Thursday, October 20, 2011

Roasted Brussel Sprouts



I had a bag of brussel sprouts and was looking for a new way to cook them. I normally just boil or steam them and add a little butter/salt/pepper. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and they were roasted in the oven so I gave it a shot. Oh my, these are soooo good. I don't really like brussel sprouts but I make them every now and then because I know my husband likes them. I could not stop eating these. After dinner I was eating them directly off the cookie sheet! This is the only way I'll be making brussel sprouts from now on...and I'll probably be making them a lot more often!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I parboiled mine for about 5 minutes to reduce the baking time. You don't have to do this step although I would recommend it. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.

Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes if you parboiled, 30-45 if you didn't. Shake the pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. (I didn't do that step and mind turned out fine!) Serve immediately.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Spaghetti with Scallops, Olives & Capers



My eldest daughter had earned (by behaving appropriately) the treat of going out to dinner. We still needed a few things from the store so I made a mad dash to Whole Foods around 6:00 in the evening - before we were going out to eat.

They had a ton of things to sample out that night. The girls had apples, chips, shrimp salad and this scallop, olives & capers dish. They loved it! The lady working there was so nice she ended up giving us 4 little cups for the girls to eat! I couldn't believe they ate scallops and liked them. So of course, I bought the ingredients I needed to make the dish right then and there! Great marketing Whole Foods! ;)

I served mine over spaghetti noodles but you could serve it as an appetizer or as a side dish. Both girls chowed this down when I made it. Definitely give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 pound small scallops
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped kalmata olives (I used black and green mixed)
1 T capers
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used the 365 organic from Whole Foods)
Cooked spaghetti if you choose to serve it over noodles

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium heat. Once hot put olive oil in the pan and coat the bottom of the pan. Place scallops (blot dry first) in the skillet. Let sear for 3 minutes or until they are opaque about 1/4 or 1/2 way up. Don't shake the pan - just let them sizzle. :)

Once they are opaque about 1/4-1/2 way up flip all of them. Add olives and capers. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Depending on how you are serving this will determine how much spaghetti sauce you use. I used about half a jar but if you serving this alone I'd only use about 1/4 of the jar. Pour sauce in and stir gently to combine and warm through.

I served over spaghetti noodles with garlic bread and a salad.



This was enough for our family of 4. If you have a larger family definitely double the recipe!

Enjoy!