It probably goes without saying that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love spending time with my family and digging in to awesome food! My aunt and uncle have hosting Thanksgiving for years now, and they always make a point to make more than we could ever eat so we have leftovers.
I could eat Thanksgiving leftovers every day, but sometimes its nice to switch up the presentation a bit.
This recipe for Thanksgiving Leftover Skillet Pizza makes the most of whatever leftovers you have on hand!
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)
I’m not going to lie, the idea of a salad in the winter is not exactly appealing to me. I prefer warm food when it’s cold out, so hooray for this Warm Salmon Salad!
I’m a huge pumpkin fan, and I don’t mean “pumpkin spice” when I say that (although I do love pumpkin spice things as well!)
I haven’t made a savory pumpkin dish for a while, so I was excited to try this recipe for Pumpkin Polenta with Fall Vegetables I found on the Food Network. I adapted it slightly, but for the most part kept it the same.
This recipe adds pumpkin puree to creamy polenta and then tops it with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, making for a perfect fall meal!
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered (about 4 cups)
So. This is kind of an autumnal meal. But it’s been raining and chilly for about a week now, so I’ve been making more “comfort food” kind of meals. And this one is a definite go-to of mine, it’s so tasty!
I found the recipes for the Chicken and Brussels Sprouts and the Potatoes both on Cooking Light. The chicken and potatoes both cook at 450 degrees F, so these recipes pair perfectly together for a meal that’s on the table in under 40 minutes!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
12 ounces halved baby potatoes
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter, divided (or margarine or olive oil to make dairy free)
This cold weather just won’t let up, so my cravings for comfort foods keep on coming! This recipe for Braised Chicken Thighs with Wild Rice Pilaf comes from the March 2015 issue of Cooking Light. It takes a little longer to make (~1 hour) so it’s probably better for a weekend meal.
You brown the chicken thighs in the same pot that you make the rice in, so it adds a subtle roasted flavor to the rice as well. This Braised Chicken Thighs with Wild Rice Pilaf recipe is also a one pot meal, so less dishes! The pilaf is loaded with carrots, Brussels sprouts, and golden raisins and work surprisingly well together!
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited on a Chevy Farm-to-Table Road Trip, which was SO much fun! Chauffeured in snazzy Chevrolets, the group first went to Terrain in Glen Mills for lunch at their cafe and then went wine tasting down the road at Chaddsford Winery. (To read more about Terrain and Chaddsford Winery, visit my guest post over on Drive the District.)
All of the food was fantastic at Terrain, but I cannot stop thinking about their fabulous Farro and Arborio Risotto with sweet potato puree and autumn vegetables. So, naturally, I decided to try to make my own version! This recipe is pretty involved but it sure is worth it!
This recipe can be easily made vegan (noted below) and is vegetarian if vegetable stock is used instead of chicken stock. This recipe, however, is not gluten free because farro does contain some gluten.
Ingredients:
Veggies:
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 cup halved Brussels sprouts
3 Sweet potatoes, divided
2 Shallots, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine to make vegan)
Risotto
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked farro
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to keep vegetarian)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (omit for vegan version)
I love love love Brussels sprouts. I truly don’t understand why I was told they were gross when I was a kid, they are a favorite veggie of mine now! So I’m excited to share this recipe for Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts!
Most recipes for Brussels sprouts include bacon, however. And as much as I love bacon, sometimes you just want a truly vegetarian side. Cooking Light had this recipe for Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts in its November 2014 issue and it sounded so yummy! Lemons brighten up the flavor of the Brussels sprouts and works really well with the browned butter.
I am seriously starting to think that Cooking Light has a way to read my thoughts. It’s like they know exactly what ingredient I want to work with next, or a particular product I might be craving, like this recipe for Stuffed Chicken and Herb Gravy. And I don’t mind that one bit.
The latest issue has a recipe for Stuffed Chicken and Herb Gravy with Creamy Polenta that upon seeing in the magazine, I immediately put on my boots, coat, hat, scarf, gloves, etc. etc. and headed for the supermarket, despite the slippery and freezing walk I had ahead of me (it’s a whopping 5 blocks away, but I still managed to almost fall a good 3 times). And I have to tell you, it was worth it.
(I posted this photo to Instagram before I left for the supermarket. hehe)
Chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto and provolone, over creamy polenta, topped with an herb gravy… What’s not to like? The recipe suggested making it with bacon green beans, but we had some Brussels sprouts in the freezer that I wanted to use so I substituted them in instead.
Ingredients:
CHICKEN AND GRAVY:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 very thin prosciutto slices (about 1/2 ounce), halved
4 (2/3-ounce) slices reduced-fat provolone cheese
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
POLENTA
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup unsalted chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked polenta (I just used yellow corn meal)
I’ve mentioned on here many times, I really stink at getting an entire meal on the table. I can usually handle making the main dish and then I just scramble to throw a salad together and call it a meal. So when Cooking Planit told me about their app, it was like they had made it with me in mind!
The app, available for the iPhone and iPad (android coming soon) can also be accessed online. Your usage is synced up through your login, so you can browse on your computer, iPhone, and iPad seamlessly. (The app is currently on sale for $0.99 for iPhone and $1.99 for iPad)
The overall goal of Cooking Planit is to get a meal, sides included, on the table at the same time. The app includes tons of recipes that come already packaged as meals, but you can also mix and match to suit your tastes.
