Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a pretty new addition to my diet. I never ate them as a kid, and didn't really understand what they were or what they tasted like. When I ate them the first time, it was a revelation: a vegetable that highlights all of the flavors that I love. They're a little bitter, go well with acid and salt and are really easy to cook. Well, roast anyway. Roasting the best way to cook all vegetables, in my opinion.

Anyway, let's get started:

You need a package of sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other herbs you want. Thyme is good, plus I love thyme.

Sprouts are so cute, look at them up close:

they're like tiny cabbages.

Before you roast them, you can cut off the little nub at the end (where it was attached to the vine), but it's not strictly necessary. You should cut them in halves or quarters though.

Oh yeah, speaking of on the vine, this is what they look like if you get them really fresh. You can find great shots of other fresh veggies here: GardenSeed

See, tiny cabbages.

Anyway, put the brussels in a pyrex pan and put on a healthy dose of olive oil (probably around 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp), salt and pepper (also a healthy dose) and the fresh herbs.

A squeeze of lemon is also good here, since it cuts the bitterness of the veggies.

Now, put these in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes until they are tender and have some brown on them. You may want to toss them around with a spatula after about 20 minutes to stop sticking.

Just a little bit of burnt adds some sweetness, which compliments the bitterness inherent to brussels perfectly.

They really are a great side dish, or even a snack, if you want to just pop a few of these in your mouth from time to time.

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry I didn't update on Thursday, but I was at my sister's and couldn't move my pictures from my phone. I wanted to share with everyone my first attempt at doing an entire Thanksgiving, so I took a bunch of pictures.

The day started with prepping the turkey. A little bath in the sink, some salt and pepper, and then the poor guy got stuffed with The Pioneer Woman's Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing, only without the mushrooms. Let me tell you, it came out wonderfully.

While I was preheating the oven (and baking the bread I had started the night before: shallot and sage bread) I made some kale chips for me to snack on all day.

Then Mr. Gobble Gobble went in the oven and I went to work making the compound butter to put on the outside. A stick and a half of butter in a sauce pan, add plenty of thyme and sage, let it go for a minute or two, then turn off the heat. After an hour in the oven, I slathered that all over the warm turkey.

Cover, baste every 45 minutes, and then take the top off and up the temp to 400 for the last 45 minutes. This was the result.

Crispy, flavorful skin and moist, fully cooked, and flavorful stuffing.

Then I made some other stuff and it all looked delicious

We had turkey, stuffing (from the bird, and vegetarian), maple glazed carrots, roasted (burned) and glazed butternut squash and parsnips, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, shallot and sage bread, and gravy. Oh yeah, and canned cranberry. Apparently, it was all a big hit.

In other news, look at this turkey:

He and I both passed out right after dinner.

Tim's "Hungarian" Goulash

I learned how to make goulash from a cookbook that purported to give recipes of 1950's favorites. The only thing Hungarian about the goulash I made from it was the paprika, which I couldn't find. So, in the end, nothing Hungarian about it, but I still like calling my recipe (which is a jazzed up version of that one) by the same name.

Any way, goulash is one of those things from childhood that we all have semi-fond memories of, but have no recollection what it was like. I'm pretty sure I ate this as a child, but I have no proof. All I know is that I made this for my dad once, and he really liked it.

Anyway, let's get started. We're going to need a whole bunch of ingredients.

The only ingredient that is slightly unfamiliar in this ensemble is the stew meat. You can pick it up in your grocery store as just stew meat, but you can also just cube a top round, or a chuck steak or something. It's basically the same thing, but the store did this for me. Things like this make me miss my butchers :(.

Anyway, down to business, we also need some flour, so grab flour and the various spices you see about (paprika, allspice, and cinnamon... the secret ingredient) and combine with the flour. Don't forget the salt and pepper too!

 Now, open up the meat, and gingerly take each piece of meat and pat it dry with a paper towel.

This is really important, just ask Julia Child. It will allow the flour to stick and flavor the meat, even during frying. It will also stop some of the sizzling that happens whens water meets hot oil.

