pasta with brussel sprouts, cheese, and sweet potato.

Hi 2017.

I debated endlessly over doing my yearly end of year life/blog/things of note re-cap but if we are being honest, 2016 took a lot out of me (I have so many more grays then I did a year ago) and I just didn't feel up to re-living it. 

But 2017, I have goals for you.  Finally (I mean it) making homemade croissants, traveling again (Charleston this weekend!), being a more mindful person and asking myself why (Why do you need this shirt?  Why do you need another cookie instead of an apple?).  Listening more to my gut, giving more hugs to my husband and dog, being a better consumer, trying new recipes that utilize new ingredients.  Go and visit my parents more often, throw a dinner party at least once a month, find a nightstand and bedroom table lamps, learn how to keep a plant alive, take more walks, listen more. Spend more time reading.  Watch some new documentaries. Learn more about wine.  Take a yoga class at least once a month.      

One of my goals is also continue to figure out ways of how to do something out of (what feels like) nothing. Being a cook means you look for ways to use what you have instead of always relying on some ingredient (you may need to buy) to make a meal.  Making something out of nothing is an art and it's an art I hope to perfect.   

This recipe is one of those turn leftovers into a meal kind of recipes and I feel its genius.  Roast some vegetables, turn a small bit of ricotta into a sauce, throw in some pasta, and suddenly, you have dinner.  Its magical and delicious and such an easy way to clean out the fridge.  Here's to more kitchen magic in 2017.   

Pasta with Brussel Sprouts, Cheese, and Sweet Potato
Adapted from the NYTimes 

I loved the idea of this recipe (pasta bake!  lots of veggies!) but felt it could be improved upon.  I roasted my veggies instead of boiling them because roasted veggies are far superior.  I swapped the white potato for a sweet potato because that's what I had on hand and because I love sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts together.   I grated the cheese over cubing it since I find grated cheese disperses itself more easily.   Regardless this is a stellar recipe that lends itself to endless variations (mushrooms and white potato anyone?). 

1/2 - 3/4 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if large)
1 (8-ounce) sweet potato, peeled and in 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound pasta (NYTimes recommends whole wheat or spelt tortiglioni or penne)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 - ½ cup ricotta
4 ounces Gruyère, parmesan or pecorino romano grated 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Additional parmesan or sprinkling on top  

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a large baking sheet, place the sweet potato.  Drizle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.   Roast about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the bruseel sprouts to the same sheet pan, drizzle sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and return the pan to the oven for another 12 minutes or until everything is roasted and browned.    Remove from the oven but keep oven on.   

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, then the pasta, and let water come back to a boil. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.

Return pasta to the pot.  Add brussels sprouts and sweet potato, then add ricotta, Gruyère (or parmesan) and 3/4 cup cooking water, and toss well. Taste and additional salt and pepper if needed. Add more liquid if you think the pasta is too dry.

Pour the pasta into an 8x8 square pan.   Sprinkle with Panko, Parmesan,a and additional black pepper, and bake for 20 minutes, by which time the surface will be scorched a light gold. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before eating.

brussel sprout béchamel pizza.

I know Thanksgiving just came and went and you're probably thinking about salads and soups before the glut of holiday cookies arrives at the office but it would be foolish if you didn't also think about pizza.  

This brussel sprouts pizza to be exact.  

I feel bad doing this to you, but there is a 1/4 pound of brussel sprouts on each of these pizzas so that makes this kind of like a salad pizza.  Right?  (Don't tell me otherwise.)  

This is the best white pizza I have ever made.  The béchamel is creamy but not overly heavy.  It provides the perfect base for a sprinkle of mozzarella and a heavy layer of brussel sprout leaves.  As the pizza bakes, the leaves crisp up, turning into crunchy bites of deliciousness that pair perfectly with the rich and cheesy béchamel. It's kind of amazing which is why I'm making for dinner again tomorrow night (I kid you not).    

