Grilled Radicchio & Olives with Chickpeas & Orange

Owning a grill pan from FINEX Cast Iron Cookware has been a game changer. It lives on my stove all year round and it makes winter more bearable. I throw everything on it. This dish comes together in fifteen minutes max unless you need to cook the beans. (Always keep canned beans in the pantry!)

Photo by 22 Pages Photography

Grilled Radicchio and Olives with Chickpeas and Orange

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1 medium - large head radicchio
1 cup Castelvetrano olives or other large meaty olive (with pits intact)
2 oranges (naval, blood, cara cara or a combo), peeled and sliced into rounds
1 cup cooked chickpeas (or other favorite bean)*
3 - 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons plain full fat yogurt  
Small handful cilantro leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the grill or a grill pan on the stove.

2. Slice the radicchio in half. Place each half cut-side down and chop it into thin wedges or slices, keeping the root intact at the bottom of each slice so the leaves hold together. Use your hands to gently coat each side in the olive oil with 2-3 Tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the radicchio to the grill and cook until grill marks appear and the underside starts to turn slightly charred and wilted around 2-3 minutes. Use tongs or a spatula to turn over and repeat on the other side then transfer to a plate or platter.

4. Lightly coat the olives with olive oil. If there is room on the grill, you may cook the olives at the same time as the radicchio. Otherwise, grill them after. Roll them around so that they become brown in 2-3 spots and take on an overall darker hue. Transfer to the same plate or platter as the radicchio.

5. To serve, scatter the orange and beans over the radicchio, evenly drizzle the remaining olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Spoon/dollop the yogurt here and there and scatter the cilantro leaves to finish. 

* If you like the beans crunchy, after cooking or removing from the can and draining, thoroughly pat dry, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Roast in a preheated oven at 425, giving the pan a shake after 15 minutes. Cook for 20-30 minutes total, until browned and crispy crunchy to your liking. Or just warm them up on the grill pan.

Rigatoni with Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts + Brown Butter Hazelnuts

When I wrote this recipe for Oregon Orchard to highlight their hazelnuts, I debated whether to go with the standard serving size of 4-6 portions or a larger quantity. I opted for more because who doesn’t love pasta with chanterelles, brussel sprouts, and brown butter hazelnuts?! And if you’re not feeding a crowd, next day leftovers are a gift.

Photo by Dana Halferty

Rigatoni with Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts + Brown Butter Hazelnuts

Serves 8-10

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped roasted hazelnuts
1 lb pasta
1 lb chanterelle mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
3 shallots peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 – 5 large thyme sprigs
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Small pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until the milk solids start to turn golden brown. Add the hazelnuts and a pinch of salt and stir for 2-3 minutes until the nuts are fragrant and a shade darker in color. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl and set aside.

4. Place the mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and shallots in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. (If the baking sheet is crowded, use two baking sheets or cook in two batches.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil to evenly coat. Use your hands to gently coat the thyme sprigs with olive oil and place on top of the vegetables. Roast for 15-17 minutes until the mushrooms and brussels sprouts are cooked through and crispy around the edges.

5. Transfer the shallots to a cutting board and roughly chop them and set the thyme sprigs aside with the hazelnuts.

6. In the same pot that was used to cook the pasta, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until they brown around the edges, around 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it reduces by half then add the cream and ½ cup pasta water and bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg, reduce the heat to low and fold in the pasta and vegetables, adding more pasta water if necessary to create more sauce.

7. Divide evenly among bowls then top with the hazelnuts. Strip the thyme leaves from the stem and sprinkle on top.