Easy Brussels Sprout And Bacon Orzo

This easy brussels sprout and bacon orzo is one of those dishes that doesn't require too many ingredients, takes less than a half-hour to make, and instantly hits the spot. I wanted something comforting but not too heavy, so I thought the combination of orzo, brussels sprouts, bacon, and Parmesan would be perfect. As I tasted the finished dish, I noticed it needed just a little zing, so I stirred in some citrus champagne vinegar. You could just as easily add a squeeze of lemon and a little white wine vinegar.

Easy Brussels Sprout And Bacon Orzo
Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup orzo
2 slices bacon
10 brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded (using slicing blade of food processor)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon citrus champagne vinegar

Preparation

Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. When cool, crumble and set aside.

Cook brussels sprouts in skillet in bacon grease along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, until softened and golden brown. Reduce heat to low, and stir in thyme.

Once orzo is ready, drain it and stir it into brussels sprouts along with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Then stir in Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Off heat, stir in vinegar. Transfer brussels sprout mixture to dish, top with crumbled bacon, and dig in!

Are you on the brussels sprout bandwagon?

Lentils With Broiled Eggplant

As you know, I'm striving to cook with lentils more often this year -- and my obsession with Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is making it very easy. The book has a section called pulses, which contains a number of interesting lentil recipes, but I actually found this recipe in the eggplant chapter.

After I made the broiled vegetable soup (a recipe I also found in Plenty), I became quite comfortable with throwing eggplant under the broiler and loved how the innards became so soft and creamy using this method. When I saw this colorful lentil dish, topped with broiled eggplant, I knew it would hit the spot.

The combination of tender lentils, sweet tomatoes, bright herbs, Cabernet vinegar, smoky eggplant, and cool, tangy Greek yogurt is mouthwatering. The number of textures and flavors weaved throughout this dish make it interesting and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to make it again.

If you think lentils are boring, this is your gateway recipe. 

Lentils With Broiled Eggplant (adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)
Printable version

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
2 tablespoons Cabernet vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 small carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks
1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs
1/2 white onion
1 cup small dark lentils (such as Puy), rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Muir Glen Reserve Harvest Sunset Diced Tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
Greek yogurt, for serving

Preparation

Pierce eggplants in a few places with a small, sharp knife, place on a foil-lined sheet pan, and cook directly under the broiler for about 1 hour, turning with tongs about every 15 minutes, until eggplants are deflated and their skin is charred.

Remove eggplants from oven, and adjust oven temperature to 275 degrees.

Cut a slit down center of each eggplant, and scoop flesh out into a colander. Let drain for 15 minutes, then transfer flesh to a bowl and season with salt and pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar.

While eggplant drains, cut one carrot and half of a celery stalk into large pieces, and place them in a medium saucepan. Add bay leaf, thyme, onion, and lentils to saucepan.

Cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Drain in a sieve. Discard carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and onion.

Transfer lentils to a mixing bowl, and stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil, and plenty of salt and pepper.

While lentils are simmering, dice remaining carrots and celery. Mix with tomatoes, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brown sugar, and some salt in an 8- by 8-inch (or other similar-size) baking dish.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender but still firm. (I ended up pumping the oven up to 350 after 15 minutes to ensure the carrots would get tender in the last 5 minutes.)

Stir the lentils into the carrot mixture.

Then stir in the parsley, cilantro, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon lentils into serving dishes, and top with broiled eggplant.

Garnish each dish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and serve.

What are your favorite lentil recipes?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, And Yam With Quinoa

All of the desserts and treats I've been sharing with you during the past week and a half are all things I made at the end of last year for the holidays. Since the start of 2012, I've actually been eating relatively healthfully (for me, anyways).

Everywhere I look lately I'm finding recipes for healthful dishes, meal plans for cleanses and detoxes, and lists of foods to avoid. I know I'm not someone who could ever do a cleanse -- I'll never give up coffee (and part of my day job entails sampling all sorts of food) -- but I also know there are some changes I can make in my eating habits to include more veggies and grains and cut some dairy and gluten.

I like the idea behind cleanses, that they rid the body of toxins and boost energy, so that (and, you know, my upcoming wedding) is the motivation for trying to pay more attention to my diet and eating habits (and for pushing myself to do some yoga or Pilates each day). Don't worry. There will still be plenty of desserts and comforting dishes here, but I hope to throw in some more lighter, nutrient-packed meals too, starting with this one.

