Brussels Sprouts - love them or hate them? Try them like this!!

Ah Brussels Sprouts!!!  I am thinking YUM, and you are probably thinking….. YUK!!  I would say 8 out of 10 people think they hate these petit chou’s (sorry Tory…) but that is probably because they haven’t had them prepared right!  Sprouts are incredibly good for you – they are LOADED with vitamin C, and a bunch of other good stuff.  Here are a couple of ways to prepare them that are my favorite – and I would be willing to bet they will become yours as well!  One word of advice – use FRESH sprouts.  Frozen are sort of ok for these recipes, but they tend to be too soggy, and just don’t have the same flavor.

OK, here goes:

Sautéed Brussels sprouts, with shallot, garlic, baby portabella mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients:

One package fresh Brussels sprouts

1 small shallot, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, diced fine (almost minced)

1tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

2/3 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms ( a good handful anyway – pre sliced are fine, just chop up a bit more)



Quartered sprouts



Cut the bottoms off the sprouts, cut in half, from top to bottom, peel outside couple of leaves away and discard.  Cut in half again, (again from top to bottom) so you have wedges.  Keep any leaves that fall off at this point. 



Just warm the tomatoes - don't let
them get soggy!



Heat  olive oil, and 1 tbs of butter over med high heat in sauté pan,  add garlic and shallots.  Sautee till translucent – about 2 minutes.  Add sprouts, stirring often.  Stir in mushrooms and remaining tbs of butter when sprouts are turning bright green – about 4 or 5 minutes. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, cook until heated through, but not soggy – about 2 minutes or so.  Serve.


 



Finished product!  Steak looks more rare than
it was in this photo - but I do like it rare!



I served these with a London broil that I marinated for a couple of hours in Guinness beer, Worcestershire, salt pepper and garlic. 

A quick tip when marinating a London broil – score the steak on both sides with a knife in an x pattern ( not deep, just break the surface)  helps the marinade work in faster. 

Ok, version two:

Shredded Brussels sprouts with shallot, garlic and gorgonzola.

OK, I know, a double whammy – sprouts AND blue cheese….. keep an open mind here!

Ingredients:

One package fresh Brussels sprouts

1 small shallot, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, diced fine (almost minced)

1tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

½ cup or so of crumbled Gorgonzola or Blue cheese

Cut the bottoms off the sprouts, then cut in half from top to bottom.  Remove outer leaves.  With a paring knife, cut the core of the sprout out in a triangle shape ( it is simpler than it seems – just cut out the solid part in the center of each half) 



Cut solid center out in a triangle





Peel sprout quarters

Cut the sprouts in half again, so you end up with wedges.  Peel the leaves off down as close to the core as you can, and save in a bowl. ( It’s ok to keep the little part that won’t peel – not the triangles from the center, but the part around that.)



Add cheese at end, don't let it all melt



In a med sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter.  Add shallots and garlic, sauté till translucent.  If you’ve been trying my recipes, this should be a pretty familiar step – I use these two ingredients in about 90 percent of what I cook…  Add sprout leaves  -  sauté until bright green, stirring often – probably about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the cheese, stirring constantly till partially melted – about a minute.   Serve.  

 

I served this with a petit sirloin, and some garlic smashed potatoes.   You can add crumbled bacon to this recipe to take it a step further.  I cook about 3 or 4 strips of bacon in the sauté pan, remove the bacon, and cook the sprouts in the bacon grease instead of oil and butter.  OK, it’s a heart attack on a plate, but boy, what a way to go!

Well, enjoy the sprouts – let me know what you think!

Bon Appetite!

Finished product!  Yum!












Pork chops in mushroom cream sauce, with sauteed green beans - 20 minutes to home made awsome!

Ok, here is another "diet" recipe.  Pork loin chops in mushroom cream sauce with sauteed green beans.  This is a great recipe, and super easy to make:

Ingredients:                                                                          

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Cream Sauce, with sauteed green beans


2 boneless pork chops
4 tbs olive oil
1 small shallot, diced small, split in half
3 cloves garlic, diced small, split in half
2 tbs olive oil * NOT extra virgin
2 tbs butter
1/2 bag frozen green beans ( or about a cup of fresh - fresh is preferable)
1/2 pkg mushrooms, diced
2/3 cup 1/2 and 1/2
Salt and pepper to taste

In large saute pan, place 2 tbs olive oil, and one tbs butter, melt over med high heat.  Place chops in pan, and brown on each side - about 5 minutes per side.  Remove meat to separate plate, lower heat to med.  Add 1/2 shallots, garlic, and sautee till translucent - about 4 or 5 minutes.   

 Sautee mushrooms



Add mushrooms, saute till tender, abut 4 minutes.  Slowly add cream, stir to remove brown bits from bottom of pan.  Add pork back, and simmer over low/med heat till warmed through.



