Brussels Sprouts (Yes, Brussels Sprouts!)

Here's a lesson in spousal communication. If you suspect that your significant other doesn't like a particular food, do yourself a huge favor: just ask. If you don't, you mind wind up like me. In the almost three years that D and I have been together, I never once have made brussels sprouts. I just assumed that D would hate those mini green balls of healthful deliciousness. People, how wrong I was.

A couple weeks back, D and I went to an absolutely fantastic dinner at Bryce and Matt's. Bryce is a vegetarian, and a great cook, so dinner was an all-out vegetable and fake meat fest. Having grown up in a vegetarian house, I was in a form of heaven much reminiscent of my childhood. I was, however, slightly concerned about D, who favors meat. But to my surprise, D asked me to get Bryce's fake meat pie recipe. I asked if I should make it with real meat, and D said, "Just make it exactly the way Bryce makes it. Don't do any of your little alterations or substitutions or anything." Ok then.

But that's neither here nor there...the point is, after that dinner, D asked for brussels sprouts. Yep! That's right. I mean, twist my arm why don't you. I guess I'll make 'em.

Have you never had brussels sprouts? (Deprived!!) They look like mini green cabbages. When we say "mini," I'm talking smaller than the size of a golf ball. They are easily and simply prepared and packed full of nutrients. They're also cute. That's why these days, they're my go-to vegetable.

I'd be hard-pressed to call this preparation a recipe, as it consists in only a few ingredients besides the sprouts themselves. But for all you recipe followers out there, I've made these few ingredients into a list and written some instructions beneath them. Call it a recipe, if you must. Recipe or not, you can have this dish on the table in five minutes, and I guarantee it'll be consumed in half that. Unless, of course, you hate brussels sprouts, in which case, grow up and learn to love your veggies. Just kidding. But not really. :)

Brussels Sprouts

• About 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter (if using butter, use 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil so that butter doesn't burn)
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• dash red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
• a few dashes of lemon juice

1. Rinse, drain, and halve sprouts.
2. In a frying pan, heat oil/butter over medium heat.
3. Add garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Toss to coat. Cook until onion and garlic have begun to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add brussels sprouts, toss to coat with onion mixture, and saute, tossing frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until sprouts have started to brown.
5. Add broth; it should sizzle and pop, then immediately start to boil.
6. Cook, uncovered, until liquid reduces almost completely, about 7 minutes.
7. Add a few dashes of lemon juice, toss to coat, and serve immediately.

**note: I prefer my sprouts crunchy. If you want them soft or cooked through, add a bit of extra liquid, cover the pot/pan, and cook for at least 5 minutes longer, up to 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and reduce the liquid only when sprouts are nearly cooked to your preferred softness.

Lawsuit Muffins with Mango

I worked from home on Monday morning in exchange for taking Friday off. Ahh, the wonders of working at home: no commute=less time wasted= more time spent baking delicious things in the kitchen= one more post to entertain you! I'd say the equation works out in everyone's favor, don't you think?

When neither D nor I wanted omelettes, oatmeal, shakshuka (to be described in a post sometime soon, hopefully), or any other breakfast staple of ours, I settled on Lawsuit Muffins (hardy-har-har).

These muffins are so named because the recipe, which was created by Marcy Goldman, was so popular that when a competitor started making them, she took the competitor to court and won (a nominal amount of money).My mom says I “gutted the story” – here’s her version: “I recall it that Marcy Goldman was originally making these muffins and selling them to a restaurant or a cafe, where they were such a success that a competitor hired her in-house as his baker in order to get the recipe. She took the job, made the place's reputation with the muffins, after which he fired her but continued to use the recipe, prompting her to sue as you describe.” Yea, that sounds like a juicier story than mine.

I apparently stumbled upon the recipe a while back, thought it promising, wrote it in my cookbook, and forgot about it...until this morning, when I found it again and thought, what the hey? I'll try these out. No regrets on that decision. Boy, I tell ya -- the muffins are soft, flavorful, but with the perfect crust. And the mango was a great choice, IMHO. But hey, it's what I had lying around. Feel free to use what's in your fridge. I also cut the brown sugar in the batter to 3/4 cup from 1 cup, and the muffins were plenty sweet for my sweet tooth.

