Zesty Cook » side dish

Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Plums, Maple Glaze and Pine Nuts

zesty — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:12 +0000

Make this for thanksgiving!

Ok sorry for starting off a little on the blunt side but seriously – you need to make this for your family and yourself. As a special request post today I am bringing you the brussel sprout recipe from our thanksgiving feast that so many of you emailed about and are dying to try.

Not everyone loves brussel sprouts, not everyone is a big fan of plums but put these two together with the crunch of a pine nut and the sweetness of a maple glaze and I honestly think nothing else matters. The texture and flavor profile in this dish is stunning. Can you believe I said stunning? Yeah I guess you are right…. I am a bit of a flake at times so it is not that uncommon.

Enough horsing around here, I am going to give you the recipe, show you a couple of pictures and almost twist your arm to try this recipe. You will NOT be disappointed. I Promise.

Ingredients

Brussel sprouts – 1 1/2 pounds, similar sizes if able.
Olive oil – 2 Tbsp.
Salt – 1/2 Tsp.
Fresh ground black pepper – 1 Tsp.
Cayenne pepper, ground, 1/4 Tsp.
Plums – 3/4 lb,
4 Tsp. pine nuts
1/3 Cup maple syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F
Clean, prep and half brussel sprouts. Remove loose leaves, cut through stem to half larger sprouts, and cut a cross into the stem of the larger sprouts. This should allow the different part of the sprouts to cook at the same rate.
Coat well with olive oil then add salt as well as pepper and cayenne as desired.
Roast in preheated oven for about15 minutes. This will vary slightly with the average size of the sprouts.
During the initial roasting slice ripe plums into wedges and remove pits. Try to keep the wedges about the same size of the brussel sprouts.
Toast pine nuts in a dry pan till slightly brown and aromatic.
Reserve 1 tsp pine nuts and grind or mash the remaining into a paste. A mechanical girder will work, but avoid a used coffee grinder. A mortar and pestle will work best.
After 15 minutes add to the plums to the partially cooked brussel sprouts and mix before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Heat the maple syrup to a slow boils and add the paste of pine nuts and mix.
Pour syrup over roasted plums and sprouts and mix well.
Serve warm
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Proportions can be changed or altered with ease depending on what is available and if you do not have maple you could substitute honey and the same goes for the pine nuts. Use what you have on hand.

So there you have it… a must try with brussel sprouts for your next holiday dinner, your next week night dinner, maybe a snack on Saturday night, or just something you make and let me know how it turned out. I am excited for you guys to try this because I am confident you will love it. Have a great weekend and a super Friday. Talk to you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

A Smashed Potato

zesty — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:00:26 +0000

Scrambling with work and Disney preparations – I decided to recycle one of my new found favorite ways to serve potatoes… Let me know if you like them.

Growing up on PEI, potatoes are everywhere, and I have grown to love them. Whether they are mashed, baked, french fries, scalloped, pan fried, boiled, microwaved ( umm a bit sketchy) I eat them all. Over the years I have tested many techniques and added different flavoring to potatoes to kick it up a notch. When looking for a comfort side dish I tend to lean towards the method seen below.

Now do not dismiss the fact I truly adore mashed potatoes with butter and cream but lately I have been all over SMASHED potatoes. It is a two step process to make it happen but will never disappoint.

Ingredients

Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Start off by boiling the potatoes until almost fork tender.
Preheat oven to 400 F
Once the potatoes are finished boiling remove them from the water and let stand for a minute.
Prepare a cookie sheet or roasting pan
Using a heavy bottomed pot, smash the potatoes gently to just break the skin and press the potatoes down.
Once flat, add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven until golden brown and slightly crispy. About 25-35 minutes.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: In the boiling stage, be careful not too overcook the potatoes. You just want them softened slightly so you can “smash” them with the back of a pot.

Well I hope you enjoyed the potato talk. Do note that they are potatoes and very versatile. Switch it up and keep it fresh. Another great alternative is the beloved sweet potato. All the techniques stay true to a regular potato. As I am typing this, I think someday I should talk about all the different types of potatoes and why some are good for baking versus boiling etc. Maybe another time!

I am scheduling some guest posts while I am on vacation next week and not bringing my laptop… can you believe it?

Take care

zesty

Beans, Basil and Balsamic!

zesty — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:12:25 +0000

It’s Friday!! Last night I was trying to think of what to make for supper and I remember picking up some green beans and I thought it would be a great side dish to go with some baked haddock. It was so nice to have just a simple dinner after a long day. I was really impressed with the flavor combination on the beans. Balsamic vinegar is a great addition to any quick vegetable saute.

To finish off the beans, I topped them with Parmesan cheese and sliced almonds.

