fattening up the brussels sprouts

Fueled by spiked cocoa and winter wonder, we made another year's worth of good-lovin Harvest Meal memories. Of course, for some of us, the effort to remember Harvest Meal 2011 with fondness and warmth will require a selective editing of a one or two undesirable memories. 

   

Despite the nameless scandal above, our table brimmed with color, life, and the extraordinary food creations of our people. sigh.

I cooked up an okay orange-spiced pheasant but, bottom line, classic fried pheasant nuggets just can't be replaced. I am sure we were all thinking the same thing.

More success was found with a brussels sprout recipe I adapted from epicurious.com. These are some succulent little sprouts.

2lbs of brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered

1-2 shallots (I used green onion for the harvest meal)

2 cloves garlic (or more...)

2 Tbs dijon mustard

2 Tbs white wine

1/4 lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt plus more for seasoning

Pepper

2 Tbs C olive oil

slivered and toasted almonds (optional)

Sauce (optional):

1/2 C fresh goat cheese chevre

1- 2 Tbs Olive oil

1- 2 Tbs White wine

salt to taste

1. Combine shallots, garlic, mustard, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pinch of pepper. Making ahead of time allows flavors to blend.

2. Whisk oil into mustard mixture above. Coat brussels in dressing.  

3. Bake at 425 for 30 - 45 minutes, flip em over and stir em up every 10 minutes. Take the brussels out of the oven when they look golden brown and crispy

3. While the brussels are cooking, combine sauce ingredients and cook on low heat until sauce is creamy and smooth. In the past, I have made these without sauce. 

4. Pour goat cheese sauce over the brussels when you are ready to serve. 

It was a weekend of love and brussels sprouts.

Curried Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Still basking in the glow of a surprise visit from the fabulous EFisher! Nothing like fancy pomegranate champagne cocktails (followed by copious amounts of red wine), some comfort food, nature documentaries and a sleep over to make the end of the week phenomenal.

So if that sounds like a plan, try this one on for size! If I don't say so myself, this one is DELISH! This is sort of one of those, add as much as you want, cook it up and enjoy, so feel free to adapt the amounts of veggies etc. This is just an estimate--but makes a big amount, in a 9x13 pan. So cut in half if you want less, or freeze the rest! It keeps really well!

3-5 medium sweet potatoes or yams; whatever you prefer
2 tbs olive oil
1lb ground turkey
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 tbs curry powder
1 can(s) (14- to 14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbs grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 green beans or frozen peas, your preference
1/2 to 1 cup milk warmed
1 tbs butter

1. Pierce potatoes all over with fork. Cook in microwave on High 15 to 17 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork, turning potatoes over once; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high until hot. Add turkey; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring and breaking up turkey with side of spoon.
3. Stir flour and curry powder into turkey in skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add broth and heat to boiling. Cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens slightly. Put turkey mixture into 9X13 baking dish and spread evenly.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wipe skillet dry. To same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat on medium until hot. Add carrots, parsnips, and onion, and cook, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread evenly over turkey mixture in dish.
5. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half and scoop flesh from skins into large bowl. With potato masher, coarsely mash potatoes. Stir in milk, butter, and 1 teaspoon salt; mash until well blended. Spread potatoes over vegetables.
6. Bake uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes or until top is browned.
   

There ya have it!! Wham, bam thank ya MA'AM for joining us last night! T'was a dream!

I have no pictures of this lovely dish, so instead, I've decided to share some of my favorite holiday kitty--soon to be YOURS, EFisher & NJAllgood.....

OK why not two...

Viva la zuppa d'Italia

Well, dang, I sure am sorry to hear of flus and unfortunate arachnid attacks in the afterglow some amazing time in Winthrop. It was truly nourishing to spend some time cooking, drinking and speed-spelling with good friends. Cate and Nick, you were sorely sorely missed.

But we don't have to leave the joy to those in Okanogan county! Now you, too, can bring home some of the winter fest spirit. Here, give this a try:

Umbrian Lentil and Rice Soup (for 6 people)
*This recipe calls for prosciutto, but for Jews, Muslims, and/or other non-pork consumers you can substitute sliced turkey or just leave it out! It's just fine that way too! Really!

1/2 lb. brown lentils (dry)
2 1/2 qts. water, meat, or vegetable broth (I've used half organic chicken or vegetable broth & half water, which was just right)
1 large bay leaf
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb. prosciutto, chopped*
1 Tbs. minced fresh sage, or 1 tsp. crumbled dry sage
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped canned tomatoes, plus 1 cup of their liquid. (I used a 1 lb can)
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cp. white rice
freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Rinse lentils. Place in a soup pot and add broth/water and bay leaf. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, about 12 minutes.In a cold skillet, combine olive oil and garlic and place over medium-low heat. Saute about 4 minutes. Stir in prosciutto and saute another minute, until garlic is fully softened.Add sage, tomatoes and their liquid, and tomato paste. Simmer 5 minutes.Transfer pan contents to the soup pot with the lentils. Bring to boil, then add salt and rice.Stir well and cook over medium heat, uncovered, until rice and lentils are tender, 15-30 minutes.Season with pepper and stir in parsley. Serve with drizzle of olive oil (optional).

