Lentil Soup with Yams
January 13, 2011
Good food is very important to me. It’s not that I’m a picky eater, it is more that there are just soooo many foods I love to eat! I have to admit though, sometimes I find it a challenge to fit in creative, inspired dishes especially during the busy week. Did I mention I have two young kids? That I work full-time? So, I depend on a weekly meal plan.
At the end of each week, I dedicate a bit of time to write out dinner ideas for the following week. There is a general formula I follow: 1 soup meal, 1 stir-fry meal, 1 salad meal, and pizza on Fridays. The other meals are up to my whim. Once I have the meals planned out, it is easy to construct my shopping list and take care of all the food shopping for the week in one trip out. It is a relief to return home after a long day at work and know that I have a plan for dinner and all the ingredients required.
Brussels Sprouts with Garlicky Bread Crumbs
January 10, 2011
For many people Brussels sprouts rank right up there with lima beans and lutefisk for the food they would least like to see on their dining table. While I cannot speak for the other two, I can tell you that Brussels sprouts have been unfairly charged. These dense little gems are not only delicious, but also incredibly nutritious and filling too (a feature that is quite a strength in the month of January when many of us are attempting to recover from the holiday bulge).
It is easy to understand why these green meatballs earned their bad rap. Boiled to oblivion, the leafy globes take on a putrid aroma and ooze nasty green juice when you attempt to cut off a bite. The key to creating a delicious side dish is to prepare them properly. I often halve the Brussels sprouts, toss them in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven. It is super easy and they turn out delicious. The dish enclosed in this post, however, is cooked on the stove top, allowing for more even cooking. It has quickly become our favorite.
The recipe included today is based on one published in our local paper a couple of months ago. The original recipe includes bacon and 1/2 cup of olive oil. While I have no doubt that those additions add a lot of flavor to the dish, I am not feeling nearly as decadent as I was last month (see aforementioned holiday bulge). Feel free to add the bacon and drizzle on as much oil as you desire! What I share with you are simply sauteed Brussels sprouts topped with garlicky bread crumbs and parmesan. They are easy to prepare, delicious, and nothing like the Brussels sprouts you may have eaten (or pretended to) as a kid. Try them and let me know what you think!
Brussels Sprouts with Garlicky Bread Crumbs
Adapted from Scopa Restaurant
(originally published in Press Democrat)
Makes 4 servings as a side dish
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 hefty pinches of black pepper
1 pinch of salt or to taste
1-2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs (see note below)
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Trim and quarter the brussel sprouts. Heat pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the quartered brussel sprouts, salt, and pepper. After 30-60 seconds move the sprouts around to caramelize all sides. Repeat this every minute for about 5 minutes. As the pan becomes dry, add a drizzle of remaining olive oil every 2 minutes or so. The goal is to achieve a deep golden brown color on 1-2 sides of each sprout. Be careful not to burn them or they will turn bitter.
Once sprouts are caramelized, cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat to finish cooking the sprouts through to their center. Toss with toasted breadcrumbs and Parmesan and serve immediately.
To toast breadcrumbs: Saute breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ clove of minced garlic on medium heat until browned. Watch carefully, the breadcrumbs will go from brown to burnt very quickly.
Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe:
Brussel Sprouts with Garlicky Bread Crumbs
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January 7, 2011
In case you didn’t notice (or you live in some place with obscenely nice weather), it has been raining A LOT this winter. (My apologies to anyone reading this who is currently snowed in or worse, lots of rain is extreme weather for us here in Northern California.) In fact, it rained nearly every day of our Winter Break from school. At first it was nice. We read books, built forts, danced, and suited up in rain gear for wet adventures through the woods. By the end of the second week though, the mere thought of constructing another LEGO plaything made me ill. Luckily my children love to eat even more than I do and given the opportunity they love to cook as well.
Winter Kale with Lemon and Olives
January 4, 2011
As the winter wears on, it is easy to think fondly of the bounty of summer… sweet juicy tomatoes, crisp peppers, non-stop zucchini. You have to work hard not to eat “seasonally” in the summertime. But what about in January? I try feed my family on as many home-grown veggies as possible. This lofty goal is fairly easy to attain in the warm months and significantly more challenging in the winter. I am very grateful that our life does not depend upon nourishment from our backyard. This month, we would be subsisting on satsumas, garlic, the last stray raspberry, and an occasional egg. Well not quite, there is always the kale.
Wine Braised Short Ribs
January 1, 2011
New Year’s Eve demands attention. It is the last day of the year, and like many big deadlines, it pressures us to make the most of our final minutes. We often feel obliged to stay up late and live large on this cold night. We either celebrate the blessings of the previous year or say good riddance to a year that treated us harshly. For my husband and I however, times have changed.
This year we did not ring in the new year as we once had. There were no loud parties, drunken dances, or boisterous cheers. Perhaps it is as the checkout gal at the butcher shop and I agreed, we have paid our dues by partying wholeheartedly in previous years and we deserve a night off. Perhaps we are lured by the calm and seemingly more desirable option of staying in with a delicious meal and a bottle of bubbly. Perhaps we just don’t have a babysitter. Whatever it is, the food made the night (and the company of course!).
My Pantry Shelf 