Lunch: Pork Belly Pizza and Kimchi Brussels Sprouts

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Lemon, Basil

Health benefits of Pork Belly Pizza and Kimchi Brussels Sprouts

Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. They can potentially support the immune system and have other health benefits. Lemons also have a low glycemic index, so they should not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar when consumed in natural form. Basil is an excellent stress reliever, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Ingredients

8 ounces Brussels sprouts
One and a half 7-ounce cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 ounces fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
10 fresh basil leaves
3 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Fuji apple, coarsely chopped
1 Bosc pear, coarsely chopped
1 cup sriracha sauce
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
2 cups rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

Special equipment: deep fryer, kitchen scaleFor the kimchi: Cut the bottoms off all the Brussels sprouts, pick the leaves and wash thoroughly. Place the leaves in a large bowl. In a blender, blitz the chipotles, ginger, cayenne, basil, green onions, cilantro, apple and pear. Place the blitzed mixture in a separate large bowl and stir in the sriracha, sesame oil and fish sauce. Toss the Brussels sprout leaves in the rice wine vinegar, salt and lemon juice. Add the blended mixture to the Brussels sprout leaves and stir thoroughly. Place in the fridge for 24 hours. The longer the leaves marinate, the more they capture that flavor. For the pork belly: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the tomato juice, Dijon mustard and rice wine vinegar in a bowl and mix well. Place the pork belly in an ovensafe pan and add the liquid mixture. Cover the pan with parchment paper and then seal tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pork belly in the oven and cook 4 hours. Let the pork belly rest until it comes to room temperature. Place it in the fridge at least overnight, but preferably 24 hours, so that the fat can congeal, making the pork belly easier to slice. Heat the canola oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees F, or fill a pot with 1 inch canola oil and heat until the oil registers 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Portion the pizza dough into 3-ounce pieces. Flatten the pieces of dough and place in the hot oil carefully, 2 at a time, so that the oil doesn't cool down. As the dough begins to bubble and cook, use a set of tongs to flip it in the oil. The dough is ready once light golden brown and puffy, about 1 minute. Let drain on a rack or plate layered with paper towels. Cut your pork belly into 1/4-inch slices. Grab a nonstick pan and add a little bit of olive oil over high heat. Get the pan hot and add the belly pieces to the pan. The meat is already cooked, so all you are doing is giving the meat a nice crispy exterior, 45 to 60 seconds per side. Lightly salt the belly once it comes out of the pan. Place the pork belly slices on the pizza dough and top with the kimchi Brussels sprouts. Grate fresh Parmesan over the entire dish and serve.