Hi there! My apologies for not writing more often (hey; this sounds like I’m writing to relatives all of a sudden. My dog ate my free time. Thank you for the socks, Aunt Mahetabel).

I have been busy working on some pretty exciting projects I can’t wait to share with you soon.



In the meantime, I have such a hankering for daikon radish, now becoming more widely available, that I wanted to use it in a casserole. With only a fraction of the starches and carbohydrates as potatoes, forget about your textural concerns when you hear the word “radish” or the typical bite you associate with the red radish. Boiling cubed daikon for 20 minutes renders a potato texture so terrific, you’ll forget the word “radish” as you’re downing your fourth cheesy, delicious mouthful.

Tip: Can’t find daikon radish? You can use green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower in this dish instead.

Daikon radishes are such funny looking root vegetables. After having no real luck with turnips, and with rutabagas pretty high in carbohydrates, I was so pleasantly surprised by how doable the daikon is, especially since I control my blood sugar (and lose weight) through dietary management or carbohydrates. This dish is also pretty special because it can be served on its own, over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles, or as a side to turkey salisbury steaks. It’s pretty darned versatile.

Oh, and if you can’t find daikon, no worries–substitute with green beans, cauliflower or more broccoli instead. See? I told you I’m a cheap date.

OK, enough gab from me. Eat your vegetables.

Chicken Broccoli Bacon Daikon Casserole

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 cups raw, diced broccoli tops and stems

1 cup cooked, roughly crumbled bacon

2 cups peeled, cubed, raw daikon radish

4 Tbsp butter

1.5 cups heavy white cream or half and half

1 tsp dry mustard

2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (or your favorite zippy cheese)

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cube daikon radish into ½” cubes. Add daikon to the pot and boil for 20 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain thoroughly.

Heat butter in a 2 quart sauce pan on the stove over medium heat until melted. Add salt, pepper, mustard and half and half. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar, mozzarella, and feta. Stir until melted.

Prepare fresh broccoli by cutting florets and stems into smaller pieces.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a 12 x 12 casserole, combine cheesy chicken sauce, daikon, bacon and broccoli. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Per Serving with heavy cream: Cals: 451, Carbs: 5 g, Fiber: 1 g, Net Carbs: 4 g, Protein: 26 g, Fat: 35 g

Per Serving with half and half: Cals: 331, Carbs: 6.75 g, Fiber: 1 g, Net Carbs: 5.75 g, Protein: 27.4 g, Fat: 20 g

