Cabbage Tots

After visiting local restaurant Bocado recently, I have a new found love of brussel sprouts. I filled up on sprouts and red wine alone - and I could have kept eating them. Anyway, I've been on a search ever since to find a recipe to make them at home. I think the secret is all in the roasting technique.


Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut through the core into quarters
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. minced shallot
1-1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice; more to taste
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. lightly packed finely grated lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, toss the sprouts with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the sprouts out evenly on the two baking sheets.
2. Roast until the sprouts are tender 20 to 22 minutes, stirring the sprouts once or twice during roasting. (Note that any loose leaves will be browning deeply; if they seem to be actually burning, turn down the heat a bit or just pick out the burned leaves.)
3. While the sprouts cook, combine the butter and shallot in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the butter is melted and the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and continue cooking, swirling the pan, until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown and the butter smells very nutty (take care that none of the shallots burn), about 2 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to dress the sprouts.
4. Slide the sprouts into a medium bowl, add the vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, or lemon, and serve immediately.


*Adapted from a recipe here.

Valentine's Breakfast

I couldn't think of a more special way to thank my Valentine for being so great than to present him with a plate full of pork and cheese eggs! And yes, the toast is shaped like a heart - really went out of the box on that one. Nothing says, "I love you" like CHEESE EGGS!

What special foods did you enjoy today?

Orange Vanilla Pound Cake

In an effort to contribute something valuable to last weekend's superbowl party, I wanted to make some sort of cake. This turned out pretty good - but it was a little smaller than I expected. I'll definitely tweak to add more orange flavor next time, but the tanginess of the yogurt was surprisingly (and deliciously) notable.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
Powdered sugar icing (powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange juice)

Instructions:

1. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. Combine flour, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir lemon rind, vanilla and yogurt into batter.

3. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean). Cool in pan 15 minutes; remove and cool completely on rack. Sprinkle with icing as desired.

Curry Chickpea Stew and Coconut Rice

This is directly inspired from one of our favorite restaurants in the Atlanta area: Brick Store Pub in Decatur. I couldn't believe one of us was actually brave enough to order a veggie based meal, but it turned out to be a total winner. Hearty enough to satisfy even on the coldest of nights. Serve with coconut rice.

Ingredients:
1 pkg dried chick peas, soaked for 12 hours
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flake
3/4 C. chopped carrots
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" chunks
3 cloves chopped garlic
3/4 coconut milk
1/2 C. almond butter (or peanut butter)

Instructions:
1. Add pre-soaked chick peas, chicken broth, curry powder, red pepper, and garlic to crock pot. Set on low for 10-12 hours.
2. With 4-5 hours left to cook, add carrots and sweet potatoes.
3. When all chick peas and veggies are tender, add almond butter and coconut milk, and let simmer/meld for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Seriously - this is not my typical meal, but its worth a try. Also, I should mention that it is really easy.

Lasagna and Brownies

Tonight we took the opportunity to remember a special friend of ours by eating his favorite meal in his honor. Nothing about this meal is super creative, but it is meaningful to me, and delicious! I had every intention of making my own pasta for the lasagna, but time did not permit, so I used flat sheets of dry pasta.

What are some of your sentimental recipes?

Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Okay, this isn't super innovative, but we've really gotten in the habit of trying to eat a little healthier on the weekends. One of our current favorites is this homemade maple & brown sugar oatmeal.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1.5 cup old fashion oats

2.5 cups boiling water

1/4 cup lowfat milk

1/4 c sugar free maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 c. chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Bring water and salt to a boil, then add oats.

2. Cook per manufacturer's instructions.

3. Remove from heat. Add butter, milk, sugar, and syrup and stir. Let sit 5 minutes to cool before serving. Top with pecans. Enjoy!

This served both us us with a little left over. Yum!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Per my husband's request, I am trying to find some tasty ways to eat dinner without breaking the caloric bank. Today's experiment involved ground turkey, which I am ashamed to say I had never used until about 2 hours ago. However, this turned out to be successful and easy. The only downside is that I don't always have these ingredients at hand, so I really do have to plan ahead when I want to make this next time. This recipe fed the two of us, with plenty of leftovers, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp ground ginger root

2 tsp. Sriracha (or more if you're not a chicken like me)

1/4 c. Hoisin sauce

2-3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce (adjust for your preference)

1/4 c. sliced almonds (or chopped peanuts)

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

6-8 leaves of Bibb lettuce (allow 3-4 per person)

sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat oil in pan on medium high heat. Brown turkey in skillet, taking care to break it up as small as possible. Add garlic and ginger, then toss to combine.
2. Once browned, add sriracha, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce, and lower the heat to medium low. Toss mixture until thoroughly combined. Add almonds and toss. Remove from heat. (Note: if you like your mixture a little more "saucy," just add more hoisin and soy sauce.)
3. Pluck/harvest lettuce leaves from bundle, and remove as much of the watery stem as you like. After turkey mixture has cooled for 5 or so minutes, scoop a large spoonful into the lettuce leaves and enjoy.

Note: I think next time I make this, I am going to add carrots and squash, and use peanuts instead of almonds. I feel like this is an easily adaptable recipe for whatever you have laying around.