What's cookin'?

I love to cook. I have always loved being in the kitchen, first as a child where it was the center of the family; later, I enjoyed creating my own recipes and recreating meals I had enjoyed in restaurants. Growing up in the '60s and '70s in an Italian family, macaroni was dinner at least twice a week. We also learned to love Jiffy-Pop, Cheez-Whiz and other assorted "healthy" fare. Vegetables were never center stage, and salad was often just iceberg, cukes and tomatoes. Weight was never a problem for me either, but as the years go by,I find that the old metabolism isn't what it used to be. In my twenties, I could skip a few Twinkies and lose 5 pounds to get into that cute outfit for a weekend date. Now, in my very, very, VERY late 20's, losing 5 pounds takes nothing short of a miracle! I used my love of cooking and interest in healthy eating to cultivate a repertoire of healthy and delicious new recipes, as well as healthier dishes inspired by old favorites. My project last summer was to research and develop ways to increase my collection of vegetable recipes. Not vegetarian, but vegetable-centered, I have tried to use spices, herbs, and various cultural styles to keep dinner interesting, exciting and worth going back for seconds. I am not a nutritionist, but I have done a good amount of reading, and think I have a handle on what's good for me and what should be avoided. Welcome to my first blog. Feel free to try any recipes that interest you, and share your own! Together we can answer the question....What's healthy for dinner?!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Roasted Brussel Sprouts A New Way

I have mentioned before that roasted brussel sprouts are among my new favorite vegetables.  I never liked them as a kid.  Just the smell of them boiling would make me run and hide.  Unfortunately, we didn't have a family dog, so I couldn't even pass them off to the pet under the table.

I only gave them another try recently, maybe a year ago.  Since then I serve them at least once every few weeks.  With a little olive oil and salt, roasted brussel sprouts are really delicious.  One cooking show host said they are practically like eating french fries, which is a bit of a stretch, but they are good.

Yesterday I thought I would try to jazz them up a bit.  I had read recipes about balsamic reductions, but never tried it.  So, I simply poured about a 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and gently heated it until it was thick and syrupy.  When it coated the back of the spoon, I knew it was done.  

I had figured the sweetness of the reduction would need a contrast, so when I prepared the brussel sprouts for roasting, I sprinkled garlic powder and cayenne pepper on them, along with the salt.  When they were done, I tossed them in a bowl with the balsamic reduction, and served them with a little sour cream on the side.  Wow!  Roasted brussel sprouts are good, but prepared this way just makes them a little more interesting!  The added kick of the cayenne pepper is contrasted with the sweet vinegar, and cooled by the sour cream.

Next time I make this balsamic reduction, I plan to serve it over fresh strawberries, and maybe even add a little sour cream on top.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)