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.