This recipe is inspired by some roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes I saw on Mango & Tomato and a quinoa salad I saw on Two Peas & Their Pod as well as many of the cleanse recipes I found in the January issues (the ones packed with resolutions to eat better) of the magazines I subscribe to.

I noticed that sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and quinoa graced many of the recipes. According to Whole Living, low-calorie sweet potatoes are a winter superfood and a great way to get more beta-carotene, and brussels sprouts trigger detoxifying enzymes in the liver. By now, I think most of us know the pros of eating quinoa, but as a reminder, it contains all 9 amino acids and is a complete protein, making it an excellent source of protein.

I roasted a yam (couldn't find any sweet potatoes and hope they're just as beneficial), brussels sprouts, and red onion with a little thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper. While the veggies roasted, I cooked the quinoa in some chicken broth because I had an open container in the fridge that I didn't want to waste (that's another thing I'm working on: less food waste), but you could definitely just use water. I tried red quinoa to add a bit more color to the dish. When the veggies were done and the quinoa was ready, I mixed them together with a little sherry vinegar for flavor. I didn't miss cheese, meat, or bread as I feasted on this wholesome meal of nutty quinoa and soft roasted veggies.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, And Yam With Quinoa

Ingredients

1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and sliced in rounds, large rounds halved or quartered
12 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 red onion, ends cut off, halved, and each half quartered
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 thyme sprigs
1 cup red quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Toss yam, brussels sprouts, and onion with salt and pepper to taste and olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Top veggies with thyme sprigs.

Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

While veggies are roasting, rinse and drain quinoa. Then bring quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork.

Transfer quinoa to large serving bowl. Stir 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar into quinoa.

Remove thyme sprigs and gently mix roasted veggies and 2 remaining teaspoons vinegar into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

What foods changes are you trying to make?

Greeked Green Beans

Greeked green beans, miracle green beans, call them what you will. I'm calling them miracle green beans because Jeff loved them, and he has always wrinkled his nose at the idea of eating green beans. He's tried them two other times since I made these, and I can now officially add green beans to the rotation along with asparagus and broccoli. Those of you who have followed along for a while know how picky my fiancé is. We're making some big strides around here!

Like the pork recipe I shared yesterday, this recipe is also adapted from New England Home Cooking. Green beans are parboiled and then braised with onion, garlic, and tomatoes to make a sort of green bean stew. But rest assured, the green beans become tender but not mushy as they soak in plenty of flavor from the tomatoes.

Speaking of tomatoes, Muir Glen recently sent me a basket of their new reserve tomatoes, and I thought I'd put them to use in this recipe. This year's reserve tomatoes, called Harvest Sunset, are red and yellow tomatoes that were grown in Northern California's Yolo County fields and hand-harvested at the peak of ripeness. When I attended the Muir Glen tomato dinner, I tasted these tomatoes straight out of the can, and I loved their sweet, fresh flavor. I knew they'd pair well with my green beans.

Greeked Green Beans (adapted from New England Home Cooking)

Ingredients

12 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can Muir Glen Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Diced Tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water.

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Stir in green beans.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until beans are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Uncover, and if there is a lot of liquid in the pot, raise heat and cook for a few minutes to reduce it.

Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

I loved the contrast between the soft, sweet tomatoes and the fresh, firm green beans brightened with a splash of lemon juice. I only wished I had some crumbled feta to throw on top! (Of course, then Jeff never would have tried them.)

What's your favorite way to cook green beans?

Maple-Glazed Baby Vegetables

I'm sure my love of mini foods has not gone unnoticed around here. So I'm also sure you won't be surprised to learn that when I saw baby vegetables at the Siena Farms stand at the Charles Square Farmers Market, I couldn't keep myself from buying some.

I came home with a bag each of baby purple-topped turnips, rainbow baby beets, and "imperfect" baby brussels sprouts and then worked on finding a recipe that would incorporate all of them.

I turned to New England Home Cooking, remembering that I had seen an interesting turnip recipe in there: Northeast Kingdom Maple-Glazed Braised Turnips. Northeast Kingdom refers to the upper-right quadrant of Vermont, where turnips are grown. The recipe suggests that sweet maple syrup mellows the bite turnips are known for. I decided this recipe could suit all of my baby vegetables.

Because brussels sprouts can be braised too, I figured I'd throw them in toward the end of the turnip cooking time. (Unfortunately a lot of my brussels sprouts were really imperfect, so I didn't end up with a ton of usable ones -- that's why you'll see so few in the finished dish.) And then I decided to roast the baby beets and stir them in with the other baby vegetables just before serving.

