Month: January 2018

Pomegranate Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I absolutely love roasted vegetables, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a favorite of mine. Something magical happens in the oven!

I’ve had a hankering for Brussels sprouts for a while now, but was in the mood for a vegetarian version (a.k.a. not cooked in bacon).

This recipe for Pomegranate Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts balances the heat from stone ground mustard with tangy pomegranate molasses, a syrup made from cooked down pomegranate juice. Typically used in Middle Eastern recipes, pomegranate molasses can be found in most supermarkets today. Or, you can make your own at home; I have a recipe for it here. You could also substitute in honey, but use half as much; pomegranate molasses isn’t very sweet. To make a paleo-friendly version, look for unsweetened pomegranate molasses, or omit the sugar all together when making it at home.

The roasted Brussels sprouts are then topped with toasted walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds to finish it off. Yum!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or olive oil to make vegan/dairy free)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

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Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

It probably comes as no surprise that I go through a lot of dishes when I cook in my kitchen. But the last thing I want to do after making a delicious dinner is to do a bunch of dishes!

Which is why I love finding one pot or sheet pan meals, like this Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots.

This recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots, adapted from Cooking Light, uses one sheet pan, two bowls, a cutting board, a whisk, a spoon, and a knife. That’s it!

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 lemons, divided
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 (10 oz) package sliced rainbow carrots (or baby carrots, sliced
  • 2 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 drumsticks
  • 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

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Linguine and Clams

I’m sure this happens to everyone: you go out and buy ingredients for a specific recipe, but then are left with “extras” from that recipe. Normally, it’s not a big deal and you can just incorporate it easily into another recipe. But when I went to make Sheet Pan Paella recently, my supermarket was only selling 50 packs of clams. That’s a lot of clams!

To use them up, I decided to make Linguine and Clams, but used what I had on hand to make it work. So, technically, I made spaghetti and clams. And it tasted just as good. 🙂

I love the relative simplicity of this dish. It also reminds me of my grandpa; linguine and clams were his favorite. So I was surprised that I hadn’t posted a recipe for Linguine and Clams on my blog yet. Time to fix that!

I adapted this version of Linguine and Clams from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

  • 1 heaping tablespoon salt
  • 12 garlic cloves, divided
  • 4 oz day old bread, cut into smaller pieces (I used half of a sandwich roll)
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
  • the zest of one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 dozen clams, scrubbed
  • 1 (16 oz) box linguine (or spaghetti)
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I randomly had curly parsley on hand. Flat works too)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Sheet Pan Paella

Over the last few years, my husband and I have moved too many times. Since 2014, we have lived in five different apartments/houses. Somehow in one of those many moves, I lost (or threw out) my paella pan. Sigh.

Paella is a favorite of mine. I love the combination of crispy rice, seafood, and spice. So when I saw this Epicurious recipe for a sheet pan version, I knew I had to try it.

I didn’t exactly stick to the original recipe, given what I could find in my post-snow supermarket. But one of the best parts about paella is you can basically throw in whatever you may have on hand to make the recipe yours! So here’s my adapted version – Sheet Pan Paella!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon saffron, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons  salt, divided
  • 2 links of Spanish chorizo (about 6 oz)
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deviened, tails left intact
  • ~2 dozen clams, scrubbed
  • 1 (14 oz can) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
  • 1/4 cup green olives, pitted
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

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Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.

Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.

This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.

I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning,  collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black eyed peas
  • 6 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
  • 4 sprigs of thyme, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
  • about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch collard greens, ribs discarded, leaves chopped
  • 2 cups cooked rice

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Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

This cold snap feels like it will never end. One good part about the cold weather is I definitely do more cooking!

One of my husband’s favorite recipes I make is one for Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. I wanted to try a tagine with a different meat, so when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine on the cooking section of the New York Times, I used it as a base to make a slow cooker version.

Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. And, well, they are fantastic; they make for a perfect comfort food meal!

I braved the cold so I could pick up the ingredients for this yummy dish. I’m lucky enough to live close to Reading Terminal Market, and La Divisa Meats in the Terminal cubed some lamb leg meat for me for this recipe. If you do not have a local butcher, lamb stew meat works too.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds cubed boneless lamb leg meat
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • large pinch saffron
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 3/4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free, or ghee to make paleo)
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • fresh lemon juice, to taste

Continue reading Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

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