Brussel Sprout Pizza
Recipe inspired by Jim Lahey

Makes 2 pizzas (or enough pizza for 4 people)

Béchamel 

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk (not skim) 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 ounce fontina, diced
1 tablespoon parmesan

Pizza

1 recipe béchamel (recipe above)
1 recipe pizza dough (I've been using this one from Smitten Kitchen as of late and it's pretty spectacular)
1/2 pound brussel sprouts 
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste 
5 - 6 ounces of mozzarella, shredded 
2 tablespoons parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Prepare your brussel sprouts: Wash the brussel sprouts.  Cut off the bottom and carefully remove as many of the outer leaves as possible and place them in a large bowl.  You want to try and get as many leaves as possible before you dice the inside.  They don't need to be perfect but the leaves are key since they provide an excellent crispy crunch to the pizza. If it gets hard to remove them, cut off a little more of the bottom.  When you get to the inside of the sprout and can't remove any more of the leaves, thinly slice whats left and add it to the bowl.  Repeat with the remaining brussel sprouts.  At then end you will have a lot of leaves, don't worry, they shrink down when you cook them.  Toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Preheat a pizza stone or generously oil a large baking sheet.  

Make the béchamel: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of flour until a paste forms. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking until smooth. Bring the béchamel sauce to a simmer over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until no floury taste remains, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fontina until melted. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan.

Prepare the pizza: Divide your dough in half.  On a lightly floured work surface, stretch your dough into a round or rectangular shape about 10 inches in diameter.  (Trust me, it doesn't need to be perfect.)  Remove the pizza stone from the oven or get your oiled baking sheet and place the dough on it.  (I like to wrap the dough over a rolling pan to transfer).  Spread half the béchamel on the pizza.  Top with half the mozzarella.  Place the pizza in the oven.  After 5 minutes, remove the pizza from the oven and top with half the brussel sprouts.  Return the pizza to the oven and continue to bake for another 5 - 8 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are charred and blistered and the crust is golden brown. Top with 1 tablespoon parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.  

brussel-sprout salad with pecorino, toasted almonds, and apple.

In last week's issue of NYMagazine, they printed Thanksgiving recipes for two different types of menus.  The "sinful" menu (perfect for a butter lover and glutton at heart) and a "saintly" version (for those who love olive oil and saving their arteries).  

The "saintly" menu was the one that stole my heart. (Minus the whole salmon thing.  Turkey is a non-negotiable on Thanksgiving.)

The "saintly" menu felt fresh and modern.  It mirrors how the boy and I eat on a regular basis.  It's filled with seasonal vegetables prepared in a variety of ways so that your taste buds get to experience different textures and flavors in a new and exciting way. 

This brussel sprouts salad was made twice in 4 days, because it's that good.  I am obsessed with the combination of flavors and textures.  Crunchy! Sweet! Salty! It's the kind of salad where every bite's different which is what takes a salad from good to addicting.  It would be perfect on Thanksgiving Day but just as good eaten the day after Turkey day as a detox meal from all the butter, because in my mind the perfect Thanksgiving is a combination of sinful and saintly.  

Brussels-Sprout Salad with Pecorino, Toasted Almonds, and Apple

Recipe adapted from NY Magazine

Serves 2

This recipe can be kept as is (for a weeknight dinner for two) or quadrupled (for Turkey day dinner).  However you make it, make it immediately. 

½ - ¾ pounds Brussel sprouts

½ apple, julienned
¼ cup almonds sliced or whole
Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
Zest of ½ a lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons white-wine or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup + 2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup Pecorino Romano, grated, plus more for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Holding each sprout by the stem, cut into very thin slices and then, with your hands, toss them in a mixing bowl to separate the layers.  Drizzle them 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the sprouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and roast in the oven until they’re crispy, about 10 -12 minutes, before removing them. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place the almonds in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat, season with salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Toast the almonds in the oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned.  If using whole almonds, chop them when cool.

Put the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard in a bowl. Whisk until the dressing is smooth, then slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Put the sliced Brussels sprouts, almonds, and apple into a large bowl, pour in the dressing, and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper (slightly underseasoning), then top with Pecorino. 

orecchiete with brussel sprouts and bacon.

