I think I should write down this recipe ratio before I forget. The oven was busy, so this batch got sauteed in a pan with olive oil and butter. I'm guessing on the portion sizing since not everyone who attends a party will eat these.
Feeds: 8-10 adults
Ingredients
2 lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed flat with a knife blade
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional, about 1/4 c)
Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Stir in garlic cloves until the oil is fragrant. Remove garlic from the pan and add sprouts, cut side down.
2. Let the sprouts cook until lightly browned. For two pounds, you'll have to work in batches to get everything evenly cooked until sprouts are fork-tender; about 8 minutes.
3. Before removing from the skillet, add salt, black pepper, and half the grated Parmesan cheese. Give the vegetables a quick stir before removing them to a plate. Sprinkle more cheese on top, if desired.
Delicata Squash
What? That makes two of us. I never heard of it either. This was just another (random) winter squash picked up from the farmers market. I had to look at image galleries of squash available in the Pacific NW before matching the name to this one. I've read that it is an alternative to butternut squash; I suppose other food bloggers are suggesting that it is the next best thing for preparation and how it is used.
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| Photo: Delicata Squash |
I am preparing this tonight with two recipes. The first is a baking method, 375 degrees F for 40 minutes; with the peeled de-seeded squash halved and filled with olive oil and brown sugar. One and a half squashes were used since that's all that would fit in the 8" x 8" baking pan. That would mean that I have a total of three of these strange squashes to use as tonight's vegetable.
The second is a frying method proposed by Jerry Traunfeld, author of the Herbfarm Cookbook. The Herbfarm, a Woodinville restaurant, is curiously just five miles away (I wasn't aware of that either until today). I suppose my version of the recipe will have taste like it has a lot less sage and a lot more rosemary since I am only using what I have on hand. It may turn out to be sweeter than normal since the spiced apple cider I'm about to use is what is leftover from Thanksgiving. Traunfeld's recipe calls for two squash, with the assumption that each squash is about a pound each.
Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze (Epicurious, March 2000)
1 1/2 delicata squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cut into 1/2" thick pieces
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 1/2 c fresh apple cider or juice
1 c water
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add herbs and cook until butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs.
2. Add squash to the skillet, then add apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the liquid has reduced to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20-30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper.
Mashed Potato and Cheese Soup
Another dinner of leftovers, again! Thanksgiving sure does make a lot of leftover food. This is a recipe that you can use with leftover mashed potatoes, in the event that you find mashed potato pancakes way too salty because someone thought it'd be a great idea to mix salt, butter, and some random dairy into the mashed potatoes for T-day.
Fortunately, the main ingredient is already cooked and mashed, so now I build a soup around it. There is no added salt because the mashed potatoes are already salted. If you don't have leftover turkey stock on hand, you can substitute the liquid component of this soup with water or chicken broth.
Ingredients
2 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
2 c turkey broth
1-2 c mashed potatoes
3/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
Spice mix (optional): dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano
Directions
1. Fry bacon until crispy. Take bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel. This will be used to garnish the soup before serving.
2. Pour the bacon fat into the pot that will hold at least two quarts of soup. Over low-medium heat, fry onion slices until they are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Add broth and mashed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Puree with an immersion blender. Then, over medium heat, add grated cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted.
4. Serve hot in a bowl and top with some fried bacon bits.
Fortunately, the main ingredient is already cooked and mashed, so now I build a soup around it. There is no added salt because the mashed potatoes are already salted. If you don't have leftover turkey stock on hand, you can substitute the liquid component of this soup with water or chicken broth.
Ingredients
2 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
2 c turkey broth
1-2 c mashed potatoes
3/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
Spice mix (optional): dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano
Directions
1. Fry bacon until crispy. Take bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel. This will be used to garnish the soup before serving.
2. Pour the bacon fat into the pot that will hold at least two quarts of soup. Over low-medium heat, fry onion slices until they are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Add broth and mashed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Puree with an immersion blender. Then, over medium heat, add grated cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted.
4. Serve hot in a bowl and top with some fried bacon bits.
Savory Pie Crust
I have been using this pie crust recipe for pot pies. Seeing how there is a lot of turkey meat leftover, I think a few mini pot pies will be good to make this week.
Ingredients
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tbsp cold water
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, black pepper and butter. Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together.
2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. To use, roll out dough to desired shape and bake according to pie or tart instructions.
Yield: one 9-inch or 10-inch crust
Kitchen note: This amount of crust is enough to make four 6 oz double crust pot pies which are baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tbsp cold water
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, black pepper and butter. Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together.
2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. To use, roll out dough to desired shape and bake according to pie or tart instructions.
Yield: one 9-inch or 10-inch crust
Kitchen note: This amount of crust is enough to make four 6 oz double crust pot pies which are baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Lemon and Sage Buttered Clams
Was at the U-district farmers market today and picked up two pounds of fresh clams (manila and savory, harvested from the Hamma Hamma River Delta in the Hood Canal) from a seafood vendor.
This is a good cooking liquid for clams:
1/3 c freshly made garlic-sage butter
1/2 lemon peel, no pith, thinly sliced
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or substitute with a dry sherry)
1/4 c water
You'll need a covered casserole pan for this. Since most of the cooking happens with the lid on. If the clams are fresh, like these were, all the clams should open within 2-3 minutes of cooking. Don't cook them for longer than 5 minutes, or the meat will be tough and chewy.
Cheers!
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