Brussels Sprouts Etc.

I don't like to brag.  And I certainly don't consider myself a boastful person.  I turn up my nose at people who think they are all that and a bag of chips.  But, I can't help but say that my dad and I made an AMAZING out-of-this-world dinner last night.  To say anything less would be straying from the truth.  It all started with the brussels sprouts.  You could say that I have a bit of an obsession.  There was honestly a time when my mother said: "Anne, I don't want to hear another word about brussels sprouts!"  It started last fall when I tried them for the first time.  I prepared them simply, halving them and sauteeing them in a moderate amount of butter and seasoning them with salt and pepper.  Then, a time or two later, they wound up being sprinkled with a bit of left over shredded parmesan cheese.  Yum!  Then I saw them featured in a magazine with all sorts of other stuff in the pan, which led me to make them with carmelized onions, toasted pecans, dried cranberries AND parmesan cheese.  Holy cow!  Every way I made them, I loved them more.  If you've never had the pleasure of eating a brussels sprout, I would describe them as a cross between cabbage and broccoli, both in flavor and appearance.  And wouldn't you know, they are all cruciferous vegetables, so I'm not off my rocker in that assesment!  Last night, I was somehow inspired to make the best sprouts I've ever dished up: with bacon, toasted walnuts and shredded parmesan.  Talk about a flavor explosion.  And this was just one third of the meal.  The rest of the plate was occupied by a perfectly grilled (venison) steak and expertly seasoned oven fries.  A meal fit for a queen, if you ask me.  Especially when followed with a slice of decadent flourless chocolate cake!  (Can that be our secret?)  I refused to count yesterday's calories.  There is no way I would undermine food bliss with that kind of regret.

Brussels Sprouts a la Anne

Ingredients

1 lb. brussels sprouts, rinsed and halved
3 strips of bacon, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Begin by frying the bacon in a large pan or skillet.  When it is done to moderate crispness, remove it from the pan and set aside.  Dispose of most of the bacon grease, leaving a thin coating in the pan.  Then, add the sprouts to the pan, flat side down and cook over medium heat, rearranging regulary with a spatula to prevent burning.  When the sprouts are golden brown, add the walnuts to the pan and cook for an additional minute or two, allowing them to become toasted.  Turn off the heat and add the bacon back to the pan, stirring the mixture so that the bacon and nuts are evenly dispersed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Plate the sprouts and top with the parmesan cheese.  Serves 2-4, depending on the level of sprout obsession!

Succulent Sprouts, flanked by steak and oven fries

Happy New Year! (Lasagna)

It's the beginning of the new year, which means it's time for resolutions.  I for one have resolved to do more than one blog post per month.  It's just not fair to regular readers.  I had every intention of squeezing in a second December post but, alas, the craziness of the holiday season got the better of me.  So, I will save that post for another day.

While driving home from a family holiday celebration with my sister yesterday, I was overcome with a craving for lasagna.  Since my Celiac diagnosis, I've had one special friend prepare a gluten free version of her legendary lasagna, so I wanted to give it a try myself.  Believe it or not, lasagna is something I've never made before, g-free or otherwise, so I decided to take a shot at it while my motivation was strong.  After getting back in town, I dropped off my sister then headed right to the grocery store.  After getting home, I immediately put a pot of water on the stove in preparation for my noodles.  About an hour later, I took a lovely, bubbling, golden brown lasagna out of the oven.  I ate two servings, no sweat.  (I DID keep driving through lunch...)  You may find that without gluten, your lasagna noodles break into pieces after having been cooked, so handle them with as much care as possible.  If they break, just piece them together in the baking dish, it will still taste wonderful.  :)

Ingredients
1 (8 oz.) package gluten free lasagna noodles
1 (1 lb. 10 oz.) jar your favorite pasta sauce
1 lb. ground chuck
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
8-9 oz. bag of fresh spinach
15 oz part skim ricotta
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and begin by cooking the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.  (Probably 6-8 minutes)  Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms in a little butter over low-medium heat until golden brown, then add the spinach, continuing to cook until just wilted.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Next, add beef to pan, cooking over medium heat until browned, then add pasta sauce and cook until heated through.  When the noodles are cooked and drained, place one layer of noodles in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Next, layer on the mushrooms and spinach followed by half the sauce and meat mixture.  Then drop on the ricotta a spoonful at a time, covering the sauce layer evenly.  Then comes the second layer of noodles, the sliced basil, and the remainder of the sauce and meat mixture.  It's all topped off by the shredded mozzarella.  Place in the oven and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  If the cheese begins to brown too soon, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.  Let cool 5-10 minutes prior to serving.  Serves 8-10.