Summer Vegetable Nori Rolls with Ginger Tahini Dipping Sauce

Seattle is H.O.T. right now. Like, beyond hot. And the air is filled with smoke, sadly (BC fires galore). And we have zero air conditioning, along with 90% of Seattleites.

And in the midst of all the heat and haze and efforts to avoid turning the stove on, these green snappy beauties come to mind. 

Clean, crunchy and packed with nutrients, these nori rolls are the peeeerrrrrfect afternoon snack on a hot summer day and make for a great appy for your next backyard BBQ. This veg combo is my favorite (and not just because they're so pretty...but they SO are, right?). Use whatever crunchy veg you have on hand and mix it up for a nutritional twist. 

The possibilities are endless and they're always a hit at summer dinner parties.

SUMMER VEGETABLE NORI ROLLS WITH GINGER TAHINI DIPPING SAUCE

Serves: 6-8 (makes roughly 12 rolls) | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c tahini

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut nectar

• 2 tsp tamari

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp minced ginger

• 1/8 c water

• 1 large bunch swiss chard or collard greens

• 3-4 carrots, julienned

• 3-4 golden beets, julienned

• 8 asparagus spears, blanched and thinly sliced

• 1 large handful of sunflower sprouts (or whichever sprouts look fresh and seasonal from your market)

• 6-8 nori sheets, halved width-wise

• 1 small bunch of basil

• 1 small bunch of purple basil

• 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• 1/2 Tbsp black sesame seeds

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk tahini, maple syrup, tamari, lemon juice, ginger and 1 Tbsp water. Add more water until desired consistency. Set aside.

2. Prep green leaves for rolling by cutting alongside the vein/stem (save stem for later use in another recipe or feed to dog - my pup loves kale stems!). Each whole leaf should yield 2 leaves for rolling.

3. Setting your mis en place: Prep your vegetables and arrange your ingredients in order for making the rolls: Julienne carrots and golden beets, blanch and thinly slice asparagus, thinly slice green onions, set out sunflower sprouts, whole purple basil and whole green basil (use all Italian basil if you cannot find purple), black and toasted sesame seeds, halved nori sheets, halved green leaves.

4. Rolling: Place a green leaf vertically down on your workspace and place a nori sheet shiny side down, on top of the leaf. At the edge closest to you, arrange a thin line of carrots, golden beets, asparagus, sunflower sprouts, whole green and purple basil, black and toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced green onions and a drizzle of the dipping sauce. Roll tightly, using fingers to hold in place and lay seam side down. Continue for remaining ingredients. Serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Ain't No Spring Chicken!

Hello Spring. Hello Chicken. Hello Beautiful Spring Veg. And Hello YOU.

Whelp, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been chugging away over here recovering from the ACL surgery (which is finally going great, btw!), handling a slew of puppy emergencies (ruptured gall bladders are no joke!), organizing surprise trips for people and then turning around and having to cancel, sneaking bits of sun when it pokes its' head out from behind the clouds, and of course, working with my favorite people on changing their lives!!!! 

And in between it all, I've still been cooking, promise.  Here's a recipe I created just for Barre3, and its a good one! 

Easiest and most-perfect roasted chicken you can make - keep it on hand as a staple chicken recipe - and use any spring vegetables you prefer! And of course, you can use this recipe year round and swap out the veg that's in season that time of year!  

Enjoy the longer, sunnier days, my friends!

xx

Roasted Chicken with Braised Spring Vegetables

We love this juicy chicken combined with fresh spring veggies. The fennel, garlic, and lemon not only add loads of flavor, they also fight inflammation and support healthy digestion. Besides being light and totally satisfying, this recipe also makes plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day.

Prep Time: 15 mins  |  Total Time: 50 mins  |  Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 chicken pieces (thighs, legs and breasts)

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 6-8 radishes, halved

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and quartered

• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped

• 12-15 stalks asparagus, roughly chopped

• 1 handful green beans, trimmed

• 1 handful sugar snap peas, diagonally sliced

• 1 small bunch of spring or green onions, trimmed and halved lengthwise

• juice of half a lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Season chicken pieces with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

3. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy oven-safe sauté pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken pieces to pan, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and cook an additional 10 minutes.

4. Turn chicken over and continue cooking until juices run clear and skin is crisp, about 5 more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add radishes cut side down and cook until golden brown on all sides, tossing occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside. Add fennel and garlic and sauté until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add zucchini, asparagus, green beans and snap peas, and cook, tossing occasionally until beginning to brown, about 2-4 minutes. Add green onions, lemon juice and 1/4 c chicken broth and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add radishes back in and season again if desired.

6. Serve chicken with spring vegetables and top with fresh cut herbs.