Anyway, coat each piece of meat in flour, and place aside.

Now it's time to prep the veggies. I had a GIANT green bell pepper, so I only needed half of it, but you will need a full pepper, most likely. So, slice it in half and, using your finger, scoop out the seeds and stem.

I should make an animated gif out of that or something. It might be awesome. Anyway, slice each half into fairly wide strips, and then fit your strips in to each other and cut in the other direction to get little pepper squares.

Oh yeah, and I've already slice up some onions for us. When you're done it should all look like this:

At this point, you should also mince your garlic, but more importantly, it's time to cook the meat.
Grab your dutch oven, or another large heavy bottom pot, and heat up some olive oil, enough to cover the bottom. Then, sear your meat on all sides. You'll probably need to do it in two batches, so be sure to add some more olive oil in between.

When the meat is done, take it out and drain it in a paper towel lines bowl. We're using a lot of paper towels in this recipe. Sorry environmentalists.

Don't be surprised if your meat sticks to the pan. This is a good thing. The flour is what's being left behind, with all of its seasoning. We're going to use all of that to flavor our sauce now.

Add in your sliced onion (look at all of that brown stuff on the bottom), and start them sauteing. Add some salt to help them along. Then, add in your pepper (after only two or so minutes) and let those go over medium heat for a little while, at least 8 minutes.

You really want the onions to start to carmelize, then add in your garlic. After just two minutes of letting the garlic cook, deglaze the pan with your red wine. I used Merlot here, but any wine would work. I think more tannins are better.

I love deglazing pans. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of those flavored bits on the bottom. I probably could have let my onions caramelize more. Do as I say, not as I do.

This is looking really good. After you let the wine reduce by about half, add in all of the beef stock. Raise the heat to let this come to a boil. You should also flavor with a lot of black pepper at this point.

After this comes to a boil, add the beef back in and let simmer over low heat for at least and hour and a half. The house is going to smell so good! The cinnamon scent is really strong here, but the flavor comes out as just a bit of interest.
About a half hour before you serve, add in 1/3 cup of grape tomatoes. They'll burst in the sauce and add some tomato flavor, which every goulash should have.


Before you serve (over egg noodles, with sour cream) make sure you taste the sauce. If it's a little flat, add some salt, and if it's bland, add a little more paprika and cinnamon. You won't regret it.

Yum! And really nice looking too! I hope you enjoy!

Tim’s “Hungarian” Goulash

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (or top round, cubed)

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large pepper, diced

1/2 cup red wine

1 qt beef broth

2 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup grape tomatoes

Salt & pepper

Sour cream

1. Combine flour and spices together in a bowl, then coat the meat in the flour mixture. Shaking in a plastic bag works well here.

2. In a dutch oven (or other larger heavy bottomed pot), sear the meat on all sides over medium high heat.. If the pot is not large enough, do the meat in two batches and add a little olive oil between.

3. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain. Lower heat to medium or medium low. Add in onions and pepper, sauté for 8 minutes, until onions just start to carmelize.

4. Add in garlic at the last minute and let cook for about 2 more minutes. Then, deglaze the pan with the red wine.

5. All the red wine to reduce for about 5 minutes, then add in the beef broth, along with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper. Allow to come to a boil over medium heat.

6. Return meat to broth mixture and let simmer for 1½ hours.

7. After an hour, add in the tomatoes, stir them in and let it continue to simmer.

8. Serve over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream.

Crispy Shallots

Hi all,

I've been a terrible blogger again and I've managed to not update this blog for over a month! I've been really busy, or at least convincing myself of that, and haven't found time. Well, now I'm rectifying this situation! I'll be posting a bunch of recipes in relatively rapid succession (There's also some Soul Dog shots that will be mixed in for those of you who know and love their ridiculous hot dog toppings... I don't think I've ever had a dog there with less than 3).

Also, I realized that I don't make many vegetarian things, I'll also try to change that. In fact, there's no meat in our recipe for today... but it goes really well with a steak.

