Warm Autumn Brussels Sprout Salad

Today I am sharing Greg's Brussels sprout recipe upon the request of a friend and in the hopes that my sister will finally jump on board and actually enjoy eating this lovely vegetable.  While I'm sure we all thought Brussels sprouts were gross as kids, our parents were right when they said they were good for us.  Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, which aids in digestion, may lower cholesterol and can help with inflammation, especially cardiovascular inflammation.  The even better news is we no longer have to eat them steamed to a mush lacking much needed flavor.  Greg's warm Brussels sprout salad is perfectly sweetened with a warm drizzle of maple syrup.  The dried cranberries and pepitas are a perfect fall pairing to this powerful and tasty vegetable.  So this fall and into the upcoming holiday season try to add Brussels sprouts into your diet.  You know, to balance out all those sweets, and to keep your heart healthy! 

Warm Autumn Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk Brussels sprouts, removed from stalk, trimmed and finely sliced
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pepita seeds
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Warmed maple syrup to drizzle






In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the Brussels sprouts and saute until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir constantly.  Add the cranberries and pepita seeds.  Stir to combine.  Add the apple cider vinegar and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Serve warm and drizzle with warmed maple syrup.  Makes 2-4 serving.

Spooky Cocktails

As we are nearing Halloween this week, Greg and I thought it would only be appropriate to share some of our "spooky" cocktails.  In the past we have gone all out hosting a big Halloween party with clever themed appetizers, drinks and prizes for the best costume.  This year we are keeping it low key with a simple pumpkin carving and the following cocktails to celebrate Greg's favorite holiday.  Happy Halloween!

Arachnophobia

Ingredients
2 ounces Stoli's Vanilla Vodka
1-1/2 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
1 ounce half and half 
2-4 ounce plus a drizzle Hershey's chocolate syrup
Ice


First to create the web in the martini glass, pour about 2-4 ounces of chocolate syrup in a squeeze bottle with a small spout.  A baker's pipping bag with a size 2 round tip will work as well.  Next, starting at the bottom of the glass draw about 4-5 circles with the chocolate syrup.  Then using 2 toothpicks make the vertical lines by starting at the bottom of the glass and pulling up through the circles of chocolate.  Do this the entire way around the glass creating the web.  


In a cocktail shaker place the ice, Stoli's Vanilla Vodka, Bailey's Irish Cream, half and half and a drizzle of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.  Shake well and strain into the prepared martini glass.

The Bleeding Mary

Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces jalapeno infused vodka (see below)
2-3 Spicy Bloody Mary ice cubes
2 green olives with pimentos

Jalapeno Infused Vodka

Ingredients
1-2 medium jalapenos, sliced in quarters
2 cups vodka (I use Kettle One)

In a large airtight jar or bottle place the sliced jalapenos and vodka.  Seal the jar or bottle and allow to infuse for 4-6 days depending on the level of heat you prefer.  Strain the vodka and discard the jalapenos.  Store in an airtight jar or bottle for up to 1 month.


The Bleeding Mary

In a glass pour in the jalapeno infused vodka and drop in the Spicy Bloody Mary ice cubes.  Garnish with the green olives.  

Note: You can adjust the Spicy Bloody Mary mix to your preferred level of heat.

Butter Me Up!

Butter.  Secretly, well ok not secretly, one of my most favorite things in my refrigerator.  I admit to using it every morning when making either a fried or scrambled egg for breakfast and then smearing it on my toast as well.  Some may say a guilty pleasure, I say this is just part of my morning routine.

With fall officially here, I know that we (and everyone on Pinterest) are all getting out our favorite comfort food recipes.  Most of those recipes I'm sure include butter and why not kick your butter up a notch.  So what a better way to do that than add some fresh herbs and my other favorite thing in life, wine.  These wine infused compound butters have not only been great on a warm baguette and perfect for my morning breakfast routine, but are amazing for all those comfort food recipes we will all be enjoying as the leaves start to change.

Red Wine Compound Butter with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped and divided in half
1/4 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium piece parchment paper

Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, but not brown, about 2 minutes.  Add half of the rosemary and season with salt and pepper.  Add the wine and cook until it is reduced to about half, occasionally stirring.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool completely.  

In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter, remainder of the fresh rosemary and the wine reduction.  Mix well, until the reduction is evenly distributed.  Place the compound butter in the center of the parchment paper and roll it up forming a log.  Refrigerate to firm and store for up to 3 weeks.

White Wine Compound Butter with Dill and Shallots

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped and divided in half
1/4 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium piece parchment paper

Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.  Add half of the dill and season with salt and pepper.  Add the wine and cook until it is reduced to about half, occasionally stirring.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool completely.  