Re heat chops in sauce



Sautee beans, garlic and shallots

Pan roasted green beans:                                                                    

1/2 package frozen green beens, or about 1 qt fresh 

1/2 shallots and garlic from above
2 tbs olive oil, and 1 tbs butter

In small sautee pan, heat olive oil, and melt butter.  Add garlic, and shallots, saute till translucent.  Add beans.  Cover, and sautee for 5 minutes, stirring ( or shaking) regularly.  Remove cover, increase heat to med high, and finish beans till warmed through and starting to brown.

This is a great recipe, and a standard fall back for Lynne and I when we want a great home cooked meal in about 20 minutes.   Awsome!

 


 Bon Appetit!



Chicken Piccata - the first step down the long road to loosing weight!

Well, Lynne and I are going on diets….. so how do you do a cooking/food blog on a diet?  Well, I am going to start posting recipes we are using to loose weight.  We are using a combination of the South Beach diet and Suzanne Somer’s diet.  Both are low carb, high protein diets, but South Beach uses more lean protein, hence it is a bit more heart healthy. 

That is a good thing, considering I have had cardiac issues in the last few years.  Both diets start out with virtually NO carbs – no sugar, no bread, no pasta, and worst of all no alcohol… ugh.   Makes sense, since your body converts starches ( potatoes, bread, pasta, etc) to sugar, and  alcohol to sugar… and ultimately sugar to fat. But we both have fairly stressful jobs, so not being able to come home and have a glass of wine is an issue… more on that later.

So, some “diet” recipes.  Please keep in mind, these are NOT calorie counter recipes – they are healthy eating recipes : healthy fats such as olive oil, almonds, etc.   Buy the books – they explain the diets well.  Suzanne Somers cook books have AWSOME recipes that are easy to make, and good for you!  We are just leaning them down a bit fat wise….  The trick to these diets is portion control.  Small portions, with several snacks a day, keeps your metabolism cranking.  I don’t pretend to be a diet expert – so please keep that in mind.  These are just good, simple recipes that taste good, and can help you loose weight.

So, we made Chicken Piccata yesterday.  One of my favorite dishes – diet or not.  VERY easy to make, totally company quality – sure to impress guests!  I served it with oven roasted broccoli – super simple and very good!  This is an adaptation of the Suazane Somer's recipe from her book Eat Great, Loose Weight.

 I would make this anytime - on a diet or not!

Chicken Piccata with Oven Roasted Broccoli



Ingredients:

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts 

2 tbs olive oil

1/3 cup white wine

2 tbs capers

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs butter

Cut the breasts in half length wise
( make them ½ as thick as they are in the package).  Place each ½ breast between a waxed paper layer, and pound with a mallet till ¼ inch thick.  Place on separate plate.  Season each piece with fresh ground sea salt and pepper.

Brown Chicken



In a large skillet, over a med-high heat, heat olive oil, and add chicken breasts ( don’t overlap).  Brown for about 3 minutes per side, then remove to a separate plate, and cover with foil.



Reduce wine



Lower heat to medium, and slowly add wine, scraping the pan to remove any brown bits.  Add lemon juice and capers,  and simmer, stirring constantly.  (Caper jars are fairly small – to get 2 tbs, I use the handle of a spoon, and put about 3 scoops into the pan).  Reduce at a low boil for about 5 minutes.   

Lower heat, then add butter, stirring constantly.  Add salt and pepper to taste to sauce.  

Pour sauce over chicken and serve with vegetable.

 

Oven Roasted  Broccoli

8 Pieces frozen, or preferably fresh broccoli

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Pre- heat oven to 400 degrees

Toss broccoli, olive oil, garlic powder and  salt/pepper in small bowl till coated well.



Place on  foil coated cookie sheet

Place in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Remove when starting to turn brown.

This is a super simple, and VERY tasty meal.  Enjoy!



Bon Appetit!



Dan's Snowstorm Stuffed Shrooms

THATS alot of snow!

Made these for lunch today, while I was contemplating shoveling two feet of snow off the walk out to the cars - about a 100 foot trek.... Came up with the recipe based on what I had in the house at the time, since I clearly wasnt going anywhere to get groceries!!  These were FANTASTIC!!  Highly recommended by my wife!

Dan’s Snow Storm Stuffed ‘Shrooms…

6 large mushroom caps

¼ stick cream cheese

½ cup gorgonzola cheese

5 strips bacon crumbled fairly small

8 cherry tomatoes, diced

½ tsp garlic powder

fresh ground salt and pepper to taste ( about 6 or 7 twists)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs ( more or less for texture)

Pre heat oven to 375

Place bacon on paper towel, and microwave bacon – 1 minute on high per strip, plus 1 extra minute, on high.  Make sure it is crispy, but not burnt.

