toasted coconut brussels sprouts

If you like coconut or brussels sprouts you have to try this recipe. If you don't like brussels sprouts you have to try this recipe. Some friends of ours made these for us last week and they were so good I asked for the recipe and made them the next day. I served them to some family who normally don't like brussels spouts and they were a hit! The kids loved them too.
recipe adapted from howsweeteats.com

2-4 servings
ingredients:
1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved or quartered
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp. (or more to taste) coconut milk
2-3 Tbsp. (or more to taste) coconut, toasted

directions:
Add quartered sprouts to a bowl and drizzle with melted coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and toss to coat.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add brussels. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted and nicely charred. Reduce heat to low and stir in coconut milk. Stir in 2 Tbsp. toasted coconut, then transfer to a bowl to serve. Top with remaining coconut.

root vegetable soup with parsley pesto

satisfying, low fat and high in vitamin C

4 servings

2 Tbsp butter
8 garlic cloves, peeled
5 cups peeled and coarsely chopped root vegetables such as golden beets, yukon gold potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, and carrots
1 cup chopped onion
29 oz (2 cans or one carton) beef broth
2-3 Tbsp horseradish
2 ciabatta rolls or 4 baguette slices, toasted
parsley pesto:
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup toasted nuts, such as pine nuts, almonds, or pecans (if not pine nuts make sure they are finely chopped)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper

1. In stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chopped vegetables, onion, and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add broth; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in horseradish. Cook, uncovered 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, spread a small spoonful of the pesto on the cut side of the breads. Broil about 1 minute or until pesto is heated through. Drizzle any remaining pesto into the soup

kale caesar salad

Kale may seem an odd choice for a salad, but in this recipe it is tenderized then tossed with a delicious dressing, simple homemade croutons, and fresh parmesan. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K and C, and calcium. The croutons are a yummy little snack just on their own

serves 4
16 oz. kale, washed, stems discarded, leaves torn or chopped into bite size pieces
3 slices rye bread (I used marbled), cut into 1-inch cubes
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pearled barley (optional)

6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. vinegar (I used balsamic)
2 Tbsp. mayonaise
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt
pepper
lemon juice
dash worcestershire sauce
anchovy paste (optional; it adds a deeper saltier taste. I know it is not the usual household staple. For some reason we've had a tube sitting in our fridge and now I was able to use it)


1. If using pearled barley, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add barley and cook until tender, 20-25 mintes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain again.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add bread cubes and cook over moderate heat until crisp and golden, about 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. Season with salt and transfer to a plate to cool.
3. In a large bowl, toss all the kale. Scrunch to tenderize.
4. In a food processor or blender or cool tupperware gadget :), puree garlic with dijon and vinegar. Add mayo and mix. Add olive oil in a slow stream. Add 2 Tbsp. parmesan. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, w. sauce and anchovy paste.
5. Add dressing to kale and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Top with barley, rye croutons and remaining cheese.

cherry chicken spirals

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 11/2 lbs)
6 slices bacon, halved
2/3 cup snipped dried cherries
1/2 cup honey mustard, 4 Tbsp. for prep and remaining for dipping (you can make your own with dijon, honey, and plain yogurt or mayo)
1 cup whole wheat panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken  to 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Place bacon on chicken.
2. In a small bowl combine cherries and 2 Tbsp honey mustard. Divide mixture evenly among the chicken. Roll up chicken. You may need help from kitchen string or toothpicks if the chicken wont stay rolled up. Brush with 2 Tbsp honey mustard. Lightly sprinkle with salt if desired.
3. In a shallow dish, combine panko, thyme, and pepper. Roll chicken in mixture to coat. Place, seam sides down, in prepared pan.
4. Bake, uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

grilled tuna steak

a quick flavorful marinade adds delicious flavor to this meaty fish

1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

2-4 tuna steaks

Mix marinade ingredients together. Add tuna steaks and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; turn and baste and grill an additional 1-2 minutes until done (should still be pink in the center).

sour cream biscuits

these crisp buttery biscuits are perfect with soup or stew
adapted from Food and Wine

makes about 18 
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sour cream or creme fraîche
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup heavy cream
coarse salt for sprinkling