In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter, remainder of the fresh dill, the lemon zest and the wine reduction.  Mix well, until the reduction is evenly distributed.  Place the compound butter in the center of the parchment paper and roll it up forming a log.  Refrigerate to firm and store for up to 3 weeks.

Eating Fresh

In efforts to eating fresh and getting back into shape my sister came to me last week asking for some new recipes.  She wanted to be inspired to go out of her comfort zone in cooking and expand her (and her family's) palate.  While she is cooking for a family of five including her husband and three sons, ages 19 months, 6 and 8 years old, finding recipes to accommodate everyone is sometimes a challenge.  We needed fresh, delicious and simple recipes to fit into her busy schedule.  So we brainstormed, perused our Pinterest food boards, discussed which ingredients were in season and came up with a menu for the week.  Yes, we made the same recipes and compared.

Fish seemed to be our hero this week, which her kids love, so we built this recipe around it.  I had recently seen a salad on Twitter with some vibrant roasted spicy carrots in it.  It looked so delicious that I had to create my own thus creating this spicy carrot slaw over pan seared cod.  The mildness of the cod was a perfect pairing to the spiciness and acidity of the slaw.  

While my sister and I live 3,000 miles away from each other we are still cooking and sipping our wine together (thanks to FaceTime) and sharing our love for food. As we celebrate our upcoming birthdays this week and turn another year older, staying healthy by eating and cooking with fresh ingredients will continue to be part of our daily routine.  

I'm not a quote person but I found this and thought it was appropriate (since we're getting back into shape).

"You are what you eat so don't be Fast, Cheap, Easy or Fake."

Spicy Roasted Carrot Slaw with Pan Seared Cod

Ingredients
4 - 6 ounce cod fillets
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
Black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil and some to drizzle 
5-7 whole medium carrots, washed, trimmed and cut in half
1 lemon, cut in half
1 orange, cut in half
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups shredded green cabbage

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Season the cod with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.

In a small food processor combine the garlic, cumin, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, coriander and smoked paprika.  Grind until very fine.  Season with black pepper and pulse to combine.  Place the ground spices and garlic into a small bowl  Add the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Stir to combine making a paste.

Place the carrots on a foil lined rimed baking sheet.  Spread the garlic spice mixture over the carrots.  Place the halved orange and lemon on top of the carrots.  Roast for 30 minutes

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the sliced onions.  Drizzle the onions with olive oil.  Continue to roast the carrots with the onions for another 20-25 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the onions are slightly caramelized, flipping the onions half way through.

Remove the carrots and onions from the oven and allow to cool.  Once cool enough to handle juice the orange and lemon halves into a small bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Roughly chop the cooled roasted carrots and onions.  Place them into a medium mixing bowl and add the green cabbage.  Pour the orange and lemon juice dressing over top and toss to combine.  Set aside.

In a medium pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Carefully place the cod fillets in the pan and cook for 5 minutes.  Gently flip the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve with the spicy roasted carrot slaw on top.  

Makes 4 servings.

Peanut Butter S'mores Cheescake

I made this cheesecake about a week ago and planned to wait to blog about it until mid-September.  I have to admit I was waiting for the weather to become a bit cooler since I baked it on a day when the temperature was in the triple digits. No one should be turning on their oven in that kind of heat!  However, my "official tasters" (my neighbors and friends) won't shut up about the Peanut Butter S'mores Cheesecake I shared with them, in a really good way.  Since it's already made its debut on Twitter and Instagram, thanks to my "tasters,"  I figured I should put my other recipes on hold and share this one instead. I hope you all enjoy it as much as all of my dear friends and neighbors did!

Peanut Butter S'mores Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Crust:

Ingredients
2 cups honey graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a small mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Add the melted butter and combine using a fork making sure the butter is evenly distributed.  Pour the graham cracker crust into a 9 inch springform pan.  Spread the graham cracker crumbs evenly and gently press them into the pan.  Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.  The crust should be golden brown and fragrant.  Remove from the oven and set aside.


Filling:

Ingredients
16 ounces cream cheese, soften
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter and flour together until smooth and creamy.  Add the 4 eggs one at a time scraping the sides between each one.  Slowly add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Carefully pour the filling into the springform pan on top of the graham cracker crust.

Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 35-45 minutes.  The cheesecake will be ready when the edges are set and the center wiggles.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to rest for about 10-15 minutes.  This allows the cheesecake to set.  Transfer the cheesecake in the springform pan to a cooling rack to cool completely.


Topping:

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
1 - 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, spread the Marshmallow Fluff on top.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips covering the cheesecake completely.  Refrigerate overnight.

Serves 8-10.


Note: For my west coast readers, if you can't find the original Marshmallow Fluff in your local grocery store look for it at World Market.