Apple Cranberry and Brussels Sprout Salad

(Alton Brown on fb)
Apple Cranberry and Brussels Sprout Salad

Slice one pound of Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disc of a food processor (you can also slice thinly with a knife or a mandoline).



...Heat a large sauté pan over medium high. Toast 3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans, stirring continually, until they darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma, about 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoon unsalted butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the Brussels sprouts, season with kosher salt and pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender, approximately 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add 4 ounces cranberries, toss and cool slightly while preparing the apples.



Chop 2 large Fuji apples into fine matchsticks using either a knife or the julienne blade on a mandoline. Toss the apples with 2 tablespoons apple cider and a teaspoon of nutmeg. Add the apple mixture to the Brussels sprouts, toss to combine well and serve

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

For the crust:

1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

For the ganache:

6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 oz unsalted butter

8 oz heavy cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F

Combine all crust ingredients in a large bowl, tossing with a fork until incorporated. Press firmly into a 9” fluted tart pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, unmold crust onto a wire rack.

Place chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream just barely to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and butter. Add vanilla and salt and let stand for 5 minutes.  Whisk or stir with a spatula until chocolate and butter have completely melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour ganache into the cooled tart shell and let it set, either overnight at room temperature or for 2 hours in the fridge. Slice into wedges and serve.

Spinach-Artichoke Chicken

Adapted from a recent Home Chef recipe that was a total hit for Andrew! I’m changing a few things that I believe will make it better. Also I rediscovered how good roasted broccoli is and that I can get great results in the oven (I am in the habit of grilling it along with steak). The Home Chef kit included radishes to roast which I felt was odd only because I’m only familiar with eating them raw. They were ok but I’m not a big radish lover anyhow so skip them! Maybe toss in some carrots for starch and do away with my rice suggestion. Be creative!

For two:

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cut up a head of broccoli into bite size pieces, rough chop 2 or more cloves of garlic, toss with olive oil, salt & pepper, maybe other spice you’d like and bake for 20 min. When it comes out it is so good you’ll be snacking on it right away while finishing the rest. Cue: let hungry kid also start here. 

2 nice chicken breasts (on the smaller side, some can be huge plus you are putting topping on)

Cook them per your usual method in an oven proof skillet but don’t cook thoroughly through since they go in the oven to finish with the topping. Think hot, quick brown on both sides then top with cheese mixture.

2 oz or small bag of baby spinach (you could use frozen, thawed, squeezed dry)

Cook the spinach in a splash of olive oil, salt & pepper, to wilt. Combine with:

1 oz softened cream cheese (if from a bar you can measure it) light is optional, you won’t notice 

2 oz shredded mozzarella or I would try feta! 

2 oz artichoke hearts, marinated optional, chopped 

Put mix on chicken and bake until nice and melted. Careful not to overcook the chicken. 

Optionally have a small amount of brown rice on the side. I discovered recently that it’s so easy to make and freeze. Or make it and refrigerate a few days. Use quality rice that takes a long time to cook and you will be so happy to pull it from the freezer, microwave and viola! 

Tender and Tasty Pie Pastry / Blueberry Pie

I originally printed this after seeing Tyler Florence make it on a Food TV show back in November 2002. I made the pie the following summer using blueberries and actually brought it all the way to Long Beach Island, NJ for a beach vacation with my sister. It was memorable and delicious! 

I noted on the recipe “crust is very buttery -ooze factor- oozed over sides and sugar burned -careful- but TASTY!!!”

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, bleached

3/4 cup cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tb sugar 

2 sticks (1/2lb) butter, cubed and chilled 

3 Tb vegetable shortening or vegetable oil

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 egg yolk, beaten slightly 

Combine dry ingredients in a chilled large stainless steel bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives and incorporate the fat thoroughly into the flour to resemble coarse meal. Add shortening, sour cream and lemon juice, mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I’m thinking you could more easily do this in a food processor, pulsing minimally. 

Grease and flour a 9-inch pie pan. Remove dough from refrigerator, divide mixture into 2 disks. Keep 1 disk in the refrigerator until ready for top crust. Roll dough out on a floured surface between waxed paper. Carefully transfer the bottom crust to the pie pan and trim the overhanging excess. Chill for 15 minutes to help set the dough in the pan. Brush the bottom with egg yolk to seal. Fill with your favorite fruit filling. (I chose blueberry.) Roll out remaining disk as you did for the bottom crust. Cover the pie with remaining dough (I cut into strips and made a lattice.) Seal and crimp the edge. Cut vents in the top crust. 