So, since they're called crispy shallots, you're going to need a shallow, sliced into nice, thin circles.

Those are not so thin, but they'll work. Separate them out and then get your self a whole mess of butter. Paula Deen, eat your heart out.

For one shallot you need between one and a half to two tablespoons of butter!

So, get that going in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it's all melted, add in your shallots and a pinch of salt. Maybe some pepper too.

Then, just stir them around. They're basically getting deep fried in the butter.

At this point, they've gotten soft and are starting to turn brown. I think this was around 7 or 8 minutes, but don't take my word for it.

So, just let them go, stirring every so often until they are fully brown, then remove them to a paper towel.

It's that easy!

 These may look like they're gone too far, but they're actually freaking delicious. Serve it on top of a steak and you won't regret it. They would probably also go really well with the Pork Chops... mmm... but what doesn't go well with those?

Pesto Chicken over Polenta: Part II

I know I said that I would post this recipe last week, but I'm lazy and you should never trust anything I say.

Anyway, this is the second part of the recipe I started before, the actual chicken part. I'm still deciding if I will include the polenta part too, but I just use Mark Bittman's recipe, and it's really easy. Maybe I'll do something else soon that uses it. I've wanted to try out the recipe for really stiff polenta and make little cakes.

Anyway, on to chicken. I'm excited because today is my oven's debut on this blog! This is everything that you need, including stuff for polenta.

The grape tomatoes are a really great addition in this recipe, so don't forget them. Also, chicken thighs here are a must. Breasts will get too dry, but thighs can take a lot of cooking.

First remember to season the chicken thighs (profusely) with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of butter and about a tablespoon of olive oil to a dutch oven. Butter for browning, olive oil for not burning.

When it gets hot, add the thighs, skin side down, in the pan.

Let them cook for about two to three minutes, until you get some nice color on the skin. If you like it really crispy, go for four. Anyway, when you flip them, they should look something like this.

Nice color on the skin, but not burnt. Although, I did burn myself getting this close-up. I really need a new camera.

So, two to three minutes on the other side, then pop them out, put them on a paper towel an drain some of the fat if it looks like there's too much. Also, start preheating your oven to 325.

Whenever I make sauces I like to add onion, and I'm not sure why. If I make a pan sauce and I don't, I always feel like something is missing. Maybe it's because of my ultimate in pan sauces, the sauce for my Pork Chops in Mustard Cream Sauce. I'm just obsessed with it, and I try to make every sauce jutst like it. Anyway, throw in some nicely diced onion, turn off the heat, and let it cook until translucent. The residual heat here should be enough, and I HATE burning onions.

Now the fun part, turn the heat back on medium, take a quarter cup of wine and deglaze the pan.

That just means pour in the wine and stir vigorously, getting all of the chickeniness off the bottom of the pan. It adds tons of flavor and does some of the cleaning for you.
Let the wine reduce by about half, then add in a quarter cup of chicken stock (or water, if you don't have any) and let that reduce by half.

Add in between one and two tablespoons of that great pesto we made before and mix it all in.

It looks really gross, but tastes great. Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Put the chicken back in, skin side up, and toss in some of those grape tomatoes.

The tomatoes are going to start to burst in the oven and add another layer of flavor to the sauce, not to mention the chicken will let off additional juice/fat. It's going to be sooo good.

Put the top on and get it in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until you feel comfortable with the chicken. 35 was definitely enough for me.

While it's in the oven, you have enough time to make polenta, if you're in to it. Mashed potatoes would also be good, but do me a favor and make a cute presentation.

I tried my best with this one. At least it tasted great. This one's for the recipe book.

