Smoky Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are sometimes called ''the cabbage with a college education." However, despite that lofty title, they are still among the most maligned vegetable on the planet. And, admittedly, they aren't too tasty if they end up soggy and limp.

I didn't grow up eating Brussels sprouts, but I've grown to like them as an adult. And with bacon? How can you go wrong with a little bacon?

This spring, my hometown grocery store has had them in the produce section. Bonus! A 12-ounce package was just the right amount for Randy and me when served with teriyaki salmon and rice pilaf. The recipe can easily be doubled to serve more people.

Smoky Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from Food & Wine magazine

12 oz. package Brussels sprouts
3 strips smoky bacon
3 tbsp. sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. While water is heating, cut off ends of Brussels sprouts and cut each in half. Add the Brussels sprouts to the boiling water. Cook over high heat until tender, but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain well, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid.

Cut bacon into 1/4-inch strips. In a large skillet, cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned, about 7 minutes. Add the cooked Brussels sprouts and cook over moderately high heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sour cream and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer briefly over moderate heat until the Brussels sprouts are coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 2-3 people.

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Today, I'm linked to Weekend Potluck, hosted by these bloggers. Check out the tried-and-true recipes from them and other foodies!

• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa
• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Mommy’s Kitchen~ Tina

Parmesan & Pesto Baked Tomatoes

We've had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year ... no thanks to me. However, our tomatoes are about to call it quits, but Eric's parents sent some Iowa-grown tomatoes home with us after Brooke's big birthday party. So I'm still savoring homegrown tomatoes before I have to give them up for the tasteless grocery store versions this winter.

We've eaten our share of BLTs and I've sliced them up into fresh salads. Just cut and salted, they've provided a taste of summer as a simple side dish. I've made panzanella several times. Cheese Dreams have taken me back to my childhood and my old Betty Crocker for Boys and Girls Cookbook.

But, when I saw the recipe for Parmesan Pesto Baked Tomatoes, I thought this would add more variety to our garden bounty.

It's a super easy recipe, which you can easily adapt for two or 10 (as long as you have enough tomatoes). I used prepared pesto on top of the homegrown tomatoes, then sprinkled with freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese.

I served it with Beef Enchilada Mac & Cheese, but it would be a tasty and colorful accompaniment to many main dishes. Enjoy!

Parmesan Pesto Baked Tomatoes

Adapted from Skinnytaste

4 medium tomatoes, halved
Salt & pepper, to taste
Basil pesto (purchased or homemade)
Freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with about 1 teaspoon pesto and a generous sprinkle of freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese. Roast the tomatoes until the Parmesan cheese is slightly browned and melted, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Fresh Brussels Sprouts Salad

I have never been accused of being trendy. I just don't think it's part of my DNA.

So imagine my surprise when I saw an article about food trends in The Wall Street Journal. Using Brussels sprouts raw in a salad was one of the food trends pictured in a photo accompanying Sarah Nassauer's article, Here Today, Kale Tomorrow: The Arc of a Food Fad.

And, lo and behold, I had Brussels sprouts in the fridge, ready to use raw in a salad recipe I found on Iowa Girl Eats.

Nassauer writes:

Food trends typically advance in predictable stages. New culinary fashions often appear first in a creative chef's kitchen, at an ethnic restaurant or are invented by the eccentric owner of a small food company. ... Foods like acai, kimchi, kale, coconut sugar, sprouted grains and fancy burgers first became popular this way. In the early stage, almost anything can get a day in the sun. Cricket flour is now being pitched by a handful of small companies as cheap protein. ...

OK, let's not get crazy now. There will be no cricket flour in the County Line kitchen. But Brussels sprouts? I can get trendy for those! 

The fresh taste of the Brussels sprouts is enhanced with salty crumbled bacon and almonds. Red apple and dried cranberries add just the right hint of sweetness. And a homemade warm bacon vinaigrette dressing brings it all together.

This time, I served it with teriyaki-glazed salmon and cheese grits. Yummy! The fresh salad was definitely better than the leftovers, so if you can, just make enough for one meal.

Fresh Brussels Sprouts Salad

(with apples, almonds & bacon)

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

4 slices bacon, reserving fat
Olive oil, if needed
1 tbsp. shallots(or substitute sweet onions)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
1/4 cup whole salted almonds, roughly chopped
1 red, tart apple (like Jonathan, McIntosh or Pink Lady)
2-3 tbsp. dried cranberries

Cook bacon until crisp in large skillet over medium heat. Remove to paper towel to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon grease in skillet, adding extra virgin olive oil if there's not enough. To the bacon grease over medium heat, add shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Return skillet to heat and whisk until ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. Again, remove from heat.

Using a grating blade attachment on a food processor, slice trimmed Brussels sprouts very thin. Put in a large bowl. Crumble cooled bacon. Add to Brussels sprouts, along with chopped almonds, apple and dried cranberries. Pour dressing over the salad. Mix and serve immediately.

Did You Hear The One About ...?

Looking for a tasty wrap recipe to serve with your zucchini? Try Sweet Potato & Beef Mash-Up Wraps.

