Green Beans with Browned Butter & Pine Nuts ♥ Recipe

Today's Thanksgiving recipe idea: Fresh green beans tossed in browned butter and toasted pine nuts. Simple and sumptuous at the same time.

Has anyone else noticed that many Thanksgiving vegetable recipes seem to be for the toothless? The recipes all start with 'creamy' and 'cheesy' and end with 'mash' and 'purée'. Where's the crunch in Thanksgiving? I love these as much as the next Thanksgiving turkey but still, think that every Thanksgiving menu should include a vegetable that retains its farm form.

Now, before anyone gets the idea that these beans are, say, diet food, think butter, think browned butter, think browned butter with golden niblets of pine nuts. Think celebration, think feast. These beans are an ultimate Thanksgiving vegetable.

GREEN BEANS WITH BROWNED BUTTER & PINE NUTS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4 - 8

1 quart water
1 tablespoon table salt
1 pound fresh green beans, tails topped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (yes, more salt)
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the beans, cover and let cook at fast simmer for about 5 - 7 minutes until nearly done. Drain.

Return the hot pot to the stove. Melt the butter on MEDIUM heat. Add the pine nuts and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly until the butter browns and the pine nuts turn mostly golden or brown. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the green beans and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the pepper and additional salt if needed.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Cook the beans, drain and then let rest for 1 minute in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and dry thoroughly. Refrigerate.
BEFORE DINNER Return beans to room temperature. In a large skillet, make the browned butter and proceed.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving (assumes 4): 229Cal; 19g Tot Fat; 7g Sat Fat; 22mg Cholesterol; 246mg Sodium; 12g Carb; 6g Fiber; 6NetCarb; 2g Sugar; 4g Protein; Weight Watchers 5 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
A 2007 publication from Fine Cooking, the side dish issue. If there's another in 2008, I'll definitely pick it up.

KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe suggested roughly chopping the pine nuts and I think this would be a good idea, it might help give them rough edges that would adhere to the beans, so they don't all fall to the bottom of the serving dish.
Pine nuts will turn/burn in a flash so do keep stirring as specified. It's too easy to get distracted and lose them.
Could we get away with less butter and fewer pine nuts? Yes. Next time I'll use 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup pine nuts.
What's with all the salt? Why not add it at once? First, plenty of salt in the cooking water transforms beans! Second, my instinct says that the salt is added in stages so that the flavors get layered, the butter is extra salty, the beans then get another small burst of saltiness that's not absorbed into the butter. These beans are gorgeous, and not the least bit 'too salty'.

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MORE THANKSGIVING GREEN BEAN RECIPE IDEAS
~ Of course! World's Best Green Bean Casserole ~
~ Green Beans with Onion & Almond ~
~ Slooow Country Green Beans ~

~ more green bean recipes ~
~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes 2008 ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2008

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Roasted Parsnip Soup with Balsamic Syrup

I just love parsnips. I had my first ones just a few years ago. Where had they been all my life?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with parsnips, they look like white carrots. But their flavor is stronger, a bit more bitter, and deeper. I wouldn't eat them raw (though Wikipedia says you can), but when they are roasted, they caramelize and have a fabulous, earthy flavor.

In this soup, parsnips are roasted with pears and onions and the result is beautiful in this flavorful and hardy fall soup. The soup alone is great, but the balsamic syrup knocks it out of the ballpark.

Oh, you can use boxed broth, but why? When I cook, I save the liquids in the freezer. I had enough to use in this soup so that I didn't have to go for the box. But let it be know, if the box were all I had, I'd have used it without thinking.

But I was fortunate, and instead of using boxed broth, I had my own stock on hand along with 1/2 cup of liquids that came from some butternut squash I recently cooked. Using that instead of the boxed stuff really added a level of depth to the soup.

I've been eating it for dinner with a big hunk of crusty wheat bread, and it's great! I also think this soup could be a huge hit at any one's Thanksgiving dinner this year.


