Simple Salt & Pepper Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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I love Brussels sprouts.  They can be cooked lots of ways & go great in pasta or on pizza.  They are also wonderful, raw & shredded, in salads.  Here are some of my posts using these babies.

Vegan Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Candied Walnuts

Rustic Pizza with Vegan Sausage, Broccolette (Broccolini), Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms, Farmers Cheese, Goat Cheese and Micro Arugula

Mixed Vegetable Risotto with Fennel and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Vegan – Vegetarian)

Tricolore Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Belgian Endive and Radicchio

Orecchiette Pasta with Creamy Blue Cheese, Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Arugula (Vegan or Not)

Pasta with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Gorgonzola and Pear

Brussels Sprouts & Burrata Pizza with Pecorino & Dried Meyer Lemon Zest

Pizza with Roasted Red & Golden Beets, Garlic Fried Brussels Sprouts, Pistachios, Feta & Honey

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Toasted Pistachios, Dried Cranberries & Pomegranate Seeds

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Brussels Sprouts, Carrots & Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes

Raw Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Toasted Pecans & Feta Cheese

So – today – I just cut a bunch of these guys up – tossed them with a little olive oil and S&P.  They were delicious, as is, and could be served as a side dish or – as I did – served as an appetizer with some dipping sauce of your choice.  I happened to have truffle aioli by Stonewall Kitchen (I am helpless against their packaging which makes all their products almost irresistible to me) & it was a perfect, if very rich, flavor with the Brussels sprouts.  You could make your own aioli or use a dressing – like ranch or something.  The best part was the crispy outer leaves.  Mmmm!

Simple Salt & Pepper Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Feeds as many as you like – depending on how many you make

INGREDIENTS

Brussels sprouts – halved or quartered if they are very large

Olive oil

S&P

And your choice of dipping sauce – optional

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the sprouts in a drizzle of olive oil & some salt & pepper.  Roast 15-20 minutes or until they are done to your liking.  Bust out the dip & go to town!

5-Minute Garlic, Salt & Pepper Sugar Snap Peas

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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The name of this recipe says it all.  Fast, easy & yummy!

5-Minute Garlic, Salt & Pepper Sugar Snap Peas

Serves 2 as a side

INGREDIENTS

10 oz fresh sugar snap peas (the ones in the bag in the produce section already have the string removed.  If you can find these – learn how to remove the string HERE)

Olive oil –  1or 2 TBS

Salt – to taste – I used maybe a scant teaspoon

Pepper – to taste – I used a heaping tablespoon but I am a NUT for pepper

Garlic to taste – I used about 6 cloves & chopped them sorta chunky

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a pan over med-high heat.  Add the sugar snap peas.  Stir & heat for 2-4 minutes – or until they are nearly done to your liking.  Add the S&P & the garlic & saute another minute or so – just until the garlic browns a bit.  Be careful not to burn the garlic because it will taste bitter.

Season with more S&P – if you think it needs it & serve!

Potato Pizza with Rosemary & Garlic Thyme Beurre Blanc and a BONUS – Crispy Baked Potato Chips!!

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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OK – so – I will post my accidental first homemade chip recipe.  I was roasting some thin-sliced potatoes for my potato pizza & accidentally overcooked them.  WAY to crunchy for a pizza but amazing just on their own.

Homemade Crispy Salt & pepper Baked Potato Chips

1 medium potato makes one serving of chips

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes – sliced about 1/8 inch thick

Olive Oil

S&P

 

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick.  Toss with just enough olive oil to coat & some S&P.  Lay them on a silicone mat or parchment paper in a single layer – no overlapping.

Bake for about 25-35 minutes – depending on the thickness of the chips & the variety of potato you used.

They are done when they look about like this & are crispy as they are supposed to be.  They are ready right out of the oven.

 

 

Potato Pizza with Rosemary & Garlic Thyme Beurre Blanc

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough (I use this HERE)

Grated mozzarella (or vegan alternative) – I used about 1 cup

Olive oil

1 potato – washed & sliced 1/8 inch thick

Fresh rosemary

4 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1-2 shallots – minced (I used about 1/4 of a small red onion)

4 garlic cloves – minced

Fresh thyme

1/4 cup white wine

1 TBS fresh lemon juice (never use that chemical stuff they sell jarred or in that plastic lemon)

1 vegetable bouillon cube

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick.  Toss with just enough olive oil to coat & some S&P.  Lay them on a silicone mat or parchment paper in a single layer – no overlapping.

Bake for about 20 minutes – or until they are soft & JUST beginning to brown a bit – maybe a tad browner than I let mine get (as I was spooked my the chip mishap – despite the happy ending).  Remove from heat & set aside.

Increase oven heat to 500 degrees (or the highest temperature it goes to).