Now, I never do this, but something "inspired" me to write down the nutrition content underneath the recipe in my cookbook. I consider myself a pretty healthy eater, but as this blog evidences, I have a sweet tooth and a hankering for buttery, sugary deliciousness. And what can a girl do? Well, apparently, she can scare herself into oblivion by noting that one of these muffins, streusel topping and all, packs in a lot of calories (and yes, I'm going to spare you the exact number unless you want post a comment to inquire, in which case I'll send you the number I've got written down). My eyes bugged out of my head a little, and I decided not to make the streusel topping, which you and I both know would really make these muffins spectacular. But here's a little consolation -- they're delicious just as I made them.

Lawsuit Muffins with Mango adapted from Marcy Goldman makes 15 muffins For the streusel topping:

• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. In a bowl, combine all of the streusel topping ingredients. 2. With your fingers, combine until you have a crumbly mixture. 3. Set aside if using immediately or store in the refrigerator.

For the muffins:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons grated citrus zest (I use lemon or orange.)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup milk and 1 Tbsp lemon juice, mixed
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you may need a bit more if the batter is too wet)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-3/4 cups fruit (coarsely chopped if using fruits like apples, banana or pears; I like mango, mango, mango)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. If you don't have paper liners butter and flour the muffin tin. 2. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda); set aside. 3. In another bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, citrus zest and egg. Once combined, stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently mix in the fruit. If the batter seems to liquidy, add a tiny bit more flour. The batter should be fairly stiff. 5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them right to the top. Divide the streusel topping equally among the muffins. 6. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 12 minutes. When the muffins are done they will spring back when lightly pressed. Otherwise, test the muffins by inserting a toothpick. 7. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove the muffins and let them cool on a wire rack. 8. Enjoy!

Make-your-own Mexican Dinner

D and I were both very excited at the thought of turkey burgers, but you can't make turkey burgers when the grocery store is out of turkey. hmm.

After a few moments' hesitation about what to make my very hungry and over-studied cohabiter, I settled on mexican. Now, before you get too excited, this isn't Diana Kennedy, from-under-the-adobe-flap Mexican (though I love Kennedy's cookbooks, especially this one, and need to make some of her recipes soon!). This is Americanized Mexican food with just a few twists to make it more authentic. And you know what? It's pretty damn good. Because we're kosher, we do either the meat inside or the cheese on top. But please, don't hold back. A little cotija cheese and sour cream never hurt anyone.

Whether you're cooking for an army of hungry people or just a few grumbling stomachs, make a mexican buffet, and you'll be sure to please the folks around your table.

**I'm sorry that my pictures only show some of the featured items (no chicken or guac); I wasn't much in a chicken mood (especially since they were boneless breasts, which I don't so love), and didn't want to make D wait to eat while I photographed. I like to think I'm at least considerate enough to not stand between D and food.

Here's my spread -- and feel more than free to vary these dishes according to your eaters' picky habits.

Flour tortillas (I like spinach flavor) Hot, Tangy Chicken Spanish Rice Smoky Refried Beans Guacamole Salsa Salsa Verde

Hot, Tangy Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• salt and pepper
• or 1 tsp. coriander (dried)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. hot sauce

1. marinate all ingredients for at least 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
3. Put 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and turn the heat on medium-high.
4. Scoop marinated chicken into pan, reserving liquid.
5. Saute for 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through and browned.
6. Add liquid to the pan and cook until reduced to 1/3, about 5 minutes.
7. Transfer to an oven-safe pan and leave, covered, in the oven, to keep warm.

Spanish Rice

2 cups basmati rice (can be brown)
• 2 3/4 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (be careful!)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 4 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. salt

Put 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
1. Add diced onions, jalapeno, and garlic, and sweat (until translucent), about 2 minutes.
2. Add spices and bell pepper, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups water, turn the heat to high, cover pan, and bring to a boil.
4. When water is boiling, add rice, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. If after 15 minutes most of the liquid has evaporated, add an extra 1/4 cup and cook, stirring constantly.
6. After most of the liquid has evaporated, cover pot, turn off the heat, and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Then fluff rice with a fork.

Refried Beans

Smoky Refried Beans

• 2 cans black beans
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. pimenton, or smoked spanish paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• cotija cheese, optional
1. Drain beans and rinse through a few times.
2. Blend beans and 1/8 cup water in food processor or blender until mostly smooth (though some little bits won't hurt).
3. Add oil, pimenton, and salt; pulse a few more seconds til blended.
4. Add more water if needed; you're looking for a smooth consistency that's not overly thick, but not runny either.
5. Put bean mixture in an oven- or microwave-safe dish and cover.
6. Bake in the oven at 350 until warmed through (about 15-20 minutes), or nuke in the microwave for ten-ish minutes until hot.
7. Top with crumbled or grated cotija cheese and a bit of hot sauce, if you wish.