Roasted Parsnip Soup With Balsamic Syrup
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

Makes 7-8 servings, generous 1 cup each

Ingredients
2 pounds parsnips, peeled and chopped into equal-sized pieces*
2 pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 ¼ cups low-fat milk

Position the rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 450°F.

Toss the parsnips, pears, and onion in the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Put it in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until very soft and starting to brown, about 50 minutes.



While your fruit and vegetables roast, boil the vinegar in a small saucepan (I used an omelet pan) until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup. It takes 10 to 14 minutes. Watch the syrup carefully, especially at the end, so it doesn't burn. When it is done, you can pull a spoon through it and it see the bottom of the pan without the syrup immediately covering it back up. See my picture below. When you reach this point, remove it from the heat.

In small batches, puree the roasted fruit and veggies in a blender with the liquids. You may find that you have more liquid than you need. I added 2 cups liquid to the original recipe because it just wasn't enough! And still, my soup was very thick.

Add it all the saucepan and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Gently reheat the balsamic syrup if it has become thicker than syrup while standing.

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the balsamic syrup (I used a spoon sprayed with PAM so the syrup would drizzle). Garnish with chopped chives, if you like.

* Eating well said to remove the fibrous, woody core of parsnips before using. But I didn't know what they were talking about. There were no woody cores in my parsnips.

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Mashed Butternut Squash & Sweet Potatoes with Citrus ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: Butternut squash and sweet potatoes, roasted then mashed. Brightened with citrus zest.

So you know how some times a butternut squash can be a little bit watery? And a sweet potato a little bit stringy or starchy? Aha -- the trick is to blend them! This is a lovely way to get the best of both vegetables, texture-wise. It's a combination that bears repetition, whether using this specific recipe or not.

That said, I was surprised at how good these were, flavor-wise, too. The zest really brings out the squash and sweet potato flavors.

And truly, isn't the color gorgeous? This would be a splendid choice for Thanksgiving.

Thank you, Constancia! Many thanks to a New York reader for sharing this recipe. She wrote, "This recipe is not original, it comes from Lynn Rosetto Kasper’s The Splendid Table, where she calls it Yom Kippur Squash. It is traditional, at least in Italy, to serve golden food on Yom Kippur to welcome in a rich new year. It has become a standard at Thanksgiving and Christmas in my house. These are very similar meals, since they both involve turkey (my daughter’s favorite) and lots — at least 5 — vegetable dishes. Since I am Jewish but my husband is not, I also love the irony of making a traditional Jewish dish for this holiday. And to top it off, it tastes great. To use up leftovers, we add eggs and bake, sometimes separating the eggs and beating the whites."

MASHED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SWEET POTATOES with CITRUS

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 90 minutes
Makes 3 cups

1 large butternut squash (2 - 3 pounds), washed, sliced in half length-wise, seeds scooped out with a grapefruit spoon
1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed, pricked with a knife

3 tablespoons olive oil (less would work just fine)
1 large onion, chopped (next time I'll use two onions)

4 cups water
Zest of 2 oranges and 2 lemons, about 3 tablespoons (see NOTES)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt & pepper to taste

ROAST the VEGETABLES Set oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the squash on the foil cut-side up, add the sweet potatoes. Roast for 1 hour plus the number of minutes left to preheat. (See NOTES.) Scrape the flesh from the skins.

CARAMELIZE THE ONIONS Meanwhile, heat the oil on MEDIUM til shimmery in a large skillet. Add the onion and stir to coat with fat. Slowly cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden and nearly brown.

BLANCH THE ZEST In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Drop in the zest and let cook for about 3 minutes. Lift out with slotted spoon or strainer. Chop til fine.

