Brussels Gratin

I hate when the farmers market starts reminding me that summer is almost over (in reality).  While at the farmers market this weekend, I found some brussels sprouts, but they are starting to get bigger than I prefer.  I chose a pint that had smaller heads, but there were a few that were quite a bit bigger than I usually settle for.  But today, I decided I had better cook them because they are older and probably won't keep as long.  As I usually do, I got on Pinterest to get some ideas and saw recipes for Brussels sprouts gratin.  After reading a few of them, I decide to try my hand at coming up with a recipe since I had about 1/3 the amount of sprouts that any of the recipes called for.  I figured if I could make a proper sauce, it would be okay because I also had some small baking dishes that I could split them into.  But you can use a bigger baking pan and it will work just as well.  Here's what I did:

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

• 2/3 pound fresh Brussels sprouts*
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wash Brussels sprouts; dry.  Cut bases of sprouts and remove the loose outer leaves.  Cut in half or in quarters (depending on size).  Place in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water.  Cook on HIGH for 7 minutes, or until sprouts are just beginning to cook.  Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, melt butter.  Add flour and whisk, cooking for about 2 minutes.  Slowly add milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps.  Cook until thickened, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper and add 1 cup cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.

Place sprouts into a prepared baking dish.  Spoon sauce over the sprouts.  Then sprinkle with remaining cheese and Panko bread crumbs.  Dot with butter.  Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, until sauce begins to bubble.  Remove cover, change oven to broiler, broil for about 5 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

*Farmers market ingredients

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When I started cooking this weekend, I wasn't sure what I was going to make.  I knew I had Brussels sprouts I needed to cook, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them.  As I looked through possible recipes, I decided to try roasting them with balsamic and honey.  It's interesting how you do this, you actually roast them in oil and then "dress" them in the honey and vinegar.  I had also caramelized an onion before roasting the sprouts.  So, I decided to put them together and then go ahead and put them in my quiche for the week.  The results were interesting and yummy.

Balsamic and Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from: http://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/11/roasted-brussels-sprouts.html

• 1-1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved, stems and ragged outer leaves removed*
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 large onion

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the brussels sprouts to baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
3. While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, slice the onion and separate the rings.  Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over med-high heat.  Add the onions and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown.  Set aside.
4. Place Brussels sprouts back in bowl. Add the caramelized onions.  Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.

Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quiche

• Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 cup 6-cheese Italian Blend
• 6 eggs*
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spread Brussels sprouts in prepared baking pan.  Cook the bacon for 4 minutes in the microwave; cool.  Dice bacon and sprinkle it over the Brussels sprouts.  Sprinkle with cheese blend.  
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until uniform in color.  Add milk and seasonings and mix until lemon yellow and frothy.  Carefully pour over the fillings.
3. Bake quiche for 35 minutes or until browned on top.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

 
*CSA ingredients
 

Shredded Brussels Quiche

This year has been the strangest year for things like Brussels Sprouts.  I usually have gotten several batches and made bunches of dishes.  But this year, for some reason, the only Brussels Sprouts that showed up at the farmers market were ones that were quite large.  I like what people term "baby" Brussels sprouts.  It seems that once they get to a certain size, they are no longer as tasty as the young ones.  So, I avoided buying any because they were too big.

A couple weeks ago, I did find a bunch that were medium sized (a little smaller than a golf ball).  I gave in and purchased them.  And then, because life got crazy, I forgot about them.  I found them in my refrigerator this morning and they were still in good shape, so I decided I would make a quiche.  In the past, when I have made Brussels sprouts quiche, I have halved or quartered the sprouts.  But I am never satisfied with the texture of the quiche.  While we were organizing my house last week, we uncovered my mandolin, so I decided this morning that I would shred the sprouts and see if I liked that better.  This can be done by hand, but it is so much easier when you have a good mandolin.  But basically, you just thinly slice the sprouts and then separate the leaves.  I did remove all the cores from the mix because they can be bitter.  I also have fresh garlic and just bought a garlic slicer.  So, I decided to thinly slice the garlic and mix it with the sprouts before cooking them and putting them in the quiche.  I finished the quiche with crumbled bacon (turkey this time, but I bet regular bacon would be super too) and shredded Swiss cheese.  It turned out beautifully and I love the texture with the shredded Brussels sprouts.  I will do it this way every time from now on.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Swiss Quiche

• 1 pint Brussels sprouts**
• 1 clove garlic*
• 1 cup Swiss Cheese
• 4 slices bacon (I used turkey this time)
• 6 medium eggs*
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper

 Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts and then shred by slicing thinly (I used a mandolin, but this could be done with a knife).  Remove the cores for better texture.  Thinly slice the garlic and mix with the sprouts.  Put about 2 Tbsp of water in the sprouts (in a microwaveable dish).  Microwave for 4 minutes to start cooking the sprouts.  Drain the sprouts and transfer to your quiche dish.  Microwave the bacon slices about 4 minutes or until crisp.  Allow to cool and then crumble.  Mix with the sprouts.  Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper until smooth.  Slowly add the milk while continuing to beat until the entire mixture is pale yellow.  Carefully pour over the filling and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients

Late Brussels Sprouts

While at the farmers' market this past weekend, my mom noticed people walking around with Brussels Sprouts.  She knows that I adore them, so she kept an eye out for them and when she found them she pointed them out to me.  The sprouts were a little on the big size, as they often are this time of year, but I bought a bunch anyway.  This morning, I decided to make a quiche out of them.  I had a package of turkey bacon that I needed to start using up, so I added that and some cheddar jack cheese to the mix and here's what resulted:

Bacon Brussels Sprouts Quiche

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts*
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
• 5 large eggs*
• 1 cup 1% milk
• seasonings (I used basil and sea salt)

 Preheat oven to 350F.  Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove the loose leaves.  Since this batch was big, cut in half or quarters and steam for 5 minutes in the microwave.  In the meantime, dice the bacon.  Mix the brussels sprouts and bacon and place in bottom of 8-inch round baking pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Thoroughly mix eggs, milk and seasonings until well-blended.  Pour evenly over the filling.  Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until eggs in center are set.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

*farmers market ingredients 

Labor Day Quiche

So, today I will start out with what I cooked for breakfast.  I will be posting other recipes, but I will do them one at a time to make it easier to look them up.  This morning, I had some roasted vegetables that my mom made this week.  She roasted eggplant, potatoes, onions, red, yellow and green peppers, brussels sprouts (yep, brussels sprouts!  Yum!!!) and zucchini.  So, I picked some up thinking I could make a quiche out of it.  So, that's what I did this morning.  If I haven't mentioned this yet, I am quickly falling in love with including bleu cheese in my quiches.  I guess it's time to try Gruyere.

Roasted Vegetable Quiche

• 1 cup roasted vegetables
• 2 oz bleu cheese
• 2 oz sharp cheddar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups 1% milk
• cayenne
• Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare round baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread roasted vegetables in bottom of pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Whip eggs with milk and seasonings.  Pour over fillings.  Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Quick Frittata

We receive Brussels sprouts in the share again thisweek, but since it is late in the season, some of the outer leaves were frozen and translucent, so I wanted to use them quickly. I know many don't like Brussels sprouts at all, and most would not consider having them for breakfast, but I adore them and had a taste for them this morning.Since I woke late, I needed a quick method, so I chose microwave.

 Quick Microwave Brussels Sprouts Frittata

•  1 large egg*
•  2 Tbsp 1% milk
•  1 oz cheese* (I used grass-fed Swiss and sharp cheddar)
•  6 medium to large Brussels sprouts*
•  2 thin slices Sopressetta
•  salt and pepper

 Prepare meat and cheese into small dice; set aside. Remove woody ends and outer leaves from Brussels sprouts. Steam sprouts for 4 minutes in microwave; cool. Slice sprouts thinly. Whip eggs with milk and seasonings.

 In a microwave-safe bowl, mix sprouts and meat. Heaton HIGH for 40 seconds. Pour egg mixture over vegetable mix; sprinkle with cheese. Cook on HIGH for 1-1/2 minutes. Allow to set for 1 minute.

*CSA ingredients 

Spaghetti Squash and Brussels Sprouts

I got the most beautiful stalk of Brussels sprouts in this first share of winter. Never one to turn down sprouts, I searched for a recipe to use them for dinner tonight. As is usual for me, I was looking for a recipe with protein so I could enjoy the dish and not feel guilty about the nutrition. There were many recipes with white beans and some sort of cheese, but I was missing one ingredient or another. Then I ran across the following recipe using spaghetti squash (which we also happened to get in the share). I don't have chickpeas, but I do have pinto beans, so I just substituted.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pinto Beans
 Adapted from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/01/spaghetti-Squash-roasted-brussels-sprouts-chickpeas.html

• 1 spaghetti squash*
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts*
• 1 medium onion*, diced
• 3 cloves garlic*, pressed
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock*
• 15 ounces pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• sliced almonds, optional 

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce a spaghetti squash 8-10 times with a skewer or thin knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn 1/4 turn. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are just beginning to be touched by brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).

In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and stock and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more stock or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with lemon juice. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 5

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 196 calories, 14 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 348.2mg sodium, 742.8mg potassium, 40.7g carbohydrates, 10g fiber, 7g sugar, 8.8g protein

*CSA Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts

 The next soup I'm making is an experiment. I am making a curried soup with yellow split peas and Brussels sprouts. The split peas will provide the protein in this soup.

