I love it when the other members of my family get excited about food. Though they don’t as a rule share my enthusiasm for all things edible, they do get pretty excited when I start talking beignets.
I first heard of beignets in junior high. A friend was cleaning out her pantry and gave me an old box of mix from Cafe du Monde because she knew I liked to cook. That mix was so old that the hard, flat results it yielded were extremely unimpressive and I didn’t think of beignets again until about 10 years ago. Another friend was telling me about the fabulous New Orleans style doughnuts that a local restaurant made. Well this friend forced me to try one and I must say, they were pretty good Read more…
I love brussels sprouts, yes I know- this may make me seem strange to you, if you haven’t had them cooked correctly, but I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
They are fabulous roasted and you can find my recipe for that here. If you’re in a hurry or want something different you will find this easy recipe delicious too.
First though lets discuss – their name. In my family they were always referred to as “brussel sprouts” and I always thought that was their name. However, since becoming a food writer I’ve noticed some spellcheck frustration when I type that word. I did a little research and discovered that (logically) these tasty little plants became popular during ancient Rome and were cultivated near what is now Belgium. I’m sure it is not coincidence that both the capital of this nation and these miniature cabbages bear the same name.
Though they are related to cabbage brussels sprouts grow quite differently. The plant
They are very interesting plants
does resemble cabbage on the base with the large, ruffly leaves, like a giant blossom. Beneath these leaves however a large stalk shoots up. Ultimately this stalk will be 2-4 feet long and rows of buds develop into sprouts along the length of the stalk. When I first drove by a large field of these growing in central California I could not imagine what the strange plants could possibly be- then I looked closer and realized what a cool plant brussels sprouts make!
Rinse sprouts, trim any brown or dry spots from the stem and chop into slices about ¼” thick.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick sautée pan over medium high heat.
Add the chopped sprouts to the pan and sautée until they start to brown a little. Season to taste. Add green onions and sesame oil and toss to coat then enjoy
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Since our community garden and the local farmers market are bursting with fresh vibrant greens I wanted to remind you of an old favorite recipe and share a new one.
In case you’ve forgotten I am originally from Ayden, NC, home of the Collard Festival, Collard eating contests, Collard parade, and yes- even Collard royalty as I once dreamed of some day becoming the “Collard Queen”. I have to be honest though- I was not a fan of collards! My family prepared them in the standard Southern style that involved a great deal of pork fat and resulted in what I though was a slimy green puddle. Yuck! Now that I’m old enough to prepare my own greens I’ve learned that like so many of our vegetables here in the South… collards were overcooked!
Yes, it is winter. Yes, the landscape is relatively barren as some trees have lost their leaves and (I am pleased to say) a few of the weeds the wreck havoc during the summer are more dormant for these cooler months. However, one of the totally awesome things about living in Florida is that we still have a garden that is thriving!
Kale is all the rage and packed with nutrition. You can find more details about its nutritional value in my post here. Though I prefer it sauteed many health enthusiasts are zealous about drinking raw, kale smoothies. There are two main ways you can make these in your home kitchen. You can juice the kale with a juicer- though these often filter some of the fiber out. Or, Instead, as I prefer, you can use a powerful blender to beat all of the ingredients into a nutritious pulp, without filtering. Then you enjoy all of the health benefits of more fiber and a higher volume of “juice”. Adding fresh ginger root to the mix gives some of the healing benefits of ginger and a wonderful flavor
We recently had the “Biggest Loser” Run/Walk come to Panama City Beach to launch their national campaign. Because of my contributions to Julie Hadden’s book I was interviewed about healthy recipes. You can read the article here.Read more…
I was recently asked to provide a Christmas morning recipe for a friend that writes for a local newspaper. I shared my overnight oatmeal recipe and pulled out one of my favorite breakfast casserole ideas- Stuffed French Toast. For Christmas I enjoy making this dish with the festive flavor of eggnog. This easy recipe has been a popular request for many years and is even served by a small restaurant chain that I do consulting for. I hope you enjoy it and have a very Merry Christmas!
I’ll admit it, I LOVE to play with my food! Thus the profession:). I enjoyed the Christmas Tree Garnish so much that further expanded my Christmas morning oatmeal garnish ideas to include Santa’s hat. Obviously THIS is how oatmeal is serve in the Claus household. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! Read more…
The morning of December 25th starts early in most households- especially those with children! With the flurry of activities and excitement you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but you’ll still need Breakfast. Overnight Oatmeal is such a favorite for my kids that we may end up having it for our family- there will only be the 4 of us this year. I thought I would make their favorite bowl of oatmeal a little more festive in honor of the Christmas season and have been garnishing a little more elaborately. The song is “Deck the bowls with boughs of holly”- right? With these quick tricks you can deck your bowls too!
I love it when the other members of my family get excited about food. Though they don’t as a rule share my enthusiasm for all things edible, they do get pretty excited when I start talking beignets.
I first heard of beignets in junior high. A friend was cleaning out her pantry and gave me an old box of mix from Cafe du Monde because she knew I liked to cook. That mix was so old that the hard, flat results it yielded were extremely unimpressive and I didn’t think of beignets again until about 10 years ago. Another friend was telling me about the fabulous New Orleans style doughnuts that a local restaurant made. Well this friend forced me to try one and I must say, they were pretty good Read more…