ASSEMBLE In a large bowl, mash the cooked squash and sweet potatoes til quite smooth. Mix in the cooked onion, chopped zest, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Complete the recipe, refrigerate.
BEFORE DINNER These were really easy to re-warm in a saucepan. I did need to add just a little bit of water so they wouldn't burn.
LEFTOVERS Leftovers can be reheated, or you can separate eggs (the number depends on how much of the squash you have), mix the yolks into the squash, beat the whites until they form soft peaks, and fold into the squash. Spread in a baking dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and heated through.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half cup: 226Cal; 7g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 55mg Sodium; 41g Carb; 7g Fiber; 34NetCarb; 9g Sugar; 4g Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points

KITCHEN NOTES
IMPORTANT! The citrus flavor develops only after sitting for a couple of days. So not only can this be made ahead of time, I recommend it.
If the sweet potatoes aren't full roasted, pop them into the microwave for a few minutes to finish off.
A microplane will create too fine a zest, so use a paring knife to cute wide swaths or a lemon zester like this one.

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MORE UNUSUAL VEGETABLES PAIRS for THANKSGIVING
~ Mashed Potatoes & Carrots from Kitchen Parade ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes from Kitchen Parade ~
~ Scalloped Swedes & Finns ~

~ more sweet potato recipes ~
~ more butternut squash recipes ~
~ more purées & mashes ~
~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes 2008 ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

FAITHFUL READERS Are you afraid that A Veggie Venture has become butter-cream-n-cheese blog? No doubt, Thanksgiving vegetables are rich. But don't worry, A Veggie Venture will soon return to its usual vegetable recipes, fast, low-calorie and easy to put on the table. After testing all these Thanksgiving recipes? I have to!

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2008

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I'm Back, People!

Dear Readers,

I totally apologize for my absence. I have been so incredibly bogged-down with a class I was taking that I had no time left for the good things in life: cooking, blogging, keeping in touch with my online blogger community.

The good news is that my class ended - and I got an A. God, do I love an A. I simply must have it!

What class did I take, you ask? I took a class in Web design, and learned how to make a Web page using Dreamweaver. I also learned a lot about Photoshop. I'd like to now learn flash.

For the most part, though, I was completely overwhelmed with class and work. I didn't think the workload was going to be as big as it was. So, I'm left glad that I took the class, but glad that it's over!

During my absence, I did get to do a few things, but I was unable to post the good ones, and unwilling to post the experiments that had gone wrong.

For the Days of the Dead I made sugar skulls for my students and they decorated them after school one day. Oh, and I kept one for me.

But since I was running behind, I didn't even think of getting a chance to post about it until now. The holiday was two weeks ago. So I'll save the recipe and such till next year.

Lets see, I also made my first tamales ever. They were based on a recipe for butternut squash and goat cheese tamales. I made it a bit more Mexican. I added sweet potato, poblano peppers, and replaced the goat cheese with queso fresco:


But you know what? I wasn't so pleased with them and I didn't want to post the recipe I used. I do want to make them again, but I think I need to make them more fattening. It was sort of a light recipe and I didn't like the dough. But I will chalk it off to being a great learning experience and I'll make better tamales next time.

Then there was the day that I was going to make a gateau de crepe. I made a stack of crepes (they were good) and a pastry cream:

But I turned my eyes away from the pastry cream to take a picture of something else, and the cream curdled. I tried to save it, but I wasn't happy with it, and had to toss it with the hopes of having more success next time.

Oh, and there was the ganache I made.



It was a pumpkin ganache - actually had pumpkin in it. And some pumpkin-type spices too. I was going to make truffles with it. But it seemed a little too delicate. I think the cream to chocolate ratio was too high in the cream department. It was okay in the fridge, but less okay in the room temperature. So I ate it, little by little with a spoon. But ultimately, I threw most of it away and vowed to try again another time.

A few weeks ago my husband took a business trip to San Francisco. Lucky him! I would totally LOVE to go to San Francisco. But during the school year a trip like that is out of the question.

What did I want from San Franciso? Chocolate, of course. So I chose a chocolatier on line, and sent Joe on a mission. He visited Christopher Elbow chocolates for me, and they were wonderful. I will post about them within a few days or so.

I also had recipe success with a roasted parsnip soup. That was just a few days ago, and I still have a little left over. I will be posting the recipe very soon. I just don't like the pictures I have of it, and it's rainy now, so the light doesn't make for a good picture.

Oh, and I want chives for the picture. So when Joe left for the grocery store about an hour ago, I put chives on my list. Can't wait to get them on top of that soup!