 Curried Brussels Sprouts w/ Yellow Split Peas

•  2 lbs Brussels sprouts*
• 1 large onion *, diced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
•  4 cups water
•  1 tsp turmeric
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
•  2 cups yellow split peas
•  salt and pepper 

Heat oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are translucent. Transfer to Crockpot; add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until split peas, and sprouts are cooked. Cool slightly; Blend in batches until smooth.

* CSA ingredients

Brussels Sprouts

As I was pinning my blog recipes onto Pintrest, I ran across a recipe for carbonara and thought, "hmm, its been awhile since I've had carbonara." This week, we also got fresh squash and black pepper linguine from Ohio City Pasta. I also hadn't completely decided what to do with the Brussels Sprouts. Plus I cooked the chicken we received in this week's share yesterday in my Crockpot. I decided to throw it all together.

 Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Carbonara

• 1 cup Brussels sprouts*
• 1 cup shredded chicken breast*  
• 4 oz fresh linguine*
• 2 large eggs*
• 1/4 cup romano cheese 
• 2 Tbsp butter* 

 Cut ends off ends of Brussels sprouts and remove outer browned leaves. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add Brussels Sprouts and boil for 5 minutes. Add linguine; cook about 2 minutes. Save 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta & sprouts; set aside. In saucepan, melt butter and add chicken. Saute 1 minute. Add pasta and sprouts; mix well. Beat eggs, add romano cheese and mix well. Add 2 tbsp pasta water to eggs and stir quickly. Add egg mixture to pasta and toss over low heat until heated through.

*CSA ingredients

New Years Eve breakfast

Happy New Years Eve!  We are in Troy at the moment trying to recuperate a bit before going back and finishing these moves.  How is it possible to collect so much junk in just a year and a half?  But we are in the home stretch.  We have completely moved 3 rooms, cleaned 2.  The main challenge left is the kitchen.  I just hope I can find room to store everything in my apt with no storage.

This morning for breakfast, I decided I needed to use the brussels sprouts.  I cooked them in the microwave until just cooked.  Then quartered them.  Cut up some leftover cheesesticks (yeah, I know).  Then took 2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites and scrambled them with Mrs. Dash and some seasoned salt.  Combined it all and cooked over a medium heat.  I didn't take a picture because it wasn't very pretty looking, but it tasted good. 

A couple more days and I will be able to get back to my life again, including cooking and researching CSA programs for friends.

Sunday night dinner

Okay, so I will admit....when I am in the process of cutting up vegetables, I do tend to get a little over-ambitious in plans.  Because I knew that it would take the longest to peel the brussels sprouts leaves, I started with that dish tonight.  And then I realized that the dish called for quinoa and decided: "Maybe I don't need to make carbonara tonight".  I think I was probably right with that assessment.  Here's the recipe for the brussels sprouts:

 

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts over Quinoa
Adapted from Vegetarian Times Magazine

• 2 Tbsp pepitas (they called for hazelnuts)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 8 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 oz fresh romano (they called for feta), optional

 

1. In a small dry saute pan, toast pepitas over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to pop and turn brown.  Set aside.

 

2. Bring water to boil.  Sprinkle with quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer, cook 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and set aside

 

3. In the meantime, peel leaves from Brussels sprouts halves, discarding the cores.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add Brussels sprouts leaves and saute for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water and cook for about 1 minute more or until leaves are tender.  Add minced pepitas, garlic, salt, pepper and cooked quinoa; mix well.

 

4. Place mixture into bowls and sprinkle with romano cheese.  Makes 2 servings.

 

Tip: When they suggest that you cut the brussels sprouts in half, follow the advice.  It does make it easier to peel the leaves from the core.

 

 

 

This was an absolutely lovely dish, but would only qualify for a light dinner.  My husband was not ready for just a light dinner, so I made a soup from the cauliflower. 

 

Curried Cauliflower Apple Soup
Adapted from recipe by Gail Greenblat

• 16 oz cauliflower florets
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 8 oz applesauce (I used natural)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water

 

Steam cauliflower in microwave for 8 minutes on High.  In a smaller bowl, combing olive oil, garlic and curry powder.  Heat 3 minutes on High. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.

 

In a large bowl, combine caulflower, curry mixture, applesauce, broth and water.  Heat at 80% for 5 minutes more.  Cool.  Puree with an immersion blender (I do not have one of these, so I used a good old-fashioned blender).  Adjust seasoning. 

 

 

 

I was surprised how bright green the cauliflower pureed up!  I didn't think that it was quite that green.  I might increase the curry next time and then add a few diced apple pieces as a garnish.  But this is definitely a keeper recipe!

 

BTW, if anyone is wondering what I'd like for Christmas, an immersion blender would be really nice ;).  I am sure I won't get it this year, but it is something that would be quite handy!