Pesto Chicken
3 Chicken Thighs
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp butter
1 tsbp oil
1/4 cup chicken stock/water
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp onion, diced
1 handful grape tomatoes
salt and pepper as needed

1. Season chicken thighs, and heat butter and oil in a dutch oven. Sear, skin side first, 2-3 minutes per side.
2. Remove to a paper towel, drain some fat if necessary, turn off the heat, and saute onions in residual heat. Preheat oven to 325.
3. Turn heat back to medium, add red wine to deglaze pan and let reduce by half. Then add stock and let reduce again.
4. Mix in pesto, then turn off heat.
5. Add chicken back into dutch oven, skin side up, and toss in grape tomatoes. Place in oven, covered, for 35 minutes.
6. Serve over polenta or mashed potatoes, and most importantly, some red wine.

Pesto Chicken over Polenta: Part I

Today and tomorrow, since I'm off from school, I figured that I would write up two posts that document the making of a "fancy" meal. It might even be three parts, but I think two will do. Anyway, today I'm posting the steps in the recipe that you can and should do ahead, while tomorrow will be the meal coming together.

Since the recipe is called "Pesto Chicken", you can guess that we'll make the pesto ahead.

This is really all you need. A bunch of basil, a half cup of walnuts (or pignolis if you want to be fancy), three cloves of garlic, olive oil and Parmesan. You also need a food processor, you can see mine hiding back there.

First thing you should always do when you are using nuts is toast them. It reinvigorates the oils and makes them really fragrant. To do this, just take a dry pan, put it over medium heat, add the nuts in one layer and let it go.

The whole process takes just a few minutes, and you'll know to turn off the heat when the room starts to smell like walnuts. In the end (after like 4 minutes) it should look like this.

Notice that I bought the shelled walnuts, and not the chopped ones. This is mostly because the shelled nuts are easier to toast, and also because we don't need chopped nuts, we have a food processor. Anyway, you see how the nuts have gotten a little browner? They look just a little burnt, but they're not. Once they go in to get chopped, it's going to let off a great aroma.

Anyway, while this is all going on, you just want to take your basil leaves off the stem, making sure you have very little stem left on, and wash it.

It looks so nice and fresh. The basil is actually a little old, if you look closely you may notice some spots. Pesto is notorious as a great way to use and preserve aging basil. I bought this at the store, but I hope that my own basil plant will give off nice leaves soon.

Now the garlic. Just cut off the little nub at the end and smash it with the flat of a knife. Just place the flat over the clove, and punch the knife down using the side of your other fist. I don't think you can be too rough, but don't do it super hard. No one likes broken knives.

Once it's smashed, you can just take the peel away and throw it out.

Next get your food processor all set up and put in the nuts and garlic.

Pulse it on high about 5 or 6 times to get everything nicely chopped up. This is the part where your kitchen will smell divine.

Then add your basil (I had to do this in two batches), and pulse a few more times to get everything chopped up. Then let the processor run on a medium speed (mine had a "dressing" speed) and start drizzling in oil.

Make sure the top is closed and don't drizzle to fast, or you may get some oil splashes. After a few seconds, just turn off the processor and scrape down the sides and let it go for a little longer. You will know the pesto is done when it makes a light green paste. Be careful not to add too much oil! If you do the result will just be oily and dark, it won't taste or look good. Be conservative and check the consistency often.

And that's it! Put in a bowl, add some Parmesan. NOW it's really important to taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper until it tastes like it should: sweet and a little salty. I needed about a teaspoon and a half of salt and a teaspoon of pepper.  Put some plastic wrap over it and you're all done!

All in all, it takes about 20 minutes to do two batches. This presentation also sucks, but look here tomorrow to see my nice dinner, where I'll actually pay attention to the presentation.


Quick and Easy Pesto
1 Bunch Basil, washed
1/2 cup walnuts
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil (approximately)
1/4 cup Parmesean
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Toast walnuts in a dry pan for about three to four minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Pulse garlic and walnuts in food processor about 6 times until well chopped.
3. Add basil and pulse a few times. Then turn food processor on medium speed and drizzle in olive oil, remembering to turn off and scrape down the food processor every so often. When finished, the contents should look like a light green paste.
4. Remove to a bowl and fold in Parmesean, salt and pepper.