Today, though, I'm dealing with some severe back and neck pain - probably from the stress of finishing my class. I'm taking some very strong meds. I hope my writing doesn't show that I'm really out of it! But as soon as I'm able to chop some vegetables, I'm going to make a moussaka - a lamb moussaka. I just know it's going to be good. I'll post that too, now that my dance card is open.

So hi, everyone! It's so good to be back.

Meryl

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Thanksgiving Succotash ♥ Recipe

Today's Thanksgiving recipe: Succotash [SUHK-uh-tash], a simple mix of corn and lima beans topped with cheesy bread crumbs. Easy to convert to vegetarian and vegan versions.

How is it that corn -- or more specifically, maize -- indigenous to the Americas and one of the staple foods of Native Americans, so rarely makes its way onto Thanksgiving tables? Let's launch a 'Yes, we can!' effort to change that! Corn and lima beans are a magical combination, especially when their texture is contrasted with a little smooth heat from a poblano pepper. I was some surprised: this simple dish adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

What is succotash? I had to check, myself, even though the word itself and the sufferin' succotash of Sylvester the Cat are both embedded in the back of my brain. Succotash is a traditional American food with many regional variations. The two constants are lima beans and corn. Beans, potatoes and tomatoes may be added, some times the vegetables are topped with a crust, like a pot pie. Many succotash recipes bind the lima beans, corn and other vegetables with cream and eggs, making a thick casserole. In contrast to the more-typical rich Thanksgiving side dishes, this casserole uses broth and thus is positively healthful -- and it tastes like it, in a good way.

THANKSGIVING SUCCOTASH

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 50 minutes
Makes about 5 cups

1 tablespoon bacon grease or butter or olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped fine
1 poblano pepper, chopped fine
8 ounces (about 2 cups) frozen corn
8 ounces (about 2 cups) frozen lima beans
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled between fingers to release the oils
1 cup chicken stock
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

TOPPING
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large skillet, heat the fat on MEDIUM until shimmery. Add the onion and pepper as they're prepped, stirring to coat. Gently cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and peppers are soft but not brown. Add the remaining ingredients (except the topping) and bring to a boil. Cover and let cook until the beans and corn are both cooked, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. (If there's liquid left, transfer it too, it helps keep the beans moist.)

Mix topping ingredients, sprinkle over top. Bake for about 30 minutes until heated through and topping turns golden.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Cook the vegetables, cover and refrigerate. Mix the topping.
BEFORE DINNER Return the vegetables to room temperature. Arrange in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle topping onto the vegetables. Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes until heated through and topping turns golden.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per 1/2 Cup: 191Cal; 5g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 11mg Cholesterol; 203mg Sodium; 29g Carb; 5g Fiber; 24NetCarb; 3g Sugar; 9g Protein; Weight Watchers 3 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Country Suppers: Simple, Hearty Fare For Family And Friends by Ruth Cousineau

KITCHEN NOTES
If you like, use a green or red bell pepper instead of a poblano pepper.
For the topping in the photo, I used a 1:1 mix of panko:cheddar. A 2:1 mixture is preferable and is specified in the recipe. The mix is taken from the recipe for One-Skillet Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce.
For a vegetarian dish, use olive oil rather than bacon grease and vegetable broth rather than chicken stock. For a vegan dish, substitute a no-dairy cheese for the cheddar.

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MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPE IDEAS for UNTRADITIONAL VEGETABLES
~ Roasted Fennel ~
~ Seared Radicchio ~
~ Reuben Casserole ~

~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes 2008 ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2008

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Cauliflower Mac n Cheese ♥ Recipe

Today's Thanksgiving recipe idea: Mac 'n' cheese for grown-ups, with pan-roasted cauliflower and a peppery cream sauce. Made low-carb with low-glycemic pasta from Dreamfields.

Last year's Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese persuaded me that mac 'n' cheese has a revered place on the Thanksgiving table. Call it the 'people's choice'.

So just for fun, I tried another vegetable version, this time with pan-roasted cauliflower