Sometimes, it's okay to 'dirty up' your clean eating
I understand why people gravitate toward the term “clean eating.” It's an appealing way to describe a dedication to the most healthful, most pure ingredients. But I take issue with it. To me, it implies that foods that don't pass as “clean” (who gets to decide that, anyway?) are somehow soiled, and that you have to choose between the two. Personally, I like a little dirty with my clean, and this recipe is proof that you can have them both simultaneously in a nourishing way.
I've been making one version or another of it for decades, well before “clean eating” entered the lexicon. The accompanying recipe makes an easy, crowd-pleasing side that involves some kind of brassica — broccoli, Brussels sprouts as well as cauliflower — that is simply steamed or roasted until tender and then treated to a contrasting crisp “dirt” of garlicky toasted bread crumbs. The taste of fresh bread crumbs is well worth the small effort of whirring some whole-grain bread in the food processor and baking the crumbs. You can do this alongside the vegetable if you roast it, as called for here, or you can make the bread crumbs up to two weeks ahead and store them in the freezer.
But if you want to skip that step, you could substitute a half cup of whole-wheat panko bread crumbs. The dried crumbs are toasted further to a deep brown and seasoned in a skillet with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil, then tossed with the simply cooked vegetable, transforming it from good to luscious. It's just the kind of “dirty” that keeps you wanting to eat smart.
• Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author who hosts public television's “Ellie's Real Good Food.” She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.