An Old Standby

Don't you just hate it when you have a point to make and then realize that all of your assumptions were in your head and not out there in plain sight for the entire world to see?

No?

Ok, maybe it's just me...

Anyhow...

I had it in my head that I should post my recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts because I was just CERTAIN that I had photos scattered throughout this blog with them making appearances as part of the meal.  Then when I hunted through old posts looking for links to prove my point, I came up with this.  And that's it.

So you'll just have to believe me when I say that we eat a lot of sprouts, and by and large, this is how I prepare them.  No mushy gray sprouts here.  These have a wonderful nutty flavor to them.  And then there's the garlic.  I mean, who can go wrong with roasted garlic, am I right?

So without further adieu, I give you Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic.  And now I'm going to go hunt down all of those photos that I just KNOW are lurking around!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

1 - 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts
Olive oil (extra virgin)
Course Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400º.  Line a baking sheet with foil (I use the non-stick variety, and it works wonders.  I'm truly addicted to the stuff).

Cut the ends off the sprouts and remove outer (loose) leaves.  Slice in half, or quarters if they're particularly large.  Basically, you want them all to be the same size.  Spread evenly over baking sheet.

Coat the sprouts lightly with olive oil and mix them around a bit to make sure they're evenly coated.  Season with salt and pepper.

Bake the sprouts for about 20 minutes, or just until they start to brown.  Remove from oven and scatter the garlic around the sprouts.  Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until garlic is cooked through.

Sometimes I give these a little shower of grated Parmesan and/or a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.

A Quickie Thanksgiving - Pt. 1

We had the Reader's Digest Condensed version of Thanksgiving this year.  About 3 hours, start to finish.  The food took longer to prepare than the actual enjoying of it.  But that's kind of how the wind blew, and it was ok.

My mom and I each created our own meal plan and brought the two pieces together.   Mom brined a turkey breast (very moist and tasty!) and also had mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, her famous rolls (at least they're famous in our family) and a pumpkin pie.

My contribution included this ham, which goes together quickly, cooks quickly and is just as good as that famous ham you spend $45 on.

Honey Glazed Ham

1 spiral sliced ham (mine was fully cooked)
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey
1/3 c brown sugar

¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of ginger

Heat oven to 325°.  Place ham on a baking dish with enough of a lip to catch the juice that will accumulate.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Drizzle ham with honey (or a mixture of honey and corn syrup, if you prefer).  Cover completely with sugar mixture and place in oven.  Bake in oven, glazing the ham every 10 minutes or so with the juice that accumulates at the bottom of the dish until the ham is golden and heated through, about 45 minutes.

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My sweet potato dish was also fast and easy.  Nothing fancy here.



Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

3 - 4 lbs. sweet potatoes (or yams)

2 Tbs. butter (plus additional for greasing the baking dish)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. bourbon

1 egg

3/4 cup pecan pieces

2 cups mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 400°.  Wash potatoes and pierce skin with fork.  Place in oven and bake until tender (the amount of time will vary depending on how big your potatoes are).  Allow to cool slightly and then cut each in half and scoop meat into a bowl.  Add the butter, sugar, spices, bourbon and egg and mash together with the potatoes.  Spoon mixture into a baking dish and top with pecans and marshmallows.  Reduce heat to 375° and bake about 20 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffy and golden.



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This was a last minute addition to the Thanksgiving menu.  I had a vague idea of a dish with Brussels sprouts and finally settled on this recipe.  I actually made it early in the day and then reheated it later, but the next time I make it, I'll serve it right away.  The pomegranate seed add a nice tart bite to the dish.



Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter

Adapted from Bobby Flay

6 Tbs. softened unsalted butter

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. pomegranate molasses (recipe here)

Seeds from 1/2 of a large pomegranate

1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest

1 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Place the Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan (I use a foil covered cookie sheet).  Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until lightly golden, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, add the pomegranate molasses and stir to combine.  Return to the oven and roast another 10 minutes.

Transfer the sprouts to a serving dish.  Add the pomegranate seeds, orange zest and juice.  Stir to combine.  Top with Pecan Butter.  Serve immediately.