumber, and Crispy Red Onion

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Play up your sides, dress it, add little niceties to refine a simple vegetable’s elegance. Coax out the crunchy quality of an otherwise incomplex green bean with habanero harissa and crispy red onions. Texture and spice are the “make-up” to a plain bean, like what eyeliner and red lipstick are to a clean, bare face – except here it’s all about the flavors, not only the look. Julienned Persian cucumbers step into the scene, and when doused in a lime vinaigrette, a perfect balance to a citrus closing is guaranteed. Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!

Green Beans with Persian Cucumbers, Habanero Harissa, and Crispy Red Onions

  • green beans, 2 handfuls, blanched
  • 1 Persian cucumber, julienned with a papaya peeler
  • 5 grape tomatoes, halved
  • canola oil, 3 – 4 tbsp
  • flour, 2 tbsp
  • 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
  • habanero Harissa, (recipe coming soon, use store-bought in the meantime)
  • Maldon sea salt
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

Cut ends off beans to create uniform pieces. Keep some of the cut off ends to garnish the plate later. Boil a pot of water, enough to fit two handful of green beans. Set aside a bowl of ice water. When the pot of water begins to boil, blanch the green beans for 30 seconds then transfer immediately to the bowl of ice water. When sufficiently cooled, drain and set aside.

In the meantime, heat up the canola oil and dredge thinly sliced red onions in flour, tapping off excess flour. Fry in canola oil until golden and crispy. Remove from oil and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with Maldon sea salt. Now, using a papaya peeler, julienne the Persian cucumber and place in a bowl. Add halved grape tomatoes to the bowl. Add a generous swig of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a lime. Mix together, add Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let that sit for a minute. Now, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and quickly sauté the green beans for one minute on high heat, stirring frequently. You just want to coat lightly with butter to add flavor.

Plating

Spread a generous spoonful of habanero Harissa across the plate. Place the green beans on top diagonally. Grab some of the julienned Persian cucumbers allowing the excess lime vinaigrette to drip back into the bowl and put it on top and across the green beans. Top off with crispy red onions. Sprinkle plate with red chile flakes and garnish with the chopped off ends of green beans and tiny lime wedges.

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