Ingredients

2 Cups of Green Beans
1 Tbsp. Water
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Basil Paste
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Sliced almonds
Parmesan Cheese

Method

Preheat saute pan on high and add the water and beans.

Kitty on the counter making sure everything is going according to plan.

Cook beans until the water dissolves about 3 minutes and then add balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil paste

Stir fry for another minute and add the pepper.
Top off with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To make a garlic paste, slice the garlic finely and add a little bit of salt on the board and rub the garlic back and forth over it on the board. The salt will break down the garlic and make a great paste for the beans.

So there you have it! A quick and simple bean dish for absolutely everyone. Try it and let me know what you think. As I was eating it last night I thought that a nice addition would be a splash of some red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to really quick it up. Nonetheless I enjoyed it!

I hope you have an awesome Friday and a great Valentine’s day! We have a busy weekend lined up with the Olympics, Jack Frost Winter Festival, and some music lessons. Enjoy your weekend and we shall talk on Monday.

Take care

zesty

9 Minute Garlic Zucchini

zesty — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:27 +0000

Holy cow it is Friday again! I don’t have a whole lot of time to write tonight as I need to run to the house to prep some floors and move the dehumidifier to the south end of the house. We passed the humidity test in most of the house and there is just a couple of areas that are a little high. Needless to say we are getting the floor delivered tomorrow and the stairs material.

The upstairs window/door trim paint is coming along nicely so I think we may be getting some flooring starting on Monday. Exciting I know. We are still waiting on our tub upstairs which is causing a little undo stress….. just kidding. It should be along soon and then we can cut the drain hole to get ready for the ceramic tile.

Sorry for the long winded reason as to why this post would be short.

On to the food

I do love zucchini and I am always looking for fun quick ways to add it as a side vegetable. A while back I fooled around with garlic, an onion, an orange and turned regular zuke into a yummy side dish with some white fish.

Here we go with the 5 ingredients (6 if you count pepper ). I love making dishes with 5 ingredients or less.

Ingredients

Zucchini
1 Orange
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Black Pepper

Method

Preheat the skillet to medium high heat.
Add olive oil and onion and let it sweat for 2 minutes
Add garlic and zucchini and toss quickly for 3 minutes
Add juice of an orange and some zest and let reduce for 4 minutes
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Use the zest! Don’t be afraid to use the zest of the fruit you are using in the dish. Be careful not to peel into the pit as that tends to be bitter.

So there you have it. No need of making the plain old boring vegetables ever again. Kick them up with some of your favorite flavors or for that matter – whatever you have on hand. Just go for it! If it turns out terrible, just don’t make it again – It is no big deal.

Have an awesome Friday and a great weekend. I will be back in action on Monday via the Internet in Virginia.

Take care

zesty

A Bacon And Broccoli Bite

zesty — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:15 +0000

Happy Wednesday! I have been meaning to make this dish so I could share it with you and I finally did last night.

Stir fry broccoli with bacon, fresh Parmesan cheese topped with pine nuts and a splash of lemon. A great side dish or a fine meal on its own. You should totally make this for dinner tonight. It’s fast, delicious, and only dirties one pan (two, if you decide to make some rice, which I think you should).

Now aside from frying the bacon – this dish takes all of 4 minutes so it is a great when you are in a pinch or simply trying to incorporate some green vegetables into the meal plan.

What I love about this recipe is how two fairly basic ingredients are combined with a few flavors to bring you an incredible result. The idea is to pan fry the broccoli with the bacon fat and lemon juice (don’t leave out that final squeeze – it’s key).

Ingredients

2 Cups of Broccoli
8 Slices of Bacon (Chopped)
2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
Fresh Parmesan Cheese (Shaved)
1 Garlic Clove
Red Pepper Flakes
Juice of a Lemon

Method

Chop and prepare the bacon.

Cook on medium heat until bacon is crispy, drain on a paper towel.

Remove excess grease in pan from bacon except about a tablespoon.
Turn to high heat and add broccoli.

Cook quickly and constantly moving the broccoli, add garlic, red pepper flakes, pine nuts and salt.

After 2 minutes, add bacon back in the pan and stir fry for one more minute.
Freshly squeeze the lemon over the broccoli.
Remove from heat, plate it and top with shaved fresh Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking green vegetables, always add a bit of salt once placed in the heat to keep the sharp green color. Also in this dish above – a little splash of water will help the steaming process and the broccoli to cook evenly and avoid burning.

Question of the Day: What is you favorite Green Vegetable?

What are your thoughts on the inauguration yesterday? I thought it was very memorable with an excellent speech and overall a very positive day for my friends south of the border.

Take care

zesty