beef & brussels sprouts: lunch time

On Sunday past I made up some lunch dishes for the week while at work. I especially enjoyed cooking up the large brussels sprouts that were picked up at the local farmers’ market.  Today in the studio I am enjoying the fruits of my labour.

adding apple and yoghurt

Beef & Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 

  grated nutmeg

  200gr local beef, sliced

• 250gr Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 firm and tart apple, cut into small pieces
• 80ml plain goat yoghurt
• butter
• nutmeg, fresh grated
• salt to taste – optional

Steam the Brussels sprouts, briefly to keep them firm.  In a cast iron fry pan  brown the beef in butter. When seared, add the steamed Brussels sprouts and cook for another minute or so.  Add the yoghurt and apple pieces and allow to simmer for another minute.  Add freshly ground nutmeg and salt.

brussels sprouts from the woman’s day encyclopedia of cookery

I remember grocery store promotions where each month you could purchase one of a set and over time you accumulated the set.  I’ve seen this type of promotion for dish sets and pots and pans (we purchased our Paderno this way) but in the late ’60’s, through the  ’70’s and into the early ’80’s it was usually encyclopedia.

The set of red and gold trimmed Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia snugged into its specially designed rack resting on a kitchen shelf was one such acquisition.  Diligent in not missing a single book, my dad made sure to complete the set with his grocery shopping.  So too the Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery.

My dad, as I’ve mentioned before, was a great cook and did all the cooking in the family.  His Woman’s Day set was promised to my partner as he too has a love of cooking.  Recently, Volume 3 Bre-Car offered up a great Brussels sprouts recipe.

brussels sprouts w/ tarragon-mustard sauce

Brussels Sprouts with Tarragon-Mustard Sauce

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts,washed and trimmed
• salt
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour (we used organic whole spelt flour)
• 3/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar (we used mango vinegar)

Cook sprouts in small amt of lightly salterd boiling water until just tender, drain and keep hot. Saute onion in butter until tender but not browned.  Stir in flour, mustard and tarragon.  Add broth and vinegar and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened.  Serve over sprouts.

shrimp pulao, with a brussels sprouts fix

shrimp pulao with roasted brussels sprouts

Shrimp Pulao

Ingredients

• 

  onions in lemon

  1lb shrimp

• 1 ¼ c milk
• 1tsp chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 2 cassia sticks
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 

  shrimp's cooking

  1c basmati rice (the recipe calls for 2 ¼ cups but we halved this)

• 5 tbsp ghee
• 4tbsp lemon juice
• Ginger root
• Mint leaves

Method

Place chili powder, 1 tsp caraway seeds, cassia sticks, cardamons, salt, 1 onion, bay leaves and ginger in a mortar and grind to a paster with a pestle.

Cook rice according to directions, but remove from heat when half cooked.

final assembly

Melt the ghee, sauté second onion until golden.  Put onion in bowl and mix with lemon juice and mint leaves to taste.

Add spice paste and shrimp to the pan and stir fry about 5 minutes.  Set aside in bowl.

Place half the half-cooked rice in a saucepan, place shrimp mixture on top along with half the onion mixture.  Top with other half of rice and the remaining onion mixture and milk.  Add extra mint to taste.

Cover and cook over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes.  Mix well before serving.

confessions: greed in the kitchen

sharing is loving

I ate them all.

Not in one sitting mind you, but I did indeed eat them all.

They were so good.  Yeah, so very good.

I don’t regret it.  And I wouldn’t do it differently if I had to do over.

Pleasure without conscience, Gandhi has said.

Now I shall have to make them again.

This time I will exercise self control.  I will.  I am capable.

This time my pleasure shall be broader than my taste buds, my salivary glands, my stomach enzymes.

This time gustatory intimacy  and relationship intimacy shall merge.

Lucky me.

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.  ~ M.F.K. Fisher

working at home: good food, fine sounds

beagle with Brussels sprouts vibrations

Working at home today.  I have two major work tasks to accomplish, or at least make serious dents in, as there are deadlines at hand.  I intersperse loads of laundry with bouts of researching and writing.  No worry, I believe I have it all well in hand by the time lunch break roles around.

I have a roasted Brussels sprouts recipe stuck in the centre of my hankering place.  When I ran the morning errands, I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some of these mighty wee cabbage-like things.  It is time.  If you are deficit in Brussels sprouts information, head over here for all the goodness.

delicious, nutritious, irresistable

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
  

  brussels sprouts

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1tbsp balsamic vinegar (like champagne, you get what you pay for)
• 1 ½ tbsp freshly grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp roasted pine nuts

Method

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Place cut Brussels sprouts in bowl and toss with oil and balsamic vinegar.

On a lightly oiled or sprayed pan, arrange sprouts in a single layer and place in oven for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and crispy along the edges.

Before sprouts are finished roasting, place pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat and roast for approximately 5 minutes.  Exercise care as they can go from nicely browned to burnt quickly.

lunch at home

Place roasted sprouts in a bowl and toss with parmesan.  Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve hot.  I placed some on a plate with a little local lamb chop and took quiet time to enjoy.

While the Brussels sprouts were roasting, I took time to make a batch of hummus.  The chickpeas, already soaked overnight and simmered to a delightful tenderness, were waiting their moment to shine. With pine nuts on hand and cilantro bravely sitting just on this side of freshness, the flavour and garnish was an easy decision.  So, taking a basic hummus recipe, adjusting the spices and adding my current and most pressing desires, a delectable hummus was created.

pine nut cilantro hummus

Today’s food adventures were all the more savoury and satisfying with the soul satisfying sounds of jai uttal‘s kirtans.  I was so excited when I opened my post office box this morning to discover an envelope from most giving of blog friends, Diane.    I had not before heard kirtans and was struck by their beauty, their soothing repetitiveness, their soul-haunting melody lines.

Mindful cooking, mindful eating, beautiful day.  Blessed.