De stem mushroom caps ( they should be about 1.5 to 2 inches across), place on a paper towel hole down, and microwave for 1 minute on high.  Set aside.

Soften cream cheese in microwave for about 20 seconds or so – don’t completely melt, but should be pretty soft – easily mixable.  This is what binds the mix.

Place mushrooms hole up on a foil covered baking sheet (lightly brush it with olive oil to keep them from  sticking)



Dan's gonna be late for work tomorrow!



In a medium mixing bowl, mix cheeses, tomatoes, bacon and bread crumbs.  Use only enough bread crumbs to bind mixture so you can make little balls out of it with your hands.  Stuff each mushroom with about a 1 inch ball or so of mixture .

Bake for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.  Don’t over cook or the cheese will liquefy!

Serves 2 for appetizers. 

Serve with a nice, cold,  Sauvignon Blanc, or Fume Blanc

Bon Appetit!

Thats alot of snow!!

Comments, Please!

My daughter and I have been building this blog for about the last couple of months.  It has been totaly cool - we have had hundreds of page views from around the world... all for something she and I love to do on a daily basis.

One thing though - we both would LOVE it if you commented on the recipes that you have tried!  Please let us know if you thought they were truly "easy".  Let us know any changes you made to the recipes - changes are good - all recipes are only a guideline - not a bible!  I rarely measure anything, so for me to post these recipes is sometimes... challenging... because I cook very loosely, by taste.

 Sign up as a follower - still trying to figure out how to get the blog to email followers of new posts.... hopefully that is possible.  If you have any favorite recipes of your own, please email them to me at navyart@danielprice.com , and I will be happy to put them up on the blog! 

Thanks again for reading, and bon appetit!

Dan and Tory

Fettucini Alfredo, with home made sauce - hmmmmmmm good

Fettuccini Alfredo – ah, so good, so easy, and oh soooo fattening!  Ok, I get it! This stuff is a heart attack on a plate... or, in this case, a bowl.  This is a total treat – but oh so worth it!  I made it tonight, as a last hurrah before Lynne and I go on a lean protein, low fat diet.  We both are trying to loose some weight for our son’s wedding in July – I  need to loose it, she doesn’t, but we both are doing the diet.

So if you are feeling like a decadently rich meal, that takes about 20 minutes total to make, this is your ticket!

Ingredients are simple, technique even more so:

About a 1 inch bunch of white fettucini ( Please don’t use whole wheat…..just ain’t the same!)

1.2  stick butter

½ cup parmesan cheese, or fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese

¾ cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic diced fine

1 small shallot, or ½ med shallot diced fine

3 slices proscuito diced rough

2/3 cup peas

10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a 3 qt sauce pan, bring 2/3 of the pan of water to boil, after salting, and adding a sprinkle of garlic powder.  Add pasta when comes to a boil, stirring periodically.  Cook till  al dente – about 8 minutes or so.  Test regularly, don’t overcook!

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate sauté pan, melt 2 tbs butter , and sauté garlic and shallots till translucent. Add proscuito, and peas,  sauté till curly, about 3 minutes.  Remove from pan to a separate bowl. 

Rinse sauté pan, and melt stick of butter .over med high heat.  Add cream when butter just about all melted.  Whisk constantly until comes to a boil.  Slowly pour in cheese as you whisk.  ( the parmesan cheese you get in the super market for spaghetti is fine, the fresh ground parmesan – reggiano is even better.  I tend to use a little more than the recipe calls for - maybe another 2 tbs or so- it is totally to taste)  Continue to whisk as sauce thickens.

Drain pasta when done, splash with extra virgin olive oil ( about a tsp at most) and stir to separate, add sauce, proscuito and peas, fresh ground salt and pepper to taste ( about 4 turns each from an average grinder )return to med high heat, stirring regularly and heat till bubbling – about 4 minutes. 

Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with fresh ground cheese.  Enjoy!

Then go jogging in the morning.....

Buon Appetito!

It's Soup Season!! 4 easy, elegant soups, perfect for company!

Sorry it’s been a while since I last posted – a combination of the holidays, vacation, and just plain lazy I guess!  Well, my New Years Resolution was to do at least 3 posts per week…. and go to the gym….. and loose 40 pounds…..  and drink less wine..... Well, I think the posts have the most chance of happening! 

It’s Sunday, and Lynne and I are doing our favorite thing – sitting in front of the fire, watching movies, cooking and eating!  We actually are starting a diet tomorrow, so today is kind of a last hurrah!  Have some peanut soup simmering, and I am probably going to make Fettuccini Alfredo, with a home made sauce – super easy.  But this is a column about soups. 

