Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap.
I am sure it is just because most people overcook them or something.
They are so delicious if they are roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

I saw this recipe for Brussels Sprouts Gratin in the Holiday issue of Cooking Light Magazine and wanted to try it right away. I didn't really follow the recipe exactly. I roasted my brussels sprouts in the oven to get them tender (at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes) and then combined them with my cooked bacon in a baking dish. Then I sauteed my freshly ground bread crumbs in a little bit of olive oil, until they were nice and golden, sprinkled them on top and broiled the whole thing for just a few minutes.

Delish! My kids loved this and so did I. I am definitely going to make it again over the holidays, if not for Thanksgiving then around Christmas time.

Give Brussels Sprouts another chance. They are soo yummy!

Recipe for Brussels Sprouts Gratin
* I roasted my brussels sprouts in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, after they had been tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper
* I sauteed my freshly made bread crumbs in olive oil instead of butter and reduced the amount
* I combined my roasted brussels sprouts and crumbled bacon in the baking dish and omitted the shallots

Butter-Almond-Crusted Fishwiches

This is what I made the night my son told me I should open a restaurant. This sandwich is the reason my son thinks I am amazing. Well, one of the reasons.

I saw this recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray and thought it would be a good dinner. The kids love fish and I want to like slaw. The fact the the slaw here uses dijon mustard, dill pickle relish, a little honey & oil, (none of that gross white stuff), made me very hopeful.

I decided to follow the recipe as closely as I could. (Of course, I had to get rid of some of the fat, like the butter which I reduced almost to nothing to cook the fish in).
I bought some freshly baked Italian sandwich bread from a local bakery and got to work.

I used fresh breadcrumbs, which I made with whole wheat bread, in the breading.

The combination of flavors was really great. The fresh thyme stood out. The almonds in the breading were really delicious.

My kids and hubby raved about this. I really like it too.

I don't really know what else to say about it besides it was absolutely fantastic. Definite repeat.

Recipe for Butter-Almond- Crusted Fishwiches * I used 1 Tbls of oil in the slaw
and 1 1/2 Tbls dijon mustard
* I made my own breadcrumbs, using 3 pieces of whole wheat bread
* I didn't use the all that butter when cooking the fish

Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Here is a quick pasta dinner that we enjoyed a few weeks ago.
I saw it in an issue of Everyday Food Magazine and knew it would be quick and easy, which makes getting dinner on the table a little bit easier.

I changed a couple of things in this recipe. I used whole wheat linguine instead of normal spaghetti. I usually try to use whole wheat pasta whenever we have pasta dishes just to get some extra nutrition and whole grains into our meals. No one in my family can tell the difference between whole wheat and "normal" pasta. This isn't a picky food for us.
I used black olives instead of kalamata olives simply because I already had them in my pantry and my family likes the taste of black olives better than any other olive.
I also used albacore tuna.
I decided to wilt some spinach and add it to this dish because I wanted it to have some vegetables.

The fresh breadcrumbs and lemon flavor in this pasta really make it a winner. Everyone here really enjoyed it.
I saved the leftover breadcrumbs in a little baggie and then re-used them when I reheated the pasta that was leftover.

I also included the link to the recipe in its original form, in case making it that way sounds more appealing to you.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
  
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) albacore tuna in water, drained
• 5 or 6 oz bag spinach
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Steam spinach in microwave or on stovetop. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss, adding enough pasta water to coat. Add tuna; toss gently. Stir in wilted spinach. Serve sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Recipe for Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Cauliflower Fritters

I saw this recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine. It was a 5-ingredient recipe and I just thought it was too interesting to pass up. Plus with only a few ingredients, I figured it would be really easy to put together. I really like recipes that use vegetables in different ways than the standard ways they are prepared.

I steamed my cauliflower and tried to mash it with my potato masher, but it was more difficult than I thought.
I ended up transferring the cauliflower to my food processor and it was cauliflower puree within seconds.
I read some of the reviews from people who had tried this recipe on the website and one reviewer mentioned that they subbed seasoned breadcrumbs for 1/2 of the flour called for. I decided to try that, just so the fritters would have a little bit more flavor.

I also reduced the amount of oil the recipe called for to cook the fritters in and coated my pan with cooking spray.
These little fritters were ready within minutes. I plated everyone's salad greens and squeezed a little lemon juice over our greens and then topped it with the fritters.

My kids really liked these. They ended up picking them up and eating them with their fingers, but I was just happy that they liked them.
I thought they tasted really great with the salad and lemon juice. Simple and fresh tasting.

I am interested in using cauliflower puree in other recipes. One of my blogging friends said she has made this recipe for Mac and Cheese, which uses cauliflower puree and it was good enough for a repeat appearance. Looks like that will be appearing on the menu in the near future.

Do you have a fave recipe that uses cauliflower puree?

Cauliflower Fritters adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbls grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 large egg, beaten
• One 10-ounce bag salad greens
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Steam the cauliflower until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, mash and let cool for 10 minutes. (I pureed the cauliflower in my food processor because I couldn't mash it very well).
   

2. Stir in the flour, breadcrumbs, cheese, and egg; season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll 1/4 cupfuls into balls, then flatten into patties, to make a total of 12 to 14. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the patties until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the salad greens tossed in olive oil and the lemon juice. (I just drizzled my greens with lemon juice)
   

Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin

I found out about this recipe when Kalyn sent out a tweet about a new post on her blog. I immediately went over to her blog to check out the Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin.
I love spaghetti squash (although this love is fairly recent) and I also love swiss chard. I never in a million years would have thought to put the two together.

