Brussels Sprouts - A little Green Bite that Yields An Explosion of Flavor

I have an admission to make - I grew up disliking Brussels Sprouts! There, it is out in the open and my darker side is revealed. As a teenager I remember Dad growing this highly nutritious vegetable on occasion in the back yard garden. When I went off to college to study Nutrition, I was impressed with the nutrients found within this tiny green orb of a veggie. Unfortunately, even the list of vitamins and minerals didn't encourage me to try to appreciate their unique flavor, a strong cabbage essence and odor! That is, until recently! Very fine restaurants are now serving Brussels Sprouts as an appetizer, salad or side dish. They are cooked with care (very few minutes, resulting in a bright green color instead of the drab green of yesteryear) and served with sweet or savory ingredients that yield an amazing dish of goodness. We prepared Brussels Sprouts with Craisins and Bacon for Sunday Dinner today. Make it and see what you think!

Brussels Sprouts with Craisins and Bacon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yield  Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices bacon
• 4 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound), trimmed, halved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup golden raisins (or better yet, craisins)
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped (or 4 green onions, sliced)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth (or water)
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Apple Cider vinegar (Waldorf)

Preparation

Heat cast iron skillet and cook bacon, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Let cool. Coarsely crumble. 
While bacon cools, add brussels sprouts to drippings in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until well browned in spots and beginning to soften, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add craisins and green onions; cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add water or chicken broth to skillet; increase heat and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broth has evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Winter has arrived, NOW WHAT?!

We went from a balmy 60 degrees on Monday of this week to a frigid high of 28 degrees the very next day. Adding insult to injury the cold temperatures were accompanied with strong north winds making it feel much colder than it already was. I mowed the lawn the last time for this season while the temperatures were in transition. I am happy to say the yard is ready for winter. Now it's time to focus on indoor activities - making chili for dinner! Sarah's sister-in-law, Brea, made a delicious chili in celebration of Danny's birthday last weekend and we decided to model this dish after theirs by adding sweet potato to the list of ingredients. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients
1 # lean ground beef
2 # sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 tsp. ground dried chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, diced
2 T. ancho chile powder, or to taste
1 T. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz.) can diced roasted tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 T. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. white sugar
1 T. cocoa powder
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
plain yogurt, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro to garnish

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray jelly roll pan with Pam. 
2. Combine sweet potatoes, chopped red pepper, chipotle pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1T.      
    olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread mixture on the prepared baking sheet
    in a single layer.
3. Roast vegetables in the preheated oven until the outside is crunchy and inside is tender, 
    20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Cook and stir remaiuning 1 T. olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, ancho chile powder,
    cumin and dried oregano together in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Cook 
    and stir until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. 
5. Pour tomatoes and chicken broth into the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Add 
    cornmeal, 1 tsp. salt, sugar and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly,
    reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Stir beans and cooled vegetable mixture into the onion-tomato mixture. Add more water if  
    mixture is too thick. Simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and
    cayenne pepper to taste. Serve topped with yogurt, avocado and cheese.

Mushroom, Bacon and Kale Hash with Poached Eggs

I dug about 30 pounds of potatoes last week, three different varieties including Fingerling, Yukon Gold and a Pink variety purchased from Seed Savers last spring. Hash sounded like a good use of some of these potatoes, so I chose ingredients that married well and got to work.Any time you combine bacon, diced potatoes, mushrooms and kale with poached eggs on top, you have a party!

Mushroom Kale Hash with Poached Eggs -

serves 4

Ready to Eat!

 Ingredients

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
½ large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece of cooked bacon, chopped
1 pound small mushrooms, quartered
1 large bunch kale, washed, stemmed and chopped
olive oil for cooking
pinch each of dried basil, oregano and crushed chili peppers salt and pepper to taste
8 large eggs, poached

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water with about a teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until just before completely done, about 10 minutes. Drain water.
Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in large frying pan. Add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft. Add cooked potatoes, turn up heat and cook until potatoes are crisped and brown.
Add bacon, mushrooms, kale, herbs/spices, and more oil if needed. Stir-fry until cooked through, about another 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve in individual bowls, each topped with 2 poached eggs. Sprinkle with cracked pepper.