I LOVE making soup!  Hot ones, cold ones – just about all kinds!  Got a ham bone after the holidays?  You have the base for a beautiful 16 bean soup. Bag of dried beans, water and throw in the bone, add some mashed potatoes and viola - home made soup!  

The best thing about soups,  is it doesn’t take a graduate degree in chemistry to make them!   9 out of 10 have the same base – water, onion, celery, butter, flour and chicken stock.  At that point, it’s just a matter of what flavor you want!  Everyone loves home made soup – especially if they are a little unusual.  We have had soup parties, - with 3 or 4 kinds of soups in crock pots, and served in paper cups.  Easy finger food for a crowd that is more substantial than simple chips and dip!

A storage tip:  Freeze leftovers in plastic zip lock bags in servings for one or two – freeze flat.  They take up little room in the freezer, and are easy to microwave for a quick easy meal.  One last tip - most soups require the base to be blended after it boils for a bit - always be SUPER careful when blending hot liquids - they can explode out of the top of a blender with suprising force, and can not only make a huge mess, but injure as well.  Always use small, slow pulses until fairly smooth.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Butternut Squash Crabmeat Bisque:  This is a perennial favorite in our house!  Simple to make, easy to freeze, and REALLY good!

Ingredients:

Ø      Two bags frozen butternut squash

Ø      2 cups water

Ø      1 large celery stalk, chopped fine

Ø      1 medium onion, chopped fine

Ø      2 tbs butter

Ø      2 tbs all purpose flour

Ø      3 cups chicken broth

Ø      Salt and pepper to taste

Ø      ½ cup heavy cream

Ø      3 cans high quality crab meat, or 1 lb fresh crab meat, claws

   

Directions:

1        Thaw squash, place in a 3 quart sauce pan, with celery, onion and water.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from heat, do not drain.

2        CAREFULLY blend mixture with a hand blender or food processor until smooth, put aside.

3        Melt butter in large sauce pan, and slowly stir in flour, whisking constantly until smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat

4        Stir chicken broth into flour mixture, heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for one minute.  Stir in squash mixture, add drained crabmeat, and heat to just boiling.

5        Add heavy cream, stirring constantly till hot – do NOT boil

Peanut Soup. 

This is Colonial Williamsburg’s King’s Arms Tavern’s signature soup.  We have made it for company, and many think it a bit strange.." Peanut soup.. really?"  It may sound a little strange, but boy is it fantastic - and I have yet to see ANYONE who doesnt like it!  A GREAT winter soup!

 Ingredients:

Ø       ½ stick butter

Ø      1 medium chopped onion

Ø      2 stalks diced celery

Ø      3 tbs flour

Ø      8 cups chicken broth

Ø      2 cups smooth peanut butter

Ø      1 ¾ cups ½ and ½

Ø      ½ cup finely chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. 
2. Add onion and celery, cook till translucent, stirring often
3. Stir in flour, and stir till thickened
4. Add chicken broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.
5. Lower heat, and puree with hand blender
6. Whisk in peanut butter and cream, whisking often – do NOT boil
7. Serve topped with chopped peanuts

Serves 10 to 12

Pumpkin Gorgonzola Soup.   This is a simple, elegant Fall/Winter soup that is perfect for company. 

Ingredients:

Ø       1 15 oz pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)

Ø      1 ½ cups chicken bullion

Ø      1 tsp ground sage

Ø      1 12 oz can evaporated milk

Ø      ¾ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Ø      2 large green onions, finely chopped

Ø      Pinch of nutmeg

Ø      Tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cook pumpkin, broth, 1 onion and sage in a large saucepan, until mixture comes to a boil
2. Stir in evaporated milk and most of the cheese
3. Reduce heat to low, stirring frequently until cheese is melted
4. Serve garnished with remaining sliced green onion and cheese

Vishyssoise.   This is a classic French soup, served chilled, that most have heard of, and associate with fancy French restaurants.  The truth is, it is a super simple soup to make, sure to impress your guests with your cooking prowess!  Even though it is a chilled soup, this can be served year round.

Ingredients:

Ø       1 tbs butter

Ø      1 medium onion, diced

Ø      2 medium potatoes, peeled and coursly chopped

Ø      1 stalk celery, chopped

Ø      1 can, 14.5 oz chicken broth

Ø      1 ½ cups half and half

Ø      ¼ tsp salt

Ø      ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Ø      1/8 tsp black pepper

Ø      Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat.  Cook onion until translucent
2. Stir in potatoes, celery and broth, raise heat and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until vegetables tender
3. Puree in blender – CAREFULLY
4. Pour into large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients except chives
5. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled
6. Serve garnished with chives.

Well, there you have it - four awsome soups that aren't your grandma's chicken noodle!  All of these are great soups to serve for company, or just make to enjoy on a cold winter day.

Bon Appetit!