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!

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?

Zucchini Coins with Garlic

Before reading this, you need to know one thing... I really like zucchini. Most people find it tasteless and gross, but I think it's a really great summer vegetable that you can add endless layers of flavor to.

The magic starts here.

Next we need to make the coins. So cut the top and bottom off your zucchini and make slices that are about a centimeter thick. Just do the best you can, nobody's perfect.

That's a nice little stack there. You'll need about half of a zucchini per person. This serving is just for me, so only half of the veggie got used here (expect more zucchini soon, maybe).

Now we're going to do the same with the garlic. Make nice thin slices. Again, half a clove per person is really sufficient.

Then make a layer of coins on the bottom of a baking sheet, then put a layer of garlic over it. You can make it pretty, but you'll just ruin it in a minute.

Drizzle oil over the top, some salt and some pepper. Toss it up while your at it, and put it in a 400 degree toaster oven for about 15 minutes. The zucchini will be falling apart at that point and the garlic will be toasted. YES!

Now, zucchini was made to be covered with parmesean. So after the fifteen minutes take the zucchini out and grate a whole bunch of cheese over it. Pop it back in for about two minutes and then it's all done. You just need to serve it.

A perfect compliment for chicken, or any protein.

So, I know this recipe is simple, but I'm on a simplicity kick lately. Something about having everything you're using represented in what you eat. It seems honest enough, and it always tastes good (unless it's gross)

So, enjoy this nice refreshing side dish!

I'll post a recipe later.

Before I finish, I want to make a toaster oven shout out to my friend Becky.

She made a great meal (in ramekins!), and part of this was a really great french onion soup, which got finished in the toaster. I'm so proud.