Please enjoy while picturing people speeding by on mopeds, smoking, wearing little backpacks full of wild boar salami that they are bringing back to their old wizened grandmothers who are just finishing up rolling out the lasagne or dragging a medium sized tree down a cobble-stone street to chop up and feed into their wood stoves to heat up while they wash the sheets in the tub out back so that the water is hot for the lentils by dinner time.

And with my blessings.

Fighting the bug

Well, it seems to be the season for energy sucking flus.  To add to her mucus and sore throat woes, our fellow blogger now has an infected spider bite. The good news, Peter Parker, is that you may wake up with the ability to fly between skyscrapers. That's the good news.

I lived with a little ecuadorian lady who boiled up a masterpiece every time I had a nasty sore throat. Seriously, when I get the shitty ol flu, this is the only bliss to be found. Well, waking up not sick is also blissful.

1.5 cups water

4-5 cloves

1 Tb s honey

1/2 or whole squeezed lemon

a bit of grated ginger

Boil all of the above ingredients together, take out the cloves before you sip.

A tea bag by the same name is truly insufficient. Only the real deal ingredients will get you sweatin.

I do enjoy taking pictures and giving the blog a bit of glitz but, because I forgot my camera on the night of the Winthop hardware store ladies night and could not capture the tables, literally tables, full of meatballs, hotwings, and cakes, no other picture seems sufficient. Instead, please enjoy this little youtube clip, it always give my day a bit of shine. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKxodgpyGec

 Peter Parker, this video is the cure. I swear it.

Pumpkin Cookies

As a special request, my FIRST post will be dedicated to you, Elana. :) These are the much-loved (if I don't say so myself) pumpkin cookies with maple frosting! I actually can't take any credit because all I did was steal these from someone's blog--but made a few changes for the frosting. They really are a little closer to something like a scone or almost mini-cake, the pumpkin makes them super spongy and moist. They really are a treat, and perfect for this time of year.


So here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting

1 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1 C canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Cream sugar and butter. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto non-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting (original recipe adapted, the original can be found at the website)

Boil 3 Tbsp butter and 1/2 C brown sugar until mostly smooth (Approx. 2 to 3 minutes), mix in 1-2 tsp cinnamon (more can be added later if you want more cinnamon-y zip!)

Cool for about 10 mins, and add 1 tsp maple extract (I am cheap, and think the "mapline" fake maple works fine) and stir. Slowly add up to 1/4 C milk and 2 C powdered sugar or until desired consistency, (add your liquid slowly, cause a little goes a long way!) and whip with hand mixer until smooth. Spread onto cookies.

So now, to give credit to where credit is due, here's the original post where I got the recipe!

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/pumpkin-cookies-with-maple-frosting/

Now get out there and make friends with your neighbors, Elana!!

snow cold cookin

Cold and beautiful day in the methow.  We left Spokane at 6am to get to the valley in time for the Greenbay Packers game. 6am. We left at 6 am and drove five hours to watch a football game. Without shame, I tell you, the game was damn good.  At half time, Vivi D. and I cut the NFL feeding cord to play a little snow fetch.  

After a sleepless night in the name of the greenbay packers, it seemed most fitting to make a giganto tray of nachos. The nacho recipe is not post-worthy, but it DID make me think of the cashew cheese I have made for nachos past:  http://www.realfood.com/blog/vegan-cashew-cheese-recipe.  Did you know you can make delicious cashew cheese-esque toppings just by soaking cashews for 10 -12 hours and blending them up with garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, etc.?  Yup. You can.

An Icon Returns

In honor of NFL Sunday, Veterans Day, and swiftly approaching Black Friday, I feel compelled to contribute a brief exposition to explore yet further the world in which we live - the hopes and dreams. The spirit, the values. The everyday triumphs in.... today's America.

America of Today - Issue 1, vol. I

I don't know what it is about my hometown, but they really have a thing for the McRib sandwich. I just had to share this series with you all, my new food blogging friends, because it's really just so incredible.

I was back home a few years ago and ran across this column in the food section of the Salt Lake Tribune. It is NOT - as you might expect at first glance - written with any sense of humor, irony, tongue in cheek, or what have you. The author (just wait till you get to his byline) is genuinely enamored of this product. It's kind of sweet almost. The clipping is probably still on our fridge, two years later. So without further ado, I give you:

Pop Top: Iconic McRib is pure pork perfection

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 21, 2009 5:55 PM

The McRib isn't new -- it was first introduced in 1981 -- but it seemed time to re-taste t the iconic McDonald sandwich to see if it still lives up to the hype. It does indeed, as the boneless pork patty, onions, pickles, bun, all slathered in a smoky, sweet barbecue sauce, is worth every penny of the $1.99 purchase price. What makes the succulent menu item so irresistible is the simple perfection of pickle, onion and tender pork flavor melting in your mouth at the same time. It registers at 500 calories, with 26 grams of fat, and 100 grams of pure phat taste.