St. Simon's Island Treat on a Stick

Robert and I recently visited St. Simon's Island off the coast of southern Georgia. The weather was perfect, the resort a real southern charm and the food left lasting memories of our time there. Our first night we walked into town and discovered a Sweet Shop with many temptations. We resisted all that we saw but were not so successful the next night. The treat that buckled our resolve turned out to be a childhood favorite on a stick (a Rice Krispie treat encased in melted caramel then rolled in Georgia Pecans)! The only problem was the pop was so thick, we couldn't get our mouth wrapped around it to be able to take a bite. Instead, we had to slice a little off the end each evening, convincing ourselves we hadn't consumed too terribly much. We managed to feast on this decadence all week, giving me firm resolve to make my own rendition when we returned to Ames.

Rice Krispie Treat on a Stick

 

 

 

The first change I made was spreading the Rice Krispie/Marshmallow mixture into a larger diameter pan to make it thinner (a half inch versus an inch in thickness).

Rice Krispie/Marshmallow Mixture in Jelly Roll Pan

I decided to cut the bars into bite size pieces and then experimented with the amount of caramel to use on each piece. Though dipping the entire piece and coating in pecans was delicious, I chose to spread only the top side of each bar with melted caramel. Three pecan halves fit perfectly on top of the caramel, making for an attractive snack. More importantly, however, is the way they taste. They are delicious!

Carolyn's modified Rice Krispie Treat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will make

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing Chickens on a Saturday Evening

"Little Jerry"

 
Months ago Sarah sent me a beautiful picture of one of her chickens, Little Jerry. I finally found time last evening to make an attempt at drawing this gorgeous bird. Trevor has encouraged me to work with line weights and shading in my drawings. I am eager to sit down with him soon for an "in person" lesson so he can show me just what he's talking about. Thank you, Sarah, for providing subject matter for me to use and Trevor, for encouraging my efforts. This is so much fun!


My Rendition

An Attempt At Artwork

Prior to now this blog has focused on cooking and baking, passions of mine for many years. Today's post, however, visits an interest in my life that dates back to my childhood. I have loved to draw my whole life but have had little time to practice the skill in recent years. It's time to change that! In the past several weeks I have been taking pictures of pretty flowers that crossed my path with the intention of sketching them at a later date. From these photos I drew a collage of flowers on a scrap of paper and vow to continue practicing in the coming days, weeks and months. With cold, wet weather in the forecast for the upcoming season, this should be an easy promise to keep.

First lots of drawing . . . then learn to use water colors!                                                           

The Challenge - To Create Almond Bars as Good as La Mie!

Not long ago we visited La Mie Bakery in Des Moines. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of dining at this establishment, I urge you to visit at your earliest convenience. Not only do they serve delicious meals, they also have an abundant selection of pastries to either sample while there or carry home for a little snack later on. We brought home a selection of several pastries after our most recent visit and I fell in love with one in particular - Almond Bars. It has been my mission ever since to recreate that bar. After tweaking a basic almond bar recipe several times I feel satisfied with my latest attempt. We served this bar, in addition to Crumble Topped Apple Pie, to the team who organized Robert's conference in Denver. It received rave reviews!

Almond Bars Ready to be Served

Carolyn's Almond Bars

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups almond paste (see recipe below)
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs + 1 yolk
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, almond paste and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Gradually add flour just until moistened.

Spread into a greased 11x15 inch jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with sugar and top with almonds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 4 1/2 to 6 dozen bars, depending on size.

Homemade Almond Paste

• 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg white slightly beaten

Using a food processor, pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar a few times to break up any clumps. Add 1 tsp of almond extract and pulse to combine. Test at this point to see if it has enough almond flavoring. I really like almond so I added 2 teaspoons. Add egg white and to your food processor on for 2 minutes. At this point, the mixture should be smooth and formed a ball. If dough is still sticky add 1 tbsp more of almond flour. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.