Place pie on preheated baking sheet in bottom half of preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Reduce oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 minutes longer.

Cool thoroughly on a rack, at least 4 hours.

I’m not sure this was the filling I used, nonetheless it looks good. 

Blueberry Filling 

6 cups (30 oz) fresh blueberries or frozen 

1 granny smith apple peeled and grated on large holes of box grater

2 tsp grated zest and 2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tb instant tapioca, ground to a powder. If using tapioca pearls, measure 5 tsp. before grinding.  

Pinch salt

2 Tb unsalted butter, cut into 1/4” pieces

Place 3 cups berries in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Using a potato masher, mash berries several times to reduce juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally, until about half of berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. 

If berries are frozen, cook half over medium high heat without mashing, until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 12-15 minutes.

Place grated apple in cheesecloth or towel to wring dry. Transfer to a large bowl, add cooked berries, remaining uncooked berries, lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca and salt; toss to combine. 

Transfer mixture to dough-lined pie plate and scatter butter pieces over filling. 

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

This is a delicious, fiery marinade. Now that the weather is warming up, time to fire up the grill! I originally made this in November of 2004: almost 14 years ago! I’m going through some recipe binders now and pulling out some old favorites.

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth:

2 cups coarsely chopped green onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 Tb white vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb vegetable oil
pinch of kosher salt
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp peeled chopped ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 minced garlic cloves
1-4 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and chopped

1 1/2lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
Slice pork lengthwise, cutting to but not through the other side. Open flat and marinate in a dish or bag refrigerated 3-24 hours. Discard remaining marinade, grill 8 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reaches 160 (slightly pink).

Try serving with Trader Joe’s chimichurri rice.

Cilantro Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Slaw

I made these to have with other apps/for lunch with family in Maine. 
These are fresh and yummy but messy like eating a taco. A "deconstructed" version was served to dad. 

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup sushi rice 

small bunch of cilantro
1/2 english cucumber 
1 shallot 
1 Thai chili
1 head Boston lettuce 

Buy a premade slaw mix?
1/4 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage

1 TB fish sauce 
12 oz ground chicken
3 TB rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium) 
canola oil 
salt & pepper
small covered pot to cook rice 
nonstick skillet to cook chicken patties
small bowl to make peanut sauce
medium bowl to make slaw 
serving platter or plates

Cook the rice: bring 1 1/4 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, add rice, bring to a boil, stir once and lower heat to low, covered, 12 minutes. Leave covered another 10 minutes, off the heat. Fluff rice with a fork then cover again to keep warm. 

Cilantro: separate leaves from stems and chop both. 

Cucumber: quarter lengthwise then thinly slice crosswise. 

Shallot: peel and mince, divide in two. 

Thai chili: thinly slice and chop, removing seeds, divide in two.  

Separate the Boston lettuce and place large leaves on serving platter. 

Mix and form patties: 

In a medium bowl, combine fish sauce, cilantro stems, half of shallot, half of Thai chili, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash of pepper. Add chicken, mix and form into small patties. This part is messy so I found it good to put them right in the pan greased with Tb oil to cook right away. Brown on both sides, 6-8 minutes total. 

Mix the slaw: remaining shallot, Thai chili, half of rice wine vinegar, 1 Tb canola oil, and 1/4 tsp salt to combine. Add cabages. 

Make sauce: in a small bowl or cup, mix peanut butter, soy sauce and remaining rice wine vinegar to combine. 

Finish rice: Wet hands and scoop up rice, forming into patties and place on lettuce leaves. The rice is very sticky so you will need to rinse your hands often (do this next to the sink). 

Plate lettuce wraps: 

Layer lettuce wraps with sticky rice, chicken patties, drizzle over peanut sauce. Top with desired amount of slaw, a little more peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro leaves. 

 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Bake 2 sweet potatoes at 425 for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan bring to a boil
2 Tb butter
2 Tb maple syrup
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Optionally add 1/2 tsp orange zest.
When the potatoes are done, carefully peel them while hot and put them through a potato ricer into the syrup, stir, salt & lightly pepper. They’re delicious!

Taster approved with roast chicken dinner. Roast the bird while you bake the potatoes!