David Burger

I told you the byline was good.

He's kind of a cute little guy, isn't he?

But wait! There's more! Just last month, this one came out! Granted, it is an AP article (as evidenced by the fact that it contains more than 150 words), but it was loyally published in the Trib. Read on...

McDonald’s McRib is back everywhere, for a time

BY CHRISTINA REXRODE

The Associated Press

First published Oct 24 2011 09:54AM Updated Oct 24, 2011 08:50PM

New York • The McRib, the elusive sandwich that has inspired a cult-like following, is back.

McDonald’s Corp. announced Monday that the boneless barbecue pork sandwich, usually available in only a few stores at a time, will be sold at all U.S. locations through Nov. 14.

Most of the time, it’s up to local franchises to determine when and if they want to sell the McRib — except in Germany, the only place where it’s available perennially. But McDonald’s said the response was so great last November when it made the McRib available nationally for about three weeks that it decided to bring it back this year. The company, which previously hadn’t sold the McRib nationally since 1994, declined to give specific sales numbers.

The sandwich, which is dressed with onions, pickle slices and barbecue sauce, was introduced nationally in 1982. With 500 calories and 26 grams of fat, it’s slightly trimmer than the Big Mac, which has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. And just like the Big Mac, the McRib has become a popular McDonald’s offering.

There are Facebook groups such as "Bring Back the McRib!!!" There are Twitter tags, where posts range from "Lucky me, the McRib is back" to "If you eat McRibs, you need to re-evaluate what it is you actually want in life." Last year, the guy who won McDonald’s $1 million Monopoly grand prize was ordering — you guessed it — a McRib. Earlier this month, former Playmate Jenny McCarthy contacted the McRib Locator website for help finding a McRib in Southern California. She got one in Fountain Valley.

The website’s creator, Alan Klein, said he suspected something was up when traffic exploded from about 150 hits a day to about 4,000 in the past week or so, as more fans reported sightings. People are sending him photos of their McRib variations, the McRib with lettuce and tomato, the McRib with bacon, three McRibs stacked on top of each other.

Klein, a meteorologist in the Minneapolis area, runs the website in his spare time with help from his wife, Kimberly. He created the Locator in 2008 because he wanted to learn how to use the Google Maps program for work, and because he had fond memories of eating the pork sandwich while growing up on a hog farm.

"I hope it stays elusive because otherwise nobody will come to our website," he said.

If the McRib is so popular, why not just offer it all the time? McDonald’s likes to stoke the enthusiasm with an aura of transience.

"Bringing it back every so often adds to the excitement," said Marta Fearon, McDonald’s U.S. marketing director, who added that she’s not sure if the McRib will reappear in stores every fall.

And how can it be called a McRib if it doesn’t have any bones? Said Fearon: "That gives it this quirky sense of humor."

FIN

NFL sunday, always an absurd day.

Big day. Never easy to make homemade hot wings. Always makes me appreciate the glory of buffalo wings past. Today, my friends, we had a hot wing breakthrough. Far cry from baked kale chips but... these wings are damn good.

1. Coat wings in 3/4 C flour, 1/2 cayenne, 1/2 salt, 1/2 garlic. Let sit on baking tray for an hour.

2. Melt 1/4 C butter (dairy free for this house) with 1/2 C hot wing sauce

3. Roll each of those wings around in hot sauce/butter melt

4. Bake wings at 400 degrees for 20 minutes on each side. Take out of the oven when the wings are all sorts of crispy.

Also, we went scouting for our upcoming turkey hunt today. Vivi ripped the hunting vest in half and seemed, well, humiliated. The good news is that no one shot her.

drizzlin rain

where better to spend a grey fall day than in the kitchen? apple pancakes with apple butter for breakfast, and for dinner this butternut squash bake with apple-sage (fake) sausage. pear gingerbread for dessert.

so far we've failed to contract food poisoning from that home-canned apple butter so things are looking good - we'll be bringing some to the methow valley soon!

Steaming Up the Window Plastic

Ahoy from the 206/801!

Funny you should mention the seasonal alcohol...we had a dollop of eggnog in our coffee this morning. Rum to come!

Stirred up some Irish beef stew last night to fight off the frigidity. It's Irish because it has Guinness in it. Also fresh leprechaun.

It has already been a season of warm, thick, slow-to-make foods...

Chili a la Harvest Meal 2010

Pan de muertos a couple of weeks ago, complete with top knob (what is that for, do you know?)

REAL lasagne from the Italian north (not a lot of sauce)

Minestrone

And lots of wine. Today was the last day of the 20% off wine-stravaganza at the G.O. It was hard to walk out the door, I must say.

And now we're "cooking up" some ideas for Harvest Meal III!!

Can't wait.

Love.

Flyin snow

Whisky cider on a cold cold day. Simmer up the apple juice, add some cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and knocker of EW whiskey, let em brew.

No rules in blogging folks.