I put this down on my menu calendar and the next time I went for groceries, I found beautiful swiss chard and a nice sized spaghetti squash.

This recipe takes a little time, but it is completely worth it. Plus, you can roast your spaghetti squash during the day, when you are at home, before dinner time.

There are a few things that I did differently.

I always roast my spaghetti squash whole. I preheat the oven to 400 degrees, poke my squash all over with a fork or skewer, cover a baking sheet with foil and pop the squash in the oven. I usually let it roast for an hour, turning it once or twice. This to me, is way easier than trying to cut through it raw. Once it has roasted, you can slice the thing in half with no problem.

I also sauteed my swiss chard mixture a little too long. It wasn't completely my fault though. Some kind of emergency came up with one of my kids in the bathroom and so, you know how that goes.
I also used chard with red stems and chopped them up and saute them too.
I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
I topped my gratin with a combination of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and a little bit of canola oil- to bring the topping together.
Delicious! I tasted it straight out of the pan and it was so good. My kids liked it and so did my hubby. So nutritious too.
Check out Kayln's blog for great pics of this recipe and lots of other great recipes too.


Recipe for Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin

One Year Ago-Bulgur and Chickpea Stuffed Squash

Giada's Mini Chicken (Turkey) Meatballs

These are the little meatballs I used to bribe my family a couple of weeks ago.

I saw them this summer in Redbook Magazine, when Giada De Laurentiis was featured and she shared some of her favorite recipes. I ripped out the page and put it in my 3-ring binder and tried to work it into our menu.

I decided to serve these alongside the Farmland Vegetable Pie, to round out the meal.
The kids used toothpicks to eat these and they were really flavorful.
I don't usually measure the ingredients that accurately when I make meatballs. I just throw all the ingredients in a big bowl and I can usually tell when the consistency is right.

I changed a couple of things- like I only used 1 egg instead of 2, I used 93% lean ground turkey, I used skim milk instead of whole and grated Parmesan cheese in the meatballs.

These turned out really great.
They were bite-size, which made them perfect for toothpick stabbing.

My kids really liked them and so did my hubby. I liked them too.

Giada's Mini Chicken Meatballs adapted from Redbook Magazine

1/4 cup	plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup	chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large	egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon	skim milk
1 tablespoon	ketchup
3/4 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon	salt
3/4 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
1 pound	ground turkey, 93% lean
2 tablespoons	olive oil
1 1/2 cup	low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup	chopped fresh basil, for garnish (I omitted this)
1/2 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (I omitted this)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, milk, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and combine well. Use a melon baller (or a teaspoon measure) to scoop the mixture; roll the seasoned chicken into 3/4-inch mini meatballs.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs and brown the tops, about 2 minutes longer. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

One Year Ago-Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Tomato Edamame Grilled Cheese Sammies

Asian Patties

I found this recipe quite a few years ago, in Parents Magazine and I have been making variations of it ever since. It is easy and gets lots of veggies into a nice meal.
The original recipe uses ground sirloin and I have made it in the past with beef. I don't really eat beef anymore, so the past few times I have made it, I have used ground turkey breast.
Basically, any ground meat would work. If you use ground turkey breast, you just have to watch the patties close, because if you cook them too long, they will be dry.
Sometimes, I add a little chicken broth to the pan while they are cooking, just to keep them moist.
The cream of coconut and anchovy paste really makes the flavors great. My kids really enjoyed this meal because it is something that you can eat with your fingers and everything is close to bite size.

Asian Patties adapted from Parents Magazine
2 Tbls cream of coconut
1 Tbls plain bread crumbs
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste
3/4 pd. ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups cucumber slices
1 cup carrot slices
1 cup red pepper slices
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbls sugar
1 tsp salt
Lettuce leaves

1. In a bowl, combine coconut cream, bread crumbs, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and anchovy paste. Add turkey and gently combine until well mixed. Shape meat into 12 small patties, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

2. In another bowl, combine cucumber, carrot and red pepper. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, remover from heat and pour over veggies. Let sit for 3 minutes, then drain, reserving liquid.

3. Heat grill or skillet over medium high heat. Grill patties until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve in lettuce leaves with vegetables and rice on the side. Dip in reserved liquid.


Coming Tuesday- TWD- Honey Peach Ice Cream

Feta-Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe caught my eye recently in a Southern Living Magazine. I love tomatoes and feta and fresh herbs and I just thought this recipe looked really fresh and delicious. We had it on the side with dinner and everyone really enjoyed it.
I think the most important thing for this recipe is to make sure you use ripe and flavorful tomatoes. Since they are the star of the star here, they have to be good.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. My husband flew in late last night for a quick weekend visit, so I am making this short and sweet!

Feta-Stuffed Tomatoes from Southern Living

Prep: 15 min., Bake: 15 min.

4 large tomatoes

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 Tbls)

Cut 4 large tomatoes in half horizontally. Scoop out pulp from each tomato half, leaving shells intact; discard seeds and coarsely chop pulp.

Stir together pulp; 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese; 1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons chopped green onions; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl.

Spoon mixture evenly into tomato shells, and place in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. (I sprayed the dish with cooking spray). Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Garnish with Italian parsley sprigs, if desired.

Up on Monday- Red Curry Falafel