Brocamole - guacamole with a broccoli twist (great for avo toast!)

This amazing "Brocamole" (as the name suggests,  guacamole with a broccoli twist!) recipe comes to us from my friend and music cohort Daryl who whipped this up & served to us at Record Club last month.  It's sooooo good, oh my gosh, really, you don't even know really know broccoli is in it, so if that's an ingredient you are trying to feed to fussy eaters, this is your magic bullet!   Good for breakfast, lunch, a snack or as a party dip...yum!

Take it away Daryl...

"'Tis the season, that's for sure. Whether you celebrate the end-of-year holidays or not, it always seems to me that the last weeks of December quickly become jam-packed with events, parties, errands and all the work that we all still need to get done.

 

Some nights, I just want to sit back with a book, my favorite relaxing music and something healthy and comforting. Which suits this recipe perfectly.

 

Just like the name suggests, Brocamole is a mash-up of two of my favorite things-broccoli and avocado. I've nicked and adapted the recipe from Nigella Lawson's recent book Simply Nigella. I have no shame about this, because she did the same from a restauranteur friend of hers.

 

The easy, creamy spread makes a perfect dip for get-togethers, which is how I first came to make it. But it's just as delicious as an accompaniment to crunchy, crusty bread and the relaxing evening I described above."
       - Daryl

Brocamole

Makes approx. 2 1/2 c

 

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli

1/8 - 1/4 c olive oil

1 ripe avocado

2 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

small bunch cilantro

1 green Thai chile

juice of 2 limes

sea salt, to taste

 

Instructions:

* Trim the florets from the head of broccoli, and cook them in a big saucepan of salted boiling water for about 3 minutes (until crisp-tender).

* Drain and plunge straight into ice-cold water. Once the broccoli is cold, drain very well and tip into a food processor, adding the oil as you process to a thick puree. Add the oil a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.

* Halve the avocado, remove the pit and then spoon the flesh into the processor. Add the scallions, too, along with most of the cilantro. Roughly chop the chile and add it, along with half the lime juice, and puree again. For a hotter dip, use the seeds as well.

* Taste to see if you want more lime juice and add salt to taste.

* Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro, or on really good toast, as detailed above. 

 

Storage note:

Unlike guacamole, this actually keeps pretty well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

 

Daryl Kovalich is a freelance writer and creative director, an all around nice guy and a great contributing regular Record Club guest. 

 

If you love this recipe, and want to know more about  Nigella Lawson, listen to this lovely episode of

Bon Appétite podcast with her as a guest.  I think she's quite charming!

Kinpira (Warm Sauteed Carrot/Daikon Salad)

"KinPira"

Sauteed Carrot Strengthener

(adapted from the Self-Healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner)

This is a bit of a spin-off of the original recipe, I was looking for a grounding, nourishing winter recipe and came upon this in Ms. Turner's book.  Her recipe actually calls for Burdock Root instead of Daikon (& when I make the original I will share that too).   This is derived from the traditional side-dish Kinpira, designed "to warm your toes in cold weather, build your stamina by improving blood quality and increase your mental clarity". 

What You Need:
- Two medium sized carrots - peeled
- One large daikon - peeled
- About a teaspoon of sesame oil
- A little filtered tap water for cooking
- About a Tablespoon of wheat-free Tamari
- About a half teaspoon of turmeric
- A few cracks of black pepper
- A sprinkling of red pepper flakes or cayenne
- Sesame seeds, hemp seeds (and other seeds of choice)
What To Do: 

- Peel your root veggies and grate them into a bowl.
- Heat your pan and throw in some water and your sesame oil
- Add your grated daikon & carrot
- Stir with a wooden spoon
- Add your turmeric, black pepper & red pepper flakes.
- Saute for just a few minutes 'til warmed through.
- Sprinkle lightly with tamari,  stir well, taste to see if it needs more tamari.
- Sprinkle with sesame & hemp seeds (and any other seeds you fancy)
- Toss well and place in a ceramic bowl.
- Serve as a snack in the afternoon, or as a side-dish paired with eggs, fish, greens, or whatever else you fancy. 
- Eat with chopsticks.
- Breathe, smile, go slow, have gratitude.