I roasted my baby beets separately for several reasons, the first being that I didn't want to risk their turning the turnips pink. The second being that it's much easier to remove the skin from roasted beets. And the last being that, for some reason I'll never understand, many of you don't like beets. Roasting them on the side makes it very easy for those of you who'd rather leave them out of the recipe to do so.

I made a meal out of these baby vegetables by serving them with tri-color Israeli couscous, but they'd make a great side dish for a larger meal as well. They're caramel-y sweet but balanced with a hint of sharpness from the mustard and turnips.

Maple-Glazed Baby Vegetables (adapted from New England Home Cooking)

Ingredients

10 ounces assorted baby beets, scrubbed and tops and bottoms trimmed
1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons maple syrup
10 ounces purple-top baby turnips, peeled and halved
10-12 baby brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Harvest Coarse Ground mustard

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets on piece of foil on sheet pan.

Drizzle sunflower oil over beets, and season with salt and pepper.

Fold foil up around beets, and bake for 25 minutes, or until knife slides easily into beets. Cool and peel. (The easiest way to remove the skin is to push it off the beets with a paper towel.) Halve or quarter any larger beets.

Melt butter in Dutch oven. Stir in broth and maple syrup, and bring to a simmer.

Add turnips, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer, about 10 minutes or until turnips are nearly tender.

Add brussels sprouts, and simmer, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes, until turnips and brussels sprouts are tender.

Using slotted spoon, transfer turnips and brussels sprouts to a bowl, leaving liquid in pot. Raise heat and boil liquid until reduced by half, about 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the mustards.

Transfer turnips, brussels sprouts, and beets to sauce, and stir to coat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

What's the best vegetable dish you've had lately?

Ginger-Maple Baked Delicata Squash

Something about fall and Thanksgiving always makes me think of traditional New England foods (even though New England foods cover all four seasons) -- maybe it's the huge spread at Thanksgiving, complete with roast turkey, squash, turnips, and pumpkin pie. So when a re-jacketed review copy of New England Home Cooking came in the mail a few weeks, it couldn't have been timed better.

I paged through the book, checking out New England favorites, many of which were immediately familiar to me -- like Crispy Fried Ipswich Clams, Thick and Creamy Boston Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans Durgin Park Style, Classic New England Boiled Dinner, Polly's Pancake Parlor Cornmeal Buttermilk Pancakes, Classic Parker House Rolls, and Boston Cream Pie.

In addition to these very New England-sounding recipes, the book covers all sorts of recipes with Portuguese, Greek, Italian, Polish, and other influences. Because people from all over arrived in New England bringing their food traditions with them, you'll also find recipes for Athena Diner Avgolemono, Irish Shepherd's Pie, North End Penne with Chicken and Broccoli, Pierogi with Several Fillings, and Hungarian Egg Dumplings.

Along with the recipes, there are stories and anecdotes, and I spent a lot of time reading through the book learning little tidbits about New England. If I hadn't already been convinced, I knew the book was a keeper when I came upon a note titled, "Connecticut: The Pizza State," which proposed that Connecticut (where I grew up) should be re-nicknamed "The Pizza State" based on the acclaim of Pepe's in New Haven and touting the praises of New Haven pizzerias (which I miss very dearly now that I'm in Boston).

After I got over my nostalgia for New Haven pizza, I picked out a recipe to try from the book: Ginger-Maple Baked Delicata Squash. I've often roasted squash with brown sugar and maple syrup or lots of butter and sage, but I've never added ginger, and I was intrigued.

I halved the recipe except for the butter (there's nothing wrong with extra butter) and was so happy with the warm, sweet, spicy outcome.

Ginger-Maple Baked Delicata Squash (adapted from New England Home Cooking)

Ingredients

1 delicata squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side up in a baking dish.

Divide butter, maple syrup, and ginger between cavities, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/2 inch of hot water in bottom of dish, and cover squash with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and brush squash flesh with melted filling.

Continue to bake, uncovered, until squash is easily pierced with a fork and tops are lightly glazed, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

I simply scooped the squash out of its skin and ate it, but if you wanted to plate the squash for serving at, say, Thanksgiving dinner, you could pour the melted filling into a small bowl, slice the squash, plate it, and pour the filling on top. Your guests will love the sweet-spicy contrast between the maple syrup and fresh ginger.

What are your favorite New England foods?