The New Green Bean??

Are brussels sprouts the new green bean? You can't read a food magazine, watch a food show or read a food blog these days without seeing a recipe for brussels sprouts.

I've always liked brussels sprouts, even growing up when they were boiled and didn't have the most appealing fragrance. It's amazing the wonderful toasted flavor, fragrance and color of roasted brussels sprouts. Even my husband, who is a green vegetable convert, likes these. Of course, that may have something to do with the bacon.



Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

2 (10-ounce) packages Brussels sprouts
2 ounce piece slab bacon cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash and then peel off any loose or damaged leaves from the sprouts. Trim the root end and cut each sprout in half.

Cook the bacon and walnuts in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat until bacon just begins to crisp and walnuts are toasted, about 4 minutes. Transfer the bacon and walnuts with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside. Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Put the pan in the oven and roast the Brussels sprouts for about 30 minutes, add the bacon and walnuts and continue to roast until the sprouts are cooked through and golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

Fettuccini Alfredo

One of my favorite dishes from the Culinary Boot Camp cooking classes I took was Fettuccine Alfredo. I've had it on my list of recipes to make for the last several weeks and finally got around to making it. This is one of those dishes that is just sinfully delicious! I've never made it before and was so hoping it would be as delicious as it was in cooking class. Well guess what? It was every bit as delicious. This recipe will be a go to recipe for dinner or entertaining!

Fettuccine Alfredo

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean-reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of fettuccine pasta

Bring the butter and cream to a boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pot, simmer for 1 -2 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the parmesean and grated nutmeg, stir continuosly until cheese is well blended.

Add pasta and coat well.

Raised Waffles with Warm Brown Sugar Bananas

I love waffles! This recipe is perfect for Sunday morning breakfast. I've been wanting a new waffle iron. After making this recipe, I am for sure getting a new one. I didn't feel that these waffles came out crispy or golden enough in my waffle iron.

This recipe does require a little more time than most waffle recipes. You make the batter most of the way, the night before. The finishing touches the next morning are quick and easy. The topping for these is heavenly, my favorite part.

The topping for these is h e a v e n l y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It reminds me of bananas foster, which I love! I cut the waffle recipe in half but made the full recipe of the topping. I am so glad I did, even making the full recipe, I really didn't feel like it was enough topping. I used honey instead of maple syrup. I guess my brown sugar and butter mixture wasn't hot enough? I didn't get the flame when you add the rum. Bummer! I was so looking forward to an intentional flame experience (and Tim was on stand by with the fire extinguisher).



Thanks to Lauren of Fried Pickles and Ice Cream for choosing this recipe. You can find the recipe on her site. Also, you'll find the links to all of the wonderful SMS bakers here!

Lemon Lavender Martini

How relaxing is the scent of lavender? I have lavender candles, lavender sheet spray and lavender bubble bath. How about lavender flavored cocktails? This summer we experimented with herbs in cocktails. Although I didn't try it, there is a Lavender Martini is on the menu at The Girl and the Fig. A few weeks ago we made a visit to the Pezney's store. When I was checking out I saw a sign for culinary lavender and decided to purchase it to make lavender simple syrup.

Lavender Syrup

1 cup water
3 Tbsp fresh or dried lavender flowers
2 cups sugar
Preparation:
Bring water and lavender to a boil. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, then fine strain the lavender.






Lemon Lavender Martini

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce lavender simple syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist, or a lavender bloom.

I thought this cocktail had too much lavender flavor. I will try it again with more lemon or even cranberry. I think the lavender syrup has lots of possibilities.

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

If you follow my blog, you know my husband love his red meat but me, not so much. Normally we grill flank steak but now that the weather has cooled off, I need some indoor recipes. Since flank steak is a tougher cut of meat, I wondered if I cooked it in the slow cooker how tender it would be.

This steak was so tender and the flavor was melt in your mouth delicious. Yes, the not so much red meat eater loved this steak. And the mushroom gravy was to die for. This recipe is a keeper that I will make again, SOON.



Slowcooker Flank Steak

Adapted from Risa's Flank Steak Recipe

1 pound flank steak
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon beef base
1 cup water
1 tbsp Ketchup
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 lb fresh baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

Preheat a grill pan . When hot, place steak on and cook until you sear it well and you have nice grill marks. Remove and place in crockpot.

In a measuring cup, place beef base and water, add. Mix well. Add wine, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, mustard and onion. Pour over steak. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Turn to high. Place cornstarch and water in small bowl and whisk well to combine. Add cornstarch mixture to crockpot along with the mushrooms. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

To serve: slice meat in thin strips (against the grain) and serve with sauce over noodles or rice.

Indoor Gardening - Week Seven

Week seven and the herbs in the AeroGarden are growing like crazy...well at least some of them are anyway. The basil and parsley are beautiful. The sage looks pretty good, although the leaves seem to curl a little. The mint and chives are another story. The mint is puny and the chives are almost non existent. Maybe they will get a growth sprurt here in the next few weeks?

As the plants start to grow, their water absorbtion increases. You have to keep a close eye on the water levels and replenish twice a week.

Charlie's Afternoon Cake

Today we have a bonus creation for Chocolate With Francois. In order to try more of the wonderful recipes in Chocolate With Payard a little sooner, I will be choosing an occasional bonus creation.

Since we're approaching the holidays and because many of the creators also bake Sweet Melissa Sunday's or Martha Stewart's Cupcake Club, both of which have bakes today, this bonus bake needed to be simple. After reading through the book the simplest recipe seemed to be Charlie's Afternoon Cake. And it did not disappoint! What a simple and decadent cake this is!!!

I baked mine in a 8" round pan, instead of a 9" and it still appears to be much flatter than the cake in the cookbook. If you need a quick dessert, made with ingredients you are likely to have on hand, try this cake. Serve it with vanilla bean ice cream or creme fraiche.

Charlie's Afternoon Cake

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces 60% (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9 inche round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Dust it with flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.

Bring the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add the flour and mix well. Add the chocolate to the batter and stir until the mixture is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cook completely in the pan. Unmold, and serve.

Next up for Chocolate With Francois is Flourless Chocolate Cookies!