Banana Rolled in Nuts

No mystery here, just an unbelievably simple recipe with surprisingly delicious results. It’s an idea that has been around forever and bears repeating.

Ingredients:

•  one banana
• 1/8 cup of nuts. Almonds are my favorite.

Directions:

• Finely chop the nuts on a cutting board, creating an even layer wide enough to roll through.
• Cut the banana in 3 or 4 pieces and roll each section in the chopped nuts, pressing a little harder than you might expect.

Dark Leafy Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch mustard greens (kale, turnip, collards, or chard work too)
• 4 large florets caulifower, cut lengthwise into bite sized pieces
• 4 large florets broccoli, cut lengthwise into bite sized pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut lengthwise into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons raw brown sesame seeds. I like to use half (raw) black for added color.
• 1 (slightly rounded) tablespoon light miso (dark works too)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce

Directions:

1. Cut greens into bite-size pieces (removing any stems thicker than a quarter inch), wash the greens in a salad spinner and drain. Steam greens for 3 minutes, then immediately plunge into a bowl filled with cold water. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water, and set aside.
2. Wash the cauliflower, broccoli and carrots in salad spinner. Steam for 2 minutes, then plunge into cold water…and set aside.
3. Combine oil, miso, mirin, lemon juice, and tamari in a small-size bowl. Mix well.
4. In a large-size dry sauté pan, toast sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly until fragrant or beginning to pop.
5. Add greens, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots to sauté pan, turn off heat, and stir in the dressing. Toss/fold all ingredients using rubber spatula. Don’t cook the greens but merely warn them up along with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• Inspired by the Dark Leafy Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing recipe in The Vegan Table – Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
• The changes I made to the original recipe were basically adding veggies and reducing the steam times. This helps dilute the saltiness of the dressing, keeps the veggies crispier (even healthier) and adds more color to the dish.
• I chose to feature mustard greens because this dressing does a wonderful job of taming their inherent bitterness.