RomaCrunch Recipe Guide With salad builds veering toward the crunchy end of the spectrum in the last few years, Mann's RomaCrunch is a perfect match. A cross between romaine and iceberg, its hearty, sweet leaves stand up to just about everything: the grill, the wok, as a lettuce cup or in a chopped salad. While you're at it, why not add it to your dessert menu? The possibilities are endless.
Grilled RomaCrunch with Blue Cheese & Bacon Vinaigrette 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 large shallots, diced ½ pound bacon, chopped ½ cup apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 3 heads RomaCrunch lettuce, cut in half lengthwise ½ cup crumbled blue cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the shallots and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. If needed, drain off some of the rendered bacon fat. Add cider vinegar, sugar, and stir to combine. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Preheat a grill pan to high heat. Brush the RomaCrunch lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on the grill cut side down, and quickly sear. Serve the RomaCrunch, cut side up, and drizzle the bacon dressing over the top. Sprinkle with blue cheese and garnish with extra cracked pepper. Serves 6
RomaCrunch Shaker Salad ¼ cup ranch dressing mixed with a splash of white wine vinegar to thin it out a bit 3 cup Mann s Veggie Power Blend ½ cup Mann s Cauliettes 3 cup halved cherry tomatoes ½ cup Mann s RomaCrunch, chopped Handful of candied pecans ½ half avocado, diced Using a large, 32-ounce Mason jar, layer the salad ingredients one at a time as listed above, starting with the dressing at the bottom. Leave about 1-1 ½ inches of space at the top of the jar to allow room for shaking. Screw the lid on top of the jar, turn upside down and shake vigorously until the dressing has been evenly distributed. Dump the salad out onto a dinner plate to serve. Serves 1
RomaCrunch Quinoa Salad with Citrus & Pomegranate 2 cups cooked quinoa 2 medium oranges, segmented ½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds ½ cup Citrus Vinaigrette 2 heads Mann s RomaCrunch Citrus Vinaigrette teaspoon finely grated orange zest ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 ½ tablespoons citrus-infused white wine vinegar tablespoon honey ½ tablespoons finely chopped shallots 2 teaspoons soy sauce garlic clove, peeled ½ teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander /8 teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ cup light olive oil First, prepare the dressing. Place all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor and pulse several times until the garlic and shallots are finely minced. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream until incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa, orange segments and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle dressing over top and toss gently. Add more dressing if needed. Set aside. Split RomaCrunch heads in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, hollow out the center to create a bowl, leaving the outer leaves intact. Spoon the quinoa mixture into each half, drizzle with a bit of dressing, and serve immediately. Serves 4
Southeast Asian Chicken Larb with Mann s Shredded Brussels Sprouts in a RomaCrunch Cup 2 3 cup fresh lime juice 3 cup fish sauce (nam pla) tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste in oil or chili-garlic sauce 3 4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth ½ pounds ground chicken 2 cups Mann s Shredded Brussels Sprouts cup thinly sliced green onions 3 4 cup thinly sliced shallots 3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chilies or serrano chilies ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 2 heads Mann s RomaCrunch, base trimmed and leaves separated Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; reserve sauce. Bring broth to simmer in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 4 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into RomaCrunch leaves and serve. Serves 4 Recipe courtesy of Chef Stephanie Goldfarb
Grilled RomaCrunch with Coconut Grits & Chinese Sausage FOR THE GRITS: pound stone ground corn grits/polenta cup unsweetened shredded coconut 3 cans whole fat coconut milk 3 cups water 2 tablespoons salt tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups half and half Combine all of the ingredients except for the butter and half and half into a large pot. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken significantly. Add the butter and half and half and more water if the mixture is still too thick. Whisk and check for salt and pepper. FOR THE SAUSAGE AND GREENS: 2 heads Mann s RomaCrunch ½ cup vegetable oil Salt and pepper lb sweet Chinese sausage, sliced 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 cups chicken stock Split the RomaCrunch heads in half lengthwise and coat the cut side with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Grill them on both sides on a grill pan or outdoor grill until you see grill marks. Cut the leaves into mouth-sized shreds and set aside. Heat a large wok with the rest of the oil and sauté sausage until crispy. Add the garlic and cook until it gets slightly brown. Add the shredded RomaCrunch leaves, chicken stock, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Sautee everything together for a few minutes and check for seasoning. To serve, spoon hot grits into a shallow bowl and top with the greens and sausage. Serve immediately. Serves 6 Recipe courtesy of Chef Stephanie Goldfarb
RomaCrunch Cups with Lemon Pudding & Blackberries 2 heads RomaCrunch lettuce, bases cut off and divided into whole leaf cups Lemon pudding (recipe below) pint blackberries ¼ cup roasted, chopped pistachio meats Lemon zest for garnish Spoon about 1 tablespoon of chilled lemon pudding into each RomaCrunch cup. Top each with a blackberry and sprinkling of roasted pistachios and lemon zest. Serve cold. Makes approximately 20 pieces. Lemon Pudding 6 large egg yolks, room temperature cup sugar /3 cup cornstarch tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish ½ teaspoon Kosher salt 3 ½ cups whole milk cup freshly squeezed lemon juice In a medium saucepan (off heat), whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and ½ cup of milk until smooth. Whisk in remaining 2 cups milk. On medium heat, bring mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly. Once it reaches a simmer, the mixture will thicken. Pull off heat when it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and place a layer of plastic wrap directly on top. Refrigerate until pudding cools completely, 2-3 hours, before serving. Makes about 4 ½ cups of pudding.