1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the egg yolk, sour cream and milk. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the egg mixture and stir until the dough is evenly moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and knead 2-3 times, just until it comes together.
2. Press dough into and 8x10-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out into an 11-inch square. Fold in half and roll out again to same size. Repeat once more. Using a 2-inch round cutter (or a glass of the same size), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Gather scraps, re-roll and cut out more.
4. Preheat oven to 375º. Evenly space the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.

watercress soup

a delicious and nutritious soup, which is great served with crusty bread or biscuits like these:
http://menuinseason.blogspot.com/2013/02/sour-cream-biscuits.html

serves 4

1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
6 ounces watercress
14 oz. (1 2/3 cup) vegetable stock
14 oz. (1 2/3 cup) milk
lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper
sour cream to serve

1. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy pan and cook the onion over gentle heat for about 5 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add potato, cook gently 2-3 minutes and then cover and cook over gentle heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, strip the watercress leaves from the stalks and coarsely chop the stalks.
3. Add the stock and milk to the pan, stir in the chopped watercress stalks and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and summer gently, partially covered, for 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add all but a few of the watercress leaves and simmer for 2 minutes more.
4. Process the soup in a blender, then pour into a clean pan and heat gently with the reserved leaves. Add a little lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
5. Garnish with sour cream and enjoy!

white bean hummus

a super healthy and delicious dip that is great for crackers, chips and veggies.
Pita chips and the new 34˚crispbread crackers pair marvelously well with this hummus.

serves at least 4 people

1 head garlic

3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1-15 oz. can white beans (or dried, prepared)

1 small lemon, juiced

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper

2 tsp. tahini (sesame paste), optional

1. Cut garlic in half across to expose all the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.

2. Add beans, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper and tahini to food processor or blender. Squeeze garlic halves; the cloves should slide out. Process until mixed. Add olive oil and mix until smooth. Adjust seasoning if desired.

Serving suggestion: drizzle with some more olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts.

date citrus flatbreads

adapted from A Decade of Cooking the Costco Way
This is a perfect appetizer for holiday parties

makes 8 generous servings
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 naan (or other flatbread, can also use 2 medium-large premade pizza crusts)
2 tangelos, navels, or clementine mandarins (these are the easiest), peeled, segmented and cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup pitted and chopped Mejool dates
1 tsp dried (or 2 tsp fresh) rosemary
2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
(if you are a Green Barn shopper then look no further for all your ingredients)

1. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute 8-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, sprinkle salt over the onions, and cook 20 minutes, until the onions are a rich brown color (and smell really good!)

2. Preheat the oven broiler to low.

3. Sprinkle mozzarella over flatbreads. Place under broiler until cheese starts to melt, about 2 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and top with caramelized onions, citrus pieces, dates and rosemary. Sprinkle with feta.

5. Place under broiler for another minute or until toppings are hot and the bread browns slightly. Cut into pieces and serve.

roasted brussels sprouts

Last week I had said to stay tuned for more Thanksgiving recipes. Unfortunately, in the meantime, my camera memory card was misplaced (or it may have been taken out of one slot in the computer and jammed into the disk drive by some little person. At least that is what we have deducted so far with our sluething skills). Without that I can't take pictures! This has been a little frustrating because I have had a few recipes to post but no picture. My mom came to the rescue and let me borrow her camera which isn't quite the same but will definitely work in a pinch.

adapted from Food and Wine. The honey-caraway-lime dressing adds and Asian flare to a traditional dish

4-6 servings

2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt
1/4 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 cup shredded carrot
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 425. In a large bowl, toss the halved brussels sprouts with the olive oil and season them with salt. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are tender and crisp on the edges. 

2. Meanwhile, in small skillet, toast the caraway and fennel seeds until they are fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a grinder (I used a very well rinsed out coffee bean grinder but if you happen to have a spice grinder have at it). Let cool before grinding to a fine powder.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the carrot with the lime juice, honey, garlic, and spice powder. In a large bowl, toss the hot brussels sprouts with the dressing, green onions, mint and cilantro. Season with additional salt if desired.