As a child, I despised brussel sprouts.  I would sit at the dinner table refusing to eat even a single one and eventually my parents would tell me I couldn't leave the table until I ate them.  When that happened I would hold my nose as tight as possible to avoid smelling them and tasting them and when I choked them all down I would run from the table as fast as I could.  Thankfully, I now fully embrace them (sometimes when you get older you realize how silly you were as a child) and when the cooler temps arrive, I get super excited for the arrival of the mini green cabbages on the stem.  My favorite way to eat them is by roasting them (obviously) and then making a tangy vinaigrette with Dijon mustard and maple syrup, but I yearned to make the side dish merge into a pasta dish so I could make a one pot meal (obviously).  Inspiration struck in the form of the NYTimes last week, when apparently Melissa Clark was thinking the same thing as me and decided to make the pasta of my dreams.  It's earthy and green and salty (yay bacon!)  and substantial which is what I look for in every one pot meal I make.  I ate it straight from the bowl for dinner and proceeded to devour it at lunch the next day which is always a sign I love it.  

Orecchiete with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
Recipe adapted from the NYTimes

Serves 1, generously 

1 cup orecchiete or penne
1/4 cup diced pancetta or bacon (the good stuff!), diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups thinly sliced brussel sproouts
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice for serving
Generous 2 tablespoons parmesan or pecorino

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  

In a large saute pan, cook the pancetta until the fat has rendered about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic is golden brown in color.  Add the sliced brussel sprouts to the pan and toss them in the pancetta fat.  (If the pancetta or bacon does not release at least a tablespoon of fat then add some extra olive oil to the pan.)   Toss the brussel sprouts with the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook in the pan until the brussel sprouts begin to char and wilt.  

Drain the pasta from the pot and add the pasta to the pan.  Toss to combine with the brussel sprouts.  Add the cheese and lemon and taste.  Adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Feel free to eat the final product straight from the pot.  

brussel sprout hash with fried eggs.

Until the world returns to order, the boy and I will continue to live off of one pan meals that involve little prep and even less clean up.  (I plan to counteract the lack of cooking I have done over the last couple of weeks by taking over my mom's kitchen and trying to single handly cook as much of Thanksgiving as possible - I see a mess ensuing.)  One pan meals have turned into a lot of breakfast for dinner where we end up eating some form of vegetable hash with a fried egg on top.  Served with toasted sourdough bread that has a slathering of butter and jam, I find this to be the most satisfying of all meals.  It's comfort food and easy to make and when your home is nothing more then a construction zone where boxes are scattered about and drop cloths fill almost every surface you only want to eat food that makes you feel warm inside.  Of all the hashes I've made over the last couple of week (and I have made a lot of hashes) the best version involves shredded brussel sprouts.  The brussel sprouts get caramelized in the pan (by the addition of honey) which gives them a slightly sweet and smoky taste.  The only other spices needed is some salt and pepper and a little sprinkle of smoked paprika, oh and of course some grated parmesan, because all comfort food in my mind involves cheese.  

Brussel Sprout Hash with Fried Eggs

This is the kind of dish where you can adapt it to what you have on hand (god only knows we've been doing that a lot).  The meat is optional, but I love cooking the sprouts in the meat fat.  If you choose to keep it vegetarian, just cook the sprouts in a little olive oil.  This also works with other fall vegetables like spinach!

4-5 cups of brussel sprouts, washed and thinly sliced
2 slices of bacon or 1 link of sausage (casing removed), diced
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika or regular paprika (but the smoked is wonderful here)
1 tablespoon honey (Mike's Hot Honey is also wonderful here!)
1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino
Salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat, until hot.  Once hot, add the diced bacon or sausage, stirring to break up the meat, and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through (if sausage) or crispy (if bacon).  Removed the meat from the pan and set aside.  Add the sliced brussel sprouts to the pan and stir so they all get coated in a little bit of the grease.  Lower the heat to medium and add in the honey and smoked paprika and stir so everyone in the pan gets a little bit of the spice and honey.  Continue to cook until the brussel sprouts char and wilt, about 5-7 minutes.  Taste the sprouts and add salt and pepper accordingly.  Add half the cheese and stir.  Remove the brussel sprouts from the heat and divide the mixture onto two plates and set aside.  

Return the skillet to the stove and turn it onto medium high heat.  Add some oil to the pan or some cooking spray in order to cook the eggs.  Cook the eggs two at a time, until the whites are set and the yolks are runny.  Place the eggs on top of the hash and top with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and some additional parmesan.  Repeat with the other eggs.