Poor zucchini! It always seems to be the punch line of every garden joke.

Did you hear about The Best Zucchini Recipe? You'll need:

• 1 bushel zucchini
• 1 raincoat
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• A moderately fast car

Directions:  Go to a busy parking lot. Drive around until you find an unlocked car. Put the zucchini in the back seat and drive away fast before you are discovered!

Our zucchini plants are prolifically producing during these hot, dog days of August. Our tomato plants seem to have taken a late summer vacation, much to my disappointment. But I'm back to trying to figure out new ways to use zucchini morning, noon and night.

I saw the recipe for these Zucchini Parmesan Crisps on Facebook. Both Randy & I really liked this tasty sidedish of zucchini jazzed up with Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. And it didn't take long to prepare. Since I used foil on my baking sheets, clean-up was a breeze, too.

If you're looking for a tasty way to use up the zucchini in your garden ... or you didn't run away fast enough when an enthusiastic gardener thrust some extra zucchini into your hands - I'd recommend Zucchini Parmesan Crisps.

And that's no joke.

Q: What kind of vegetable likes to look at animals?

A: A zoo - chini!

Q: What is a zucchini’s favorite game?

A: Squash!

 

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

1 lb. zucchini (about 2 medium sized)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.

Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

In a wide bowl or plate, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, mixing well.

Place rounds in parmesan-panko mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side. Place rounds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumb mixture over the rounds. (I didn't have extra.)

Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes until golden brown. There's no need to flip them during baking. They crisp up on both sides as is. (FYI: This is not a "potato chip-like" crisp. They are just nicely browned.)

Serving size:  1/2 cup. Calories:  About 105. Serves about 4.

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I'm linked today to Wake Up Wednesdays, now sponsored by four food bloggers for even more ideas to that "what's for dinner" question.

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And a reminder:  Are you signed up for the chance to win a $50 gift card from the Kansas Beef Council? You have until midnight tonight. Go to my Sweet Potato and Beef Mash-Up post last week and leave a comment about your favorite meal featuring beef. I'll throw your name in the hat for a chance to win. Good luck!

The Incredible Green Hulk

The zucchini didn't get the memo. I said we aren't gardeners around here. They ignored me.

Leave them a day to get a little bigger, and they become The Incredible Green Hulk. We could make our own B movie: Giant Zucchini Take Over the World (or at least our little garden plot). I wish the tomatoes would vie for starring roles in that film.

Yesterday, I tried a new quick bread recipe. While I had the grater out, I grated the largest three zucchini and portioned it out in 2-cup measures. I put the bags in the freezer and will use them for future baking projects.

If this plentiful harvest continues, I may have to invest in a new food processor. The grater portion of my ancient machine doesn't work anymore, so I used my box grater. On second thought, maybe not. I think that grater and I built up some new arm muscles (or gave me a neck ache).

This recipe combines whole wheat flour and oats with all-purpose flour. It also uses applesauce to replace part of the vegetable oil. Add zucchini, mashed bananas and some dates, and it packs a nutritious punch without sacrificing great taste. Enjoy!

Low-Fat Banana Zucchini Bread (or Muffins)

Recipe from Food.com

1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup dates (or raisins or walnuts or a mixture)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, applesauce and mashed bananas to the eggs; mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and dates.

Pour into 2 lightly greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I made smaller loaves and some muffins. Bake the small loaves 25-30 minutes and the muffins 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Ovens vary a lot: You know yours better than I do!

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I'm linked today to Crazy for Crust's Crazy Sweet Tuesday. Check out the other sweet treats there!

Natural Pairings

Do you have foods that just naturally seem to pair up? When grilled hamburgers are on the menu, my kids think that corn casserole and baked beans also have to make an appearance.

I'm kind of like that with meatloaf. My mom always fixed baked potatoes and baked beans when we had meatloaf. Even today, the meal just doesn't seem complete if one of the components is missing. My husband, on the other hand, would just as soon I skip the baked potatoes when I serve baked beans. He'd rather I pair them with potato chips so he can use the beans as a makeshift dip. That's what he grew up eating.

Isn't it funny how our family of origin dictates choices like what appears on the dinner table ... what detergent to use ... what toothpaste to buy?

Randy & I had similar upbringings, so we have a lot of common ground. Being farmers' kids, wheat harvest was a centerpiece of our June.

We'll see if we get started with wheat harvest around here today. Others in the area are cutting, but our fields were still too wet yesterday. On our way to Pratt last night, Randy wasn't too thrilled to drive past combines cutting swathes in fields while he was left to watch from the sidelines.

Corn Casserole probably won't be on the sidelines around here during harvest season. No matter whether you serve this corn casserole with grilled burgers for a family supper or for a harvest side dish, it's a good one to have in your recipe file. Enjoy!

Baked Corn Casserole

1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 pkg. Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small green pepper, chopped (opt.)
1/2 cup chopped onions, chopped (opt.)

If you are using the green pepper and the onions, saute them in the melted margarine until softened. Add all the other ingredients, mixing well. Pour into greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note: I don't use the onions and green peppers because that's not how my family prefers it.