Brussels Sprout-Sweet Potato Hash

I saw this recipe on facebook and loved the idea of a savory, veggie-filled breakfast. Since now I like sweet potatoes, I was really excited to try this dish. I also love brussel sprouts, so I knew this had to be good.

This quick breakfast was delightful. It took a few minutes to prep the vegetables, but once they were ready, the whole thing came together really fast. Because the sweet potatoes are finely shredded/grated, they really don't take that long to cook. I added a fried egg on the side and decided to add this to my weekly breakfast menu. It's fast, nutritious and soo good!

Here is the recipe for Brussels Sprout-Sweet Potato Hash

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club- New Year, New Food

For this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, I was given the opportunity to pick the theme. I love trying new foods, so I thought that a great theme for the beginning of a new year would be- New Year, New Food.

Each member of our Supper Club chose a CL recipe that included an ingredient/food that they had never tried before. I was thinking about what food I wanted to try and noticed that there were fresh chestnuts available at my grocery store. I have absolutely no idea what chestnuts are used for and I had never tried them. My only reference for this food was the line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire", from The Christmas Song.

I wasn't sure if they were really an actual nut, or just happened to have "nut" at the end of their name. (turns out they are an actual nut)
Then I was browsing around the Trader Joe's that just opened recently in my area and saw a package of chestnuts that were already peeled and cooked. The recipe I picked- Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Chestnuts called for bottled chestnuts and I figured this find at TJ's was as close as I was going to get to the product I needed.
I also have never tried Farro, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so I used barley instead.

This minestrone was absolutely amazing. The chestnuts were a great addition to this soup. They have a really interesting flavor and texture that blended in with the other flavors magically.
I know the ingredients sounds kind of strange, but I was blown away by how well all the different ingredients went together. I think the pancetta really added a great deal of flavor to the base of the soup. (Thank you Trader Joe's for carrying chopped pancetta, that is ready to use!).

I didn't want the tomatoes to be cooked, so I just stirred them into our individual bowls, leaving them out of certain family member's, who think that tomatoes are deadly.

I was really impressed with this soup. It was so flavorful, so healthy and so delicious.

Here are the new foods that the other members of our Supper Club tried for the first time this month. Jamie tried a recipe using fontina cheese, Sandi picked a roesti casserole (I've had my eye on that dish for awhile now), Val chose quinoa, and Helene wanted to make a flan for the first time- she was unable to participate this month, but we am still including the link to the recipe she was going to try.

Here is how the menu turned out-

Mary Ann -Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, and Chestnuts

Jamie - Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

Sandi - Roesti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Val - Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spinach

Helene - Vanilla Caramel Flan

I hope this has inspired you to try some new ingredients or foods this year. I certainly will be!

Recipe for Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Chestnuts
* I used quick cooking barley instead of farro
* I subbed chicken broth for the wine
* I stirred the cherry tomatoes in at the end, after the minestrone was off the heat

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap.
I am sure it is just because most people overcook them or something.
They are so delicious if they are roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

I saw this recipe for Brussels Sprouts Gratin in the Holiday issue of Cooking Light Magazine and wanted to try it right away. I didn't really follow the recipe exactly. I roasted my brussels sprouts in the oven to get them tender (at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes) and then combined them with my cooked bacon in a baking dish. Then I sauteed my freshly ground bread crumbs in a little bit of olive oil, until they were nice and golden, sprinkled them on top and broiled the whole thing for just a few minutes.

Delish! My kids loved this and so did I. I am definitely going to make it again over the holidays, if not for Thanksgiving then around Christmas time.

Give Brussels Sprouts another chance. They are soo yummy!

Recipe for Brussels Sprouts Gratin
* I roasted my brussels sprouts in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, after they had been tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper
* I sauteed my freshly made bread crumbs in olive oil instead of butter and reduced the amount
* I combined my roasted brussels sprouts and crumbled bacon in the baking dish and omitted the shallots

Bacon and Cheese Brussel Sprouts

This is one of the appetizers that we had on New Years. I actually used real bacon (GASP!), instead of turkey bacon, but got rid of all the fatty pieces. The recipe said to cook the brussel sprouts in the bacon grease, but everyone knows I love oven-roasting my vegetables and that is what I did instead. I roasted my brussel sprouts for about 20 minutes, after I drizzled them with a tad of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.
I also specifically bought aged cheddar for this appetizer and the final result was a very yummy bite that included sweet, savory, salty, spicey,- basically a little bit of everything. This was really good.

Bacon and Cheese Brussels Sprouts Olyia Mimkho From Every Day with Rachael Ray November 2006 SIX SERVINGSPrep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 20 min
6 thick-cut strips bacon, stacked and quartered crosswise (24 pieces)
24 brussels sprouts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 24 small cubes

1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through but not crisp, about 6 minutes; drain on paper towels.

2. Cook the brussels sprouts in the bacon fat until golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes; discard the fat. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the maple syrup. Serve each brussels sprout on a toothpick with a piece of bacon and a cheddar cube.


Up Next- Barley Risotto with Kale and Red Peppers

Craving Ellie in my Belly- Jewel Roasted Vegetables

This weeks Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Marie over at A Year from Oak Cottage. She chose Jewel Roasted Vegetables, which consists of carrots, beets and brussel sprouts. Aren't they pretty? Plus, we already know I have a thing with fresh thyme. Love it!
We ate beets alot when I was growing up, because my dad and my grandpa grew them in their gardens, and I really like them. My favorite part is the beet greens. You cook them up just like spinach, or swiss chard, mmm...
Anyway, back to the veggies. I loved this combination. I think Brussel Sprouts get a bad rap, but I don't know why. I think they taste great if you cook them properly. I love to roast them in the oven, so this was a perfect recipe for us. Surprisingly, my son gobbled down his serving and asked for more. Plus when you have this many beautiful colors going on in a recipe, you know it has to be good for you. Thank you Ellie for creating this delicious recipe and Marie, for choosing it. Go check on the other CEIMB Bloggers and see what they thought of this recipe!

Jewel Roasted Vegetables from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger
4 medium beets

3 Tbls olive oil

1 1/2 pds carrots

1 1/2 pds brussel sprouts

8 large cloves garlic, left unpeeled

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp pepper, plus more to taste

1 Tbls chopped fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 Tbls of the oil. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch thick pieces, and trim the brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Put the carrots, sprouts, and garlic cloves in a large baking dish and toss with the remaining 2 Tbls oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the large pan of vegetable to the oven separately, and cook everything for 1 hour more, stirring the vegetables once or twice.

Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board. Stir the thyme into the carrot and brussel sprout mixture and let it continue to cook, for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, after about 5 minutes, peel, then cut them into 1-inch chunks. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with beets, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Beet Greens by Me

wash and dry your beet greens. Place them in a saucepan with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the greens and stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice. Enjoy!

Coming Tomorrow- Dorie's All in One Holiday Bundt Cake

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I am trying to figure out what people have against brussel sprouts. Sure, if you don't cook them in an appetizing way, they probably don't taste very good, but if you roast them or any veggie for that matter, with olive oil, salt and pepper, they taste great.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 lb brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed and halved
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.Place brussel sprouts on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with your hands. Put brussel sprout halves, cut side down, on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.