In a stock pot, melt ONE TBS of the butter over medium heat & add the shallot (or onion), garlic & thyme.  Stir & let it cook until it begins to brown.  Add the white wine, bouillon cube & lemon juice.  Let it reduce a bit & get thick.  Then – add the remaining 3 TBS butter – one at a time – & whisk them in.  Set the beurre blanc aside.

 

Assemble the pizza!

Grease a cooking sheet or use parchment paper.

Roll out the dough & put it on the cooking sheet.  Pierce the dough here & there to avoid it bubbling up too much.

Layer with the beurre blanc, then cheese, potato slices & some rosemary.

 

Bake this for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is crisp & golden & the cheese is melted.

Slice it up & rejoice in this garlicky goodness!

Reese’s Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting & Salted Caramel and Brownie Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache, Raspberries & Cream

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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OK, kiddies, it was my friend Alyse’s birthday this week & I hosted a little dinner for her.  And I made CUPCAKES!  I seldom eat dessert foods myself – mainly because I prefer to get my sugar from a wine glass – so I have posted precious few dessert recipes.   But a birthday certainly called for a dessert item so I seized the opportunity.  Please know, I am not part of this whole cupcake craze but cupcakes really are a superior choice for birthdays (in my opinion) as they are a reasonable serving size & you can kinda mix up the flavors a bit more than one can with a cake.  And they travel easily.

For these guys, I had a huge, industrial-sized box of brownie mix:

Then I went to store & bought everything I could think of that I might want to use for brownies including eggs & powdered sugar & cream cheese & pudding & jimmies & sprinkles & raspberries & marshmallows & marshmallow fluff & Reese’s Cups & two kinds of frosting etc etc.   Then I realized I was only feeding four people so there was no need to make 4372 cupcakes.  After some consideration, I elected to make the cupcakes from the brownie mix – and chose to top some with peanut butter frosting & drizzle caramel sauce on them & salt them.  Others – I filled with a marshmallow fluff center & a raspberry inside & atop the chocolate ganache frosting.   Unfortunately – the one cupcake I cut into for the photos had an anemic amount of cream – or maybe the cream was inserted off-center so it is hiding in the photo.

But know – I sent the bulk of these cupcakes home with my friend Rose for her teenage sons & I saw a photo she took of one & the center was creamy, indeed.   Here is that photo:

All I know is, I injected a bunch of cream in them & then they settled – leaving a gap in their volcano openings – so I rammed a raspberry inside each of them.  Indelicate but delicious!

Reese’s Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting & Salted Caramel

INGREDIENTS

Brownie mix (be sure to have the eggs & oil you need as per the box)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (I used full-sized)

Caramel sauce (from the ice cream aisle)

Course salt

Peanuts – for garnish

For the peanut butter frosting

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)

1/2 cup butter (or lard or shortening)

2 TBS milk

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Make the brownie mix as per box.

For the frosting – blend all but the powdered sugar ( I did this in my food processor).  Then I added the sugar.  Start with 2 cups & test for sweetness.  Add more – if you think it should be sweeter.

To assemble, I lined a cupcake pan with liners, put a tiny dollop of brownie batter to just cover the bottoms, put a Reese’s Cup in each & then topped with more brownie batter.  Bake them according to box instructions.  Then, frost them with the peanut butter frosting.  Drizzle the caramel on them, lightly salt them & top with a peanut.  Put them on the ground and roll around on them naked.

Or serve them to your friends.  Your call.

Brownie Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache, Raspberries & Cream

INGREDIENTS

Brownie mix (be sure to have the eggs & oil you need as per the box)

Raspberries

7 ounce jar of marshmallow fluff

4 TBS butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp water

1/4 tsp salt

For the ganache

1 cup chocolate chips (dark chocolate is nicer but I used semi-sweet milk chocolate)

3/4 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Make the brownie mix as per box.  Bake them as directed.

To make the cream filling, dissolve the salt in 1 tsp hot water.  Blend the fluff, butter, powdered sugar, salted water, and vanilla.  I did this in my food processor.  I then put this in a Ziplock bag & cut a corner out.  I used this as a make-shift pastry bag.  A real pastry bag would be great, too.

When the brownies are done & cooled a bit, use a paring knife & create little cavities in their centers.

Squeeze some cream filling into each.  Fill to the top & let rest a bit.  If the cream settles – either add more cream or shove a raspberry in there like the killer on Twin Peaks used to shove a tiny letter under the fingernail of his/her victims (remember that?).

Over low heat, melt the chocolate chips.  A double boiler is best for this but I was lazy.  I melted them a bit & then just added the heavy cream & whisked it all together.

Dip the cupcakes into the ganache & then top with another raspberry.  Voila!

These are also good to roll around on nude but that can get awkward at a birthday party.  Maybe just stick them all on a tray & serve them the traditional way.