Guacamole

• 4 avocados, halved and scooped into a bowl.
• 1 lime
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed or chopped
• 2 Tbsp. onion, chopped or mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 a jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (more or less to taste)
• salt
1. Are there really instructions to this "recipe?"
2. Mash avocados, garlic, and onions in a big bowl (best to mash with a mortar and pestle, but I don't have one...).
3. add tomatoes.
4. add salt to taste.
5. add lime to taste.
6. add jalapeno....you get the drift.
7. Mix it all up and EAT!

I bought both salsa and salsa verde, but each is made relatively easily when you have the time: try this recipe from Simply Recipes, this one from Good Eats, or this salsa verde recipe, also from the much-abhored but also-very-useful Food Network.

A couple tips on serving this feast:

• Tortillas can be heated inside tin foil so that they stay soft and warm, then used as wraps to make burritos.
• Alternatively, cut each into quarters, and toast them in a dry frying pan until they crisp up a bit, then use them as you would nan with indian food, to scoop up some rice, beans, chicken and sauce.
• One last possibility is to fill them in advance, roll them, line them side by side in a pan, top with salsa and cheese, and bake, enchilada style. The possibilities are endless!

  

Baked Oatmeal

By now you all know that Sunday morning breakfast is practically an institution in this house of mine. Usually, it involves some form of yeasty, delicious bread, from apricot couronne to challah french toast to the fall-favorite, spiced pumpkin bread. This morning, D and I and our house guest Eric somehow managed to sleep past the crack of dawn, and when we rolled out of bed at 10, making bread for breakfast was totally, like totally, out of the question.

Sprawled horizontally on the couch, I started thinking about recipes that take little-to-no effort. Baked rice pudding instantly came to mind: I remember marvelling at how fantastically easy it was to make such a flavorful and luscious (and not all too unhealthy!) dessert. Inspired by the laziness of my rice pudding adventure, I decided to try the same technique with oatmeal. Granted, oatmeal doesn't require the stirring and monitoring that rice pudding does -- just zap it in the microwave and voila! you're good to go. But nuked oatmeal lacks the crust that I was so craving this morning (being without my bread and all.) Baking oatmeal would likely create a crisp exterior, which, when cracked, would yield soft, plump oats. And all it would involve was mixing everything together, transfering to a pan, and tossing in the oven. The whole thing sounded really promising. The result? Delicious, though I will say that I'd change a couple things the next time. And yes, dear readers, you will be privy to the lessons learned from my mistakes, so that you may make baked oatmeal perfectly the first go-round. Lucky you. :)

Lesson 1: a pinch of salt makes all the difference. Fortunately, I discovered this before serving, so I added a dash to each bowl and gave them a good mix before giving them to my eager taste-testers. It really is true that salt intensifies other flavors. Just a pinch helps balance the sugar and the creamy texture of the milk.

Lesson 2: A brulee-like top adds a dimension of luxury to an otherwise-rustic dish. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, not the least of which is sprinkling the finished product with sugar and crisping it with a torch. If you have a less-equipped kitchen, simply sprinkle sugar on top with three minutes remaining, turn the oven up to 400 degrees, and bake it off until the sugar has browned. This whole step, of course, is optional.

Lesson 3: Tart fruit are a key contrast to the sweet creaminess of the oatmeal. I used apples, but not enough; assume at least 2/3 cup of chopped tart fruit (peaches, plums, apples, and raisins are all excellent choices) for 1 cup of oats.

Now, without further ado....

Baked Oatmeal serves two, but easily doubled

• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/3 cups milk (I used 2%, but any sort will do)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a dash nutmeg
• 2/3 cup (at least) chopped tart fruit, such as apples, raisins, cherries, nectarines, plums, peaches, etc.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
• pinch of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Stir to combine. Make sure that sugar begins to dissolve.
4. Lightly spray a shallow baking dish (I used an 8" casserole, but any old dish will do.)
5. Pour mixture into dish, and transfer to oven.
6. Bake 40 minutes, or until all most liquid has evaporated.
7. If desired, sprinkle with sugar when oatmeal is nearly finished, crank the oven to 400, and bake off until sugar has browned.
8. Add more milk to serve, if desired.
9.