Shaving Trendy Veggies

Brussels sprouts sure are making a comeback.  The mushy, over-boiled green blobs of blech that I remember from my childhood have been banished, and the Renaissance is in full swing.  We'll be getting some Brussels sprouts in this week's box.

Photo via Cookie & Kate

So if we're not just boiling them to oblivion anymore, what do we do now?  If you look at a lot of trendy restaurants, you'll actually see them on the menu, traditionally roasted.  To be honest, they're wonderful in the simplest of preparations.  (Well, barring the boiling anyway.)  Simply take off the outer layer of leaves and slice the sprouts in half, toss in olive oil and a generous bit of salt & pepper, and roast at ~450˚F for 30-40 minutes.  The outsides should be beautifully brown and toasty, and the insides soft but not shapeless.  Easy as that.

Photo via Cookie & Kate

But the hip thing for restaurants to do is "shave" them now.  Okay, it's not really shaving, you're really just chiffonading them.  In some cases to shave the sprouts means simply to separate the whole leaves from the heads and prepare as a leafy vegetable.  In either case, the shaved Brussels sprouts are used in salads and slaws.  The little bit of extra prep in shaving the sprouts seems to open all kinds of possibilities.  Here are some ideas for you:

• Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts Slaw
• A salad with citrus vinaigrette
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad With Apples, Hazelnuts & Brown Butter Dressing
• Warm Orange-Ginger Brussels Sprouts Slaw
• Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Mustard Dressing & Maple-Glazed Pecans

Photo via Epicurious

Finnish-Style Beef & Brussels Sprout Casserole

As I mentioned in the previous post, my Lenten abstention from personal social media has caused me to fall in love with my cookbooks all over again.  And there's one in particular that I've been meaning to explore much more because it's an entirely new realm for me -- The Finnish Cookbook.

1967 Edition

The Mister's paternal grandmother is 100% Finn, making that the bulk of his genetic makeup -- despite the fact he looks as blatantly Celtic as I do.  When we started dating I knew pretty much nothing about Finland other than where to find it on the map, what their flag looked like, and that I thought their capital city always had a cool name.  But once I heard the tale of great-grandpa Kantola carrying his wife AND a cast iron cook stove through deep snow, during a blizzard,  I knew I needed to learn more about the Finns on the whole.  So naturally, when I want to learn about a culture, I want to know what they eat, because what they eat, how they eat and the traditions surrounding food reveal a great deal about a people.  So I snagged a copy of the above cookbook on Amazon and...it sat on my bookshelf for about a year.  I did try my hand at some dumplings and potato broth, that were both pretty decent, but then back to the bookshelf it went...until this week.  

I knew I wanted to make something with the Brussels sprouts, but after searching the index it was clear that they're not a part of traditional Finnish cuisine.  But cabbage is, and Bsprouts are like micro-cabbages, so I can make this work.  I stumbled across a recipe for a meat & cabbage casserole called, Lihakaalilaatikko, and after making my brain hurt trying to figure out how to pronounce entirely too many vowels and double letters, I decided this would be the one to try (if you want to practice a tongue twister, click the speaker on this Google translation of the word).  Looking over the ingredients, I was pretty skeptical as to how it would turn out.  The only seasonings were salt and marjoram, that's it, and you don't even season the beef.  Plus, it was 2 tsp of salt onto the Bsprouts, so I'm picturing a pile of bland meat layered between indelibly salty veg.  Goodie.  But I was already modifying it with the Brussels sprouts, and I had to do all our allergen swaps to make it dairy, egg & gluten free, so I felt I would stray way too far from the original if I started adding onion or even pepper.  As I went to layer the casserole I quickly realized I had way too few Bsprouts to make even two proper layers, which meant it was a smattering of veg with a loaf of meat in between.  It looked weird, but into my oven it went and then something magical happened...my kitchen began to smell amazing!  After about 50 minutes, I pulled it and dove in and oh holy night, it was DELISH!  A titch on the salty side for my tastes, but if I double the Bsprouts, it wont' be as concentrated, and perhaps I'll back the salt down by 1/2 tsp next time.  Otherwise, I would change nothing!

So if you still have Bsprouts left from last week's Crop Share, definitely give this a try!

Finnish-Style Beef & Brussels Sprout Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bundle of Brussels sprouts, shredded    (if there's more Bsprouts at Nalls, grab another bundle as doubling this would make it perfect, or use 1 small head of cabbage in place of Bsprouts)

2 Tbsp butter    (used Earth Balance margarine for dairy-free)

2 Tbsp lite corn syrup

1 tsp salt    (use 2 or 1 1/2 tsp if doubling the Bsprouts or using cabbage, otherwise too salty)

1/4 tsp ground marjoram

1 lb ground lean beef

2 cups plain bread crumbs    (pulsed up 2 leftover gluten-free hot dog buns)

1/2 cup milk    (used plain rice milk for dairy free)

2 eggs, beaten    (used 2 egg equivalent of Ener-G egg replacer)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and butter a 2-quart casserole dish.

In the original recipe, it calls for boiling the cabbage/Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes and then tossing with other ingredients, but in thinking that this would come out horribly bland, I sauteed the shredded Brussels sprouts in the butter, corn syrup, salt and marjoram, cooking it over medium high heat for about 3-5 minutes.  Then set aside while you prep the meat mixture.  Also, the original recipe calls for dark corn syrup, so you can absolutely use that, I just had to play it gluten-safe when I saw "caramel-coloring" on the ingredients list of the dark stuff.  I'm sure you could also use agave or even local honey to get a very similar result, and if you cook it until the Bsprouts are golden and krispy, on it's own it would make a great topping for soup, steaks or even eaten as it like Brussels sprouts popcorn!  Yum!

In a medium sized bowl, mix together your beef, bread crumbs, milk and eggs until well combined.

Then starting with your Brussels sprouts layer the veg and the beef in alternating layers, starting and ending with the Brussels sprouts.  Now with just our usual Crop Share bundle of Bsprouts, you'll only have enough for a scant bottom and top layer, so either layer all on the top, or double or even triple the amount of Bsprouts so you can do proper layers.  Either way, it's going to be delicious, so don't worry so much about making perfect layers or presentation, the taste is all that matters here.

Bake casserole in oven at 350 for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until internal temperature of meat in the center of the dish is 160 degrees.

Serve with a side of fresh cranberry relish or even homemade applesauce as a way to balance the heavy meat with something bright and fresh.

Brussels Sprout Chips via Lick My Spoon

Back in January, I made my foray into Brussels sprout chips, and oh good gravy, they are face-melting good!  You can see my recipe here at the bottom of a recipe for a BLT Bonanza (we are getting romaine this week too, so one of those may have to happen).  But, I recently stumbled upon a glorious looking recipe, from Lick My Spoon, for Bsprout chips but with lemon and Parmigiano.  Um, YES PLEASE!  Follow the link below to peep the deliciousness...

Brussels Sprout Chips with Lemon & Parmigiano via Lick My Spoon

And if you are a Brussels sprouts super nerd like me, then you MUST make this Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad with a Lemony Dijon Vinaigrette.  It will knock your Crop Share socks off, if I do say so myself.  I mean, just look that that beaut!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad with a Lemony Dijon Vinaigrette

I've been eyeing this Shredded Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dressing recipe from Just A Taste for awhile now.  But every time we get Brussels sprouts in the Crop Share, I'm completely incapable of not roasting them or turning them into this Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms in a Dijon Cream Sauce dish.  However, this week I vowed to finally make my own version of Just A Taste's salad, and I knew if I was going to get the Mister behind a giant bowl of green for dinner, I was going to have to put some meat in there somewhere, especially since there would also be no carb coming along with it either.  So while the original is completely vegetarian, I tossed in one shredded chicken breast from yet another rotisserie chicken I'm slowly dismembering as the week goes on.  I also didn't go based on her measurements, I just went based on quantities in our shares, so I doubled the dressing recipe as the original measurements were looking pretty slim for the amount of roughage I had going on.  She also had Parmesan or Pecorino cheese in her's, but we didn't miss it and with the almonds you already get that nutty flavor and by adding Kosher salt to the dressing, that checks the salty component box.  So feel free to add cheese if you'd like, just maybe back down on the amount of salt in the dressing or omit it all together.

Not going to lie, this is one of those annoyingly prep intensive dishes, so if you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner salad, this might not be a good option as thinly slicing your way through all that green becomes soul killing unless you've got some good tunes blaring in your kitchen.  However, thanks to this recipe, you will gain two, count them two, gold stars on your culinary skills charts:  Chiffonade & Emulsion.  Yep, we're getting fancy in Nalls' Kitchen tonight!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad with a Lemony Dijon Vinaigrette

For salad:

1 quart Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed & shredded
1 bundle Kale, removed from stalk & shredded
1/2 cup sliced, unsalted almonds, toasted
1 chicken breast, cooked & shredded (I dismembered a rotisserie chicken)


For dressing:

1 large shallot, minced
4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp local honey
2 lemons, zest & juice
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil


In a medium-sized skillet, toast almond slices over medium high heat.  No need to add any oil as the natural oils in the almonds will be enough.  Stir fairy continuously to prevent burning.  Once almond are golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.

To shred Brussels sprouts, trim ends, and remove outer few leaves.  Then halve sprouts and thinly slice each half.  For kale, remove from the stalk and roll leaves into bundles and prepare to chiffonade.  Say what?  Yes, get ready to perfect your fancy knife skills -- and no you don't have to be totally accurate with these, you just want to have thin slices of kale for the salad.  Have no idea what I'm on about, then learn how to get  your chiffonade on in this helpful video...

Now toss together your kale, Brussels sprouts, toasted almond and shredded chicken together in a large bowl.   I weeded out any bits of the core of the sprouts  that still remained as chunks.

Grab a medium sized bowel and whip up the dressing.  Combine all ingredients through the salt and lightly whisk to fully combine.  Then slowly pour in olive oil while you whisk vigorously because you're doing another fancy thing, you're making an...emulsion!  Ooo la la!  First you chiffonade then you, well, emulse?  Emulsionize?  No, I've got it, you emulsionate!  Once all your oil is incorporated you should have a dressing that looks very much like a big bowl of whisked egg yolks.  Pour as much or as little over the salad and toss to coat.

Let sit for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld and serve.

Throwback Thursday: Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms In A Dijon Cream Sauce

I cannot get enough of this brussels sprouts recipe, it is nothing short of decadent, and chances are you already have a good bit of the ingredients hanging out in your pantry or fridge.  Yet some more great comfort cooking while we're in the midst of this snowy tundra!

Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms In A Dijon Cream Sauce

And in case you don't have everything already in your pantry, don't forget to take your Tauntaun with you to the store...

Aaaaaand, if you're just nerdy enough to need more wintery Star Wars humor, here's a little gem straight from Sochi.  The Olympics are really getting intense!

Fellow Crop Share nerds...you are welcome.

BLT Bonanza (plus a bonus recipe for Brussels Sprout Chips!)

I get the whole bacon craze, I just am not that insane over bacon (though it was a dark chocolate & bacon bar that caused me to fall off the vegetarian wagon).  That being said, if you slap that bacon on a carb and add tomato & lettuce, you better get out of my way because I'm going to go all Shark Week on it!  So a few months ago, I had a mad scientist moment in the kitchen and concocted this sinfully good BLT Pasta.  Yes, there is lettuce in the pasta, because hey, it's a green, it will saute up like spinach.  So, with the cherry tomatoes and Boston lettuce this week, just grab yourself a slab of bacon and your favorite pasta and you're on your way to pastavana (pasta nirvana, but somehow it just sounds like a yoga pose, a yoga pose that I really hope exists and includes eating pasta).

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Pasta

But wait, there's more!  With last week's green leaf lettuce and the tomatoes in store, I whipped up some Triple Decker BLT's.  Now a traditonal BLT needs no recipe because duh it's toasted bread with lettuce, a slice of tomato and crispy bacon.  Easy enough.  But most folks slather mayo on them, and since the Mister has an egg allergy, and I forgot to pickup Veganaise at the store, I decided to pull out some leftover homemade basil & almond pesto and slather that on instead.  I never want to see mayo near my BLT ever again!  Pesto is king!!!  For the pesto, use this Cilantro & Pistachio Pesto recipe as a base and sub in the basil and almonds for the cilantro and pistachio.  OR...I just came across a recipe for Broccoli Pesto that I'm dying to try, so why not weave another Crop Share veggie from this week into your BLT and use some of the broccoli for a pesto!  I know I'll be leaving out the cheese and adding more garlic to my version, because if you don't have dragon breath after eating pesto, then you didn't do it right.  The Boston lettuce will work great for your "L" but I suggest grabbing some larger tomatoes in store for your "T" as the cherry tomatoes will just fall the heck out of your sandwich.  BUT!  As an added bonus I made Brussels Sprouts Chips, as a healthy side to my leaning towers of bacon.  Let me just say, move over Kale Chips, there is a new green chip in town and it is the muscles from Brussels!  So I'll provide the recipe for those after the photo.

Baked Brussels Sprouts Chips

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed, exterior leaves discarded

1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil

Coarse ground salt & pepper to taste (or instead throw on some Dizzy Pig's Cow Lick Seasoning -- in store -- that's what I did!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pull apart leaves of Brussels Sprouts and spread evenly on a baking sheet.  You may need to core them a bit more to get all of the leaves off.  Then drizzle with olive oil and toss in your seasoning of choice.  Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until the chips have started to brown and caramelize.  Proceed to eat them all before you walk away from the oven.

Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms in a Dijon Cream Sauce

Now that I've realized I love Brussels sprouts if they're cooked right (sorry Mama, steaming frozen ones in a butter sauce is a crime against B-sprouts), I can't get enough of them.  One of our Crop Share members pointed me in the direction of Smitten Kitchen's Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts, and I've been drooling ever since.  Give me Dijon or give me death!  I didn't have any broth or white wine on hand (SCANDAL!!!), so I whipped my own, raid-the-pantry version.  I did mine dairy-free for the Mister by concocting unsweetened rice milk with melted dairy-free margarine, but having spent many a years with heavy cream running through my veins, I know it's a 1 for 1 substitution, so 2 cups of heavy cream is what you'll want for the dairy-full version.  See the ingredients for my faux heavy cream directions if you'd like to or need to give the dairy-free version a whirl.  I'm looking in the direction of a certain awesome mom & Crop Share member who's diving in head first to gluten & dairy-free cooking for her son.  Trust me lady, you'll be rocking in the kitchen like a pro in no time!

Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms  in a Dijon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
1 quart mushrooms, sliced
1 quart Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced
2 cups heavy cream (Trickling Springs heavy cream is TO DIE for, so snag some in store!  Or if you need to make it dairy-free, a no fail replacement is just shy of 2 cups of unsweetened rice milk mixed with 2 Tbsp of melted Earth Balance margarine)
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in shallots and cook for about 2 minutes.  Toss in mushrooms and allow to begin to brown before adding in the Brussels sprouts.  You'll want to get some brown on the Brussels sprouts too, as it will bring out the natural sweetness.  Once veggies are browned, gently whisk in your heavy cream and then Dijon mustard.  Season with a pinch or two of salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until sauce is reduced by more than half and is thickened.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

I served our's over rice to turn it into an entree, but this would also be great over noodles (it has a stroganoff thing going on with it), or serve it as a side dish or even a decadent topping to some grilled steaks.

Shredded Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon Dressing via Just A Taste

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Here's to hoping we all have a bountiful and beautiful 2014!  Speaking of bountiful, we finalized the Crop Share list for the first week of the Deep Winter round, and we're pretty darn excited.  Because we source domestically for this round, we are able to get so much more variety, which means we can have a lot of fun with the boxes each week.  We know for sure we'll be doing a Super Bowl themed box again this year, and since Valentine's Day is on a Friday, there will definitely be a box o' romance in the works!

But for this week, two of the items we've got, Brussels sprouts and lemons, are two of the ingredients needed for this DELICIOUS looking Shredded Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad from Just A Taste.  And we'll be getting in fresh kale for the store, so we'll have nearly all the base ingredients on hand for you to make this salad.  I know I'm going to be giving it a try!  Just remember, when using raw kale for a salad, you want to massage that kale first.  You know you feel happy after a massage, and so does kale, as massaging it takes the bitterness away.  Ooo la la!

Click the link below to view the recipe on Just A Taste...

Shredded Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon Dressing

Thanksgiving Favorites: Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Gratin

Thanksgiving In Nalls’ Kitchen!

7310 Beulah Street, Franconia, VA 22315

(703) 971-4068 ~ info@nallsproduce.com

Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Gratin

Serves 8 / Total Time: 1.5 hrs

For Brussels Sprouts:
2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, outer leaf layers removed, spout ends sliced off, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 lb slab of bacon, diced into 1/4" pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp heavy cream

For Gratin Topping:
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp fresh sage, minced (can substitute parsley or chives)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss brussels sprouts with melted butter, bacon, salt & pepper.  Spread in a shallow baking dish, just large enough for one layer with a little overlap.  Roast on top rack of oven for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during roasting.

While the sprouts are roasting, prepare your gratin topping.  In a bowl, mix together all of your toppings ingredients and set aside.

After the brussels sprouts have roasted for 25 minutes, add the heavy cream and stir to fully coat.  Evenly top with your breadcrumb mixture, and put it back into the oven to roast for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving Favorites: Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley

Thanksgiving In Nalls’ Kitchen!

7310 Beulah Street, Franconia, VA 22315

(703) 971-4068 ~ info@nallsproduce.com

Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley

From the kitchen of our own “Tie-Dye” Ann!

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, halved, seeds removed, and cubed
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped (save the greens!!!)
Cauliflower greens, removed from stalk and rough chopped
1/2 bundle of kale, leaves removed from stalk and rough chopped
1 quart brussels sprouts, stalk trimmed and sprouts halved
4 baby potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
Dizzy Pig Cow Lick Seasoning

**You can also throw in sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, garlic, parsnips or turnips

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Prep all of your veggies and if you're making as much as I did, you'll need 2 baking sheets, one for the greens and one for the rest of the veg.

On one sheet, evenly spread out vegetables, minus the kale & cauliflower greens.  Drizzle with a good bit of olive oil, enough to well coat everything.  You don't want them swimming in oil, but you need enough oil for them to caramelize rather than burn.  Then season generously with the Cow Lick Seasoning.  Toss the veggies to evenly coat each piece and place into the oven onto a lower rack to begin roasting.

Prep your kale & cauliflower greens the same way, and then let them sit tight, as you won't pop them into the oven until the other veggies have roasted for about 15-20 minutes.  Place the sheet of greens into the oven onto a top rack and roast for 5-10 minutes, checking to make sure nothing is starting to turn into kale chips (if so, you may need more oil).  Remove both sheets of veggies from the oven, and combine the greens onto the pan with the rest of the veggies, carefully tossing to mix everything up.  Then place them all back into the oven to roast for another 15-20 minutes.  Keep an eye on things, and turn veggies about every 5-10 minutes to allow browning on all sides.  If after a full 40 minutes of roasting things are still not browning up and the squash is still not soft, then put them back in the oven and make them suffer longer! 

Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley

As I mentioned in the Crop Share spoiler e-mail, Ann on our staff (many of you know her as Tie-Dye Ann!) has been bringing in delicious smelling leftovers of this veggie medley she's been roasting up on a regular basis.  Now the fact that it contains cauliflower and I even thought it smelled good and looked appealing, should tell you something right there!  So Friday night when I got home from a day of Crop Sharing and shivering, I decided to annihilate nearly everything in this week's share by roasting my veggies Ann style.  To say they were delicious is a vast understatement.  In fact, I even made vegan soyrizo mac & cheese (may sound gross, but trust me, it's taco dip on pasta...just minus the calories and cholesterol) which is our guilty pleasure comfort food at home, and both of us finished our veggies before we'd taken 3 bites of the mac & cheese.  The Mister even said, "What on earth did you do to turn this mix of disgusting vegetables into the best thing I've eaten in a long time?"  The secret...roast the heck out of it, a generous bit of olive oil, and Dizzy Pig's Cow Lick Seasoning (available in store).  That's the winning combo!  Plus, I even got super daring and decided to waste not, want not and roast up the cauliflower leaves too.  Amazingly delicious decision!  So whether you use the veggies I did or you come up with your own mix, this is an excellent way to use up your Crop Share veggies, especially any of that hard squash you still have hanging around.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, halved, seeds removed, and cubed
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped (save the greens!!!)
Cauliflower greens, removed from stalk and rough chopped
1/2 bundle of kale, leaves removed from stalk and rough chopped
1 quart brussels sprouts, stalk trimmed and sprouts halved
4 baby potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
Dizzy Pig Cow Lick Seasoning


Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Prep all of your veggies and if you're making as much as I did, you'll need 2 baking sheets, one for the greens and one for the rest of the veg.

On one sheet, evenly spread out vegetables, minus the kale & cauliflower greens.  Drizzle with a good bit of olive oil, enough to well coat everything.  You don't want them swimming in oil, but you need enough oil for them to caramelize rather than burn.  Then season generously with the Cow Lick Seasoning.  Toss the veggies to evenly coat each piece and place into the oven onto a lower rack to begin roasting.

Prep your kale & cauliflower greens the same way, and then let them sit tight, as you won't pop them into the oven until the other veggies have roasted for about 15-20 minutes.  Place the sheet of greens into the oven onto a top rack and roast for 5-10 minutes, checking to make sure nothing is starting to turn into kale chips (if so, you may need more oil).  Remove both sheets of veggies from the oven, and combine the greens onto the pan with the rest of the veggies, carefully tossing to mix everything up.  Then place them all back into the oven to roast for another 15-20 minutes.  Keep an eye on things, and turn veggies about every 5-10 minutes to allow browning on all sides.  If after a full 40 minutes of roasting things are still not browning up and the squash is still not soft, then put them back in the oven and make them suffer longer!  They'll be done when they look bronzed like the photo above.

This makes a ton, so it would be a great Thanksgiving side dish, or one to re-heat portions in the oven for a ready-to-go side dish for weeknight meals.

Nalls Next Blog Superstar Is...

Drumroll please...

Miss Elisa and her "seriously succulent" Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocado & Toasted Pecans!

With the combo of avocado, pecans and balsamic vinegar, Elisa's dish delivers on her promise of succulent.  But I dare say this dish is downright decadent!

Plus, Elisa is the local food blogger behind Citrus -n- Spice, so you should run, not walk, your typing fingers over to her blog to see some of the other delicious recipes she's posted.

So without further adieu, from Elisa's kitchen to yours...

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocado & Toasted Pecans

1/3 Cup pecans

1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Pepper

Crushed red pepper

1 Medium Avocado, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp Thyme

2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Chop into small pieces and set aside.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Blanch the brussels sprouts for about 3 minutes (less if they are small). Drain and let cool. Cut the sprouts in half and place on a foil covered cookie sheet or roasting pan. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (3 Tbsp.) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Roast in oven on the top rack for 20 minutes.

In a serving bowl, combine brussels sprouts, avocado, pecans, crushed red pepper and thyme. Stir gently and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Congratulations again Elisa, you've made our produce-loving hearts flutter!

Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Gratin

Most of my life I considered myself an avowed brussels sprouts hater.  But without fail, every Thanksgiving my mom would make them, and out of curiosity I would try them in hopes that year would be different and I'd finally come to like them.  However, a whole new world opened up for me when I discovered that brussels sprouts grow on stalks and not as tiny cabbages in freezer packs slathered in a butter sauce.  Who knew?


And then, St. Patrick's Day 2012 rolled around and a friend brought a brussels sprouts dish to our party because, well they're green and cabbage-y.  That night, for the first time, I fell in love with brussels sprouts.  The next morning I begged her for the recipe, so here it is, the golden ticket of brussels sprouts recipes, sure to win over the biggest skeptic.

Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Gratin

Serves 8 / Total Time: 1.5 hrs

For Brussels Sprouts:
2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, outer leaf layers removed, spout ends sliced off, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 lb slab of bacon, diced into 1/4" pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp heavy cream

For Gratin Topping:
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp fresh sage, minced (can substitute parsley or chives)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss brussels sprouts with melted butter, bacon, salt & pepper.  Spread in a shallow baking dish, just large enough for one layer with a little overlap.  Roast on top rack of oven for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during roasting.

While the sprouts are roasting, prepare your gratin topping.  In a bowl, mix together all of your toppings ingredients and set aside.

After the brussels sprouts have roasted for 25 minutes, add the heavy cream and stir to fully coat.  Evenly top with your breadcrumb mixture, and put it back into the oven to roast for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.