Recipe Re-visit: Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

To make up for Monday's post I will once again tout my love for Brussels sprouts. Seriously, try them sauteed and they are so yummy! If you still are feeling doubtful, try this recipe (hello, it has bacon and bacon makes everything better).

I posted this simple "recipe" awhile back and it is one that I needed to re-visit and update photos for. It is a great, simple, quick and healthy weeknight veggie. See the original post and the recipe here.

Grilled Asparagus and Mushrooms with Blue Cheese

We've been grilling vegetables a ton this summer. So easy and delicious. Since I can't say no to blue cheese (or any cheese for that matter), I decided to try this recipe out. It was as good as I knew it would be. The blue cheese added a tangy bite. Next time I might add in sun dried tomatoes to the mix for a little variation in flavor and color. The original recipe called for mustard seeds which I didn't have, so I omitted them.

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
8 oz cremini mushrooms, halved

3 oz blue cheese, crumbled

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place asparagus and mushrooms in a zip lock bag. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour dressing mixture over the vegetables in the zip lock bag. Shake until vegetables are evenly coated.

Prepare grill. Place veggie mixture in a grill basket and grill until asparagus is browned and caramelized. Remove from grill and top with blue cheese.

Adapted from Coconut & Lime.

Linked to Ekat's Kitchen Friday Potluck and Prairie Story Recipe Swap.

Fiddlehead Ferns

I have definitely heard of fiddlehead ferns and seen them at restaurants but I had never actually had one before. Or, if I did, they were mixed in with some creamy sauce that didn't let me experience their true flavor. When I saw them at the farmers' market this past weekend I jumped on the chance to try them.

I had to do a little googling to learn more about them and how they should be prepared. I learned that they grow wild in wet areas of North East America, particularly in New England, and are only available for three weeks in May. They are a good source of Omega 3 and 6, iron, fiber and potassium. When cooking, treat them as you would asparagus as they have similar flavor and texture. Most people recommended blanching and then sauteing them.

The first time I cooked them, I just threw a bunch of  them in with a mix of veggies, with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and grilled them in my grill basket. This worked really well and I really loved their flavor. The second time I decided to try the blanch/saute method which was equally as good. I am definitely going to enjoy these guys while I can each Spring.

Ingredients:
Bunch of fiddlehead ferns
Garlic clove(s) chopped, to taste
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon juice and zest

Directions:
Wash and dry ferns, removing any brown silky parts that remain. Trim ends to 1/2 in of the furl.

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Add ferns to boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain ferns. Dump drained ferns into ice bath. Remove ferns and pat dry.

Heat oil in saute pan. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ferns and saute until edges are slightly brown and ferns are tender but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Top with Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, a couple squeezes of lemon juice and some lemon zest. Serve immediately.

 

Linked to Little Brick Ranch Foodie Friday and Real Sustenance Seasonal Sunday.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts

Who would have ever thought Brussel sprouts would make such a comeback? They've had a bad rap for years but can be truly delicious if prepared by sauteeing or roasting them. This recipe from Pinch My Salt was fabulous and makes an excellent side dish to beef or pork. Casey and I both loved it!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon walnut oil (or oil of your choice, or apple cider)

4 slices thick cut bacon

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded (you can use the shredding blade on a food processor)

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

kosher salt, to taste

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and oil; set aside.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, cut or crumble into pieces, and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings in pan (if there aren’t enough drippings to equal 2 tbsp, add a little butter or oil).

Heat drippings over medium-high then add shredded brussels sprouts. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from heat and stir in bacon, walnuts, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Servings: 4

 

Linked to Ekat's Kitchen Friday Potluck, Fudge Ripple Tuesday Night Supper Club and Real Sustenance Seasonal Sundays.

Skillet Squash Medley

The perfect summer recipe! Fall is just around the corner so I figured I better post this recipe asap. Recipe is from My Kitchen Cafe and is a great way to use up any extra summer squash you may have.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onion, yellow or red

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, in rounds or half moons

3 medium yellow squash, sliced about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, in rounds or half moons

2-3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until the onions being to turn translucent, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn, about 3-4 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash, tossing well with the olive oil mixture. Sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring until the zucchini and squash are tender and the tomatoes have broken down, about another 2 minutes. Toss the hot mixture with the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

 

Linked to Real Sustenence Seasonal Sunday

Pickled Peppers

This year we planted three pepper plants: Hungarian hot, banana, and Serrano. As a result we have more peppers than we know what to do with! I found a pickled pepper recipe from David Lebovitz that sounded like a doable alternative to canning. I have never canned before, but I'm thinking that the way these peppers are growing I may need to start.

Does anyone have any good ideas for what to do with an abundance of peppers? Or any good canning resources? Please share in the comments if you do and post any links to good pepper recipes!

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh jalapeno (or other) peppers, washed
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons coarse salt, such as kosher
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Directions:
Stab each pepper three times with a sharp paring knife and place them in a large glass preserving jar.

In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the other ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool, refrigerate for at least a week before using, if possible.

Serve whole, with Mexican dishes, or remove the seeds then chop and use to season any recipe that is improved by a little bit of sweet heat.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.

We tried these peppers after letting them sit for a week. The heat definitely died down some from the pickling. Before, I couldn't even take a tiny bite of one and after I could eat a whole one with only minor amounts of crying! They taste great sliced up and served with any dish that needs some heat.

Roasted Asparagus with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My first bridal shower recipe! You can read about my new cooking project here. This recipe is from Aunt Barb, one of the sweetest ladies I know! I had no doubt that this would be delicious and it did not let me down. I absolutely loved the taste of the roasted asparagus and especially the sun-dried tomatoes which I had never had roasted before. I only had pre-grated Parmesan on hand but I would recommend getting a brick of Parmesan and grating it with a microplaner. There is really no better way to grate Parmesan.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs fresh asparagus

8.5 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in herbed olive oil, drain and reserve 2-3 tbsps oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Arrange asparagus stalks in the pan, drizzle with 2 to 3 tbsps oil from sun-dried tomatoes. Toss and add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 10 minutes at 475. Remove pan from the oven and arrange the sun-dried tomatoes down the center of the pan. Return pan to the oven and bake for 3 more minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

 

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon Horseradish Cream

This recipe is from EatingWell.com. It was good, but I still like my original Brussel sprouts recipe better. I would still definitely recommend this recipe if you are in the mood for something different, though. Note: does not reheat well in the microwave.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

4 strips crisp-cooked bacon, finely chopped

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Put Brussels sprouts in the basket and steam until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. (Note: I chose to saute mine in a pan in a tiny bit of the bacon grease instead).

Mix bacon, sour cream, horseradish, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat.

Servings: 6, 1 cup each
Calories per serving: 80

 

Creamed Spinach

The picture I had of this looks really un-appetizing so I am just going to leave it off. One day I will have a decent camera that takes good pictures. This was a nice lowfat version of this side dish.

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp canola oil
3 tbsp shallots, chopped
3/4 cup scallions, sliced
12 oz spinach, baby-variety (about 16 cups)
1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened (about 2 oz)
3/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add shallots and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add scallions and sauté 1 minute more.

Add spinach to skillet in batches, tossing mixture and adding more spinach as some of it cooks down. Cook, tossing, until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese just until melted; stir in salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Notes:
Add some freshly grated nutmeg with the salt and pepper for a hint of spice.

Servings: 4
Points: 1

Tomatoes + Avocados = Heaven

So pretty much all I have been eating lately is tomatoes and avocados. I am obsessed. Our tomato plant only produced about 8 tomatoes but they are so yummy and delicious. They're Romas and super meaty. They're also quite sweet and taste amazing just sliced and sprinkled lightly with salt.


My favorite avocado/tomato concotion is to take one tomato and one avocado and chop into decent sized cubes. Then I squeeze half a lime over them and season with salt and pepper before devouring with a fork. Once I added cilantro and, as much as I love cilantro, it just took away from the natural flavor of the tomatoes and avocados.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

I have had this really strange fascination with brussels sprouts recently. I was seeing them all over the cooking blog world and I had never, ever tasted them before. I was under the assumption that they have a bad rap, mainly because people steam/boil/etc them to death and they turn into little slimy balls of grossness.

But, it made sense to me that flash frying them or roasting them would be the key to a tasty sprout. So, I played around with them a couple different times and found a concoction that was quite delicious last night (this picture is actually from the first time I tried them).

Ingredients:

Brussels sprouts

Olive oil

Garlic, minced

Seasoning salt (I like Lawry's)

Dried chili pepper flakes

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Cut off the bottom of each Brussels sprouts (about a quarter inch). Remove and discard the outer leaves. Continue to remove the leaves, setting them aside, until you reach the heart of the sprout. Cut the hearts in half.

Heat the oil on medium heat and add the minced garlic. Saute the garlic until it is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the leaves and halved hearts of the sprouts and mix. Season with salt and chili pepper flakes. Let cook 4-5 minutes, mixing occasionally. Turn the sprouts over with a pair of tongs and let cook another 4-5 minutes until the edges are slightly browned and caramelized.

Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, mix, and serve.

Green Beans with Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb thin green beans
2 vine tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs (I used dried thyme instead)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring 1 inch water to a boil. Trim beans. Salt water and add beans to water. Simmer 5 minutes, drain and combine with tomatoes, thyme, olice oil, salt and pepper.

4 servings. Recipe from Rachel Ray.

The Best Broccoli Ever

As part of my research I subscribed to a bunch of cooking blogs on google reader. I stumbled upon The Amateur Gourmet who posted a fabulous recipe for roasted broccoli. This recipe roasts the broccoli to perfection and the lemon gives it a great twist. I seriously couldn't stop eating it and I don't usually chow down on broccoli!

Ingredients:
2 large bunches of broccoli
6 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
Take 2 large bunches (I just used one - cooking for two!) of broccoli and cut into medium sized florets.
Either dry the broccoli thoroughly or do what I did and not wash it (I'm not squeamish).
Place the broccoli on a cookie sheet and toss with olive oil (recipe calls for 5 tbsp, I used about 2 tbsp), kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Add sliced garlic (I am lazy so I used pre-diced garlic) and toss.
Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the florets are brown.
When its done, take it out of the oven, zest and squeeze lemon over the broccoli (I used 1/2 lemon).
Add the rest of the olive oil and Parmesan cheese and toss to coat

It really is divine, trust me. I also made a rather bland Chicken Stroganoff that I won't bore you with. I'd rather have had a whole plate of broccoli!

Linked to Not So Homemade What's Cooking Wednesday.