Once you choose your recipes/meal, you can add it to “My Cookbook” to store for future use. When you’re ready to go food shopping, just add the meal to your grocery list. The app gives you the option of planning for 2, 4, or 6 servings which I absolutely love! The grocery list can be viewed as a list by aisle (produce, dairy & eggs, canned goods, etc.), images (in case you have no idea what a leek looks like), or by recipe so you can see what you need for which recipe. Once you find and purchase your ingredients, just check them off and remove them from the list.
When you’re ready to get cooking, just bring up the recipe and click get started. The app will walk you through the meal, step by step, so that all parts of the recipe will finish at or around the same time. The app even shows you which cooking equipment, kitchen supplies, and appliances you need to make your meal, almost foolproof! It also lets you know how long it will take to make from start to finish. I liked being able to browse the recipes online at work, get the grocery list up on my phone at the supermarket, and then use my laptop at home to view the directions while I cooked. Super easy! The iPhone/iPad app also has voice control, so if you’re elbow deep in cooking, you can give voice commands like “Move On” or “Go Back.” When parts of the recipe need a timer, automatic timers show up at the top of the screen for you. The app will also tell you when to slow down so that all parts of the recipe finish at the same time.
So I decided to try it out and give the results below! I (of course) messed with the recipe slightly so my version is below. I chose “Sunday Supper” but changed it to Baby Back Ribs instead of Short Ribs and used my slow cooker instead of the oven.
New York Times recently had an article with a recipe from Carmen Quagliata, the executive chef at Union Square Café. The recipe was for a perfect winter dish: Vegan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Apple with Candied Walnuts. Usually when searching for Brussels sprouts recipes, bacon is almost always included, so I was happy to find a somewhat healthy alternative. I thought Ash Wednesday would a great to try out this recipe for dinner.
Ingredients for Brussels sprouts:
1 ½ cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch asymmetrical chunks
2 cups (about 1 large) Honeycrisp, Cortland, or Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1-inch asymmetrical chunks (my local market was out of these options so I used two Pink Lady apples)
1 shallot, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ tablespoon maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While it is heating up, prep your Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apples, and shallot. To trim the Brussels sprouts, cut off the rough white stem and then cut the sprout in half. If any outer leaves fall off discard them as well.
This was my first attempt at cutting and peeling a butternut squash, and I found the blog A Veggie Venture to be super helpful. The blog has a lot of great tips about veggies in general, so I suggest checking it out. If you’re not up for cutting your own butternut squash, Trader Joe’s sells already cubed pieces. However, they are a bit more dried out than freshly cut squash so keep that in mind.
I only needed the top half of the butternut squash
I used an apple corer to prepare the apples, and then cut the slices in half.
Keep the skins on the apple
Toss the Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apple, and shallot with the olive oil and sage leaves in a shallow baking dish.
So many colors!
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375 until vegetables and apple are wrinkled and slightly brown, about 45 minutes to an hour. Do not disturb or mix the dish while it’s cooking.
If you don’t have time or are just apprehensive about making the candied walnuts, you can purchase them already made.
However, the recipe is below in case you’re feeling adventurous. (Honestly, it wasn’t that difficult!)
Ingredients for walnuts:
6 cups vegetable oil
6 ounces walnut halves
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (I ended up using less than a cup and they were fine)
kosher salt
To make, place a deep fryer or high-sided saucepan over high heat (I ended up using my pasta pot; my saucepans were all dirty from previous cooking adventures). Add the oil making sure there is at least 3 inches from the top of the pot. (When the walnuts are added, the oil bubbles and rises so you need room for this to happen) Heat to 375 degrees.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in another pot. Add the walnuts and boil for 10 seconds. Drain well and immediately toss with confectioners’ sugar. Spread flat on a baking sheet to allow to dry.
Walnuts after tossed in powdered sugar
The original directions suggest having a baking sheet lined with paper towels nearby. Mine stuck to the paper towels (boo) so I’d suggest maybe using parchment paper. Working in batches if necessary, add the walnuts to oil and stir once or twice. Fry until amber-brown or about 30 seconds. Using a wire skimmer or a heatproof slotted spoon, remove walnuts and move to baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
To serve, drizzle maple syrup over roasted vegetables and sprinkle with walnut pieces.
How good does that look??
This dish was really great. It had the feel of a comfort food dish without the leftover heaviness.
I was sort of hoping the Brussels sprouts would play a bigger role in the dish, but the butternut squash was what I kept going back for (nothing wrong with that). The walnuts add a lot of sweetness to the dish so don’t go overboard on topping the dish with them. The best part though, was that with so much flavor, I didn’t even miss not having meat for dinner!
Note: If you want something to pair with this to make a more hearty meal, the recipe suggests serving it with walnut bread.
I made my weekly trip to Reading Terminal’sIovine Brothers Produce and noticed huge display of Brussels sprouts. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had Brussels sprouts and felt the need to try them out. I always feel bad for Brussels sprouts, everyone always hates on them. Essentially tiny cabbages (in look and taste), Brussels sprouts are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins C and A, and cancer fighting properties. I may or may not have negated a lot of the benefits of these little guys in my cooking preparation though, so I hope to make a healthier version in the coming weeks.
As a heads up, Brussels sprouts should most certainly not be overcooked; they begin to release a sulfur odor which will really ruin your appetite.
This recipe for Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts is a good introduction to Brussels sprouts in my opinion. It includes bacon, and honestly, what isn’t better with bacon? I used a recipe from foodnetwork.com as a base, and just changed the recipe to fit my tastes and what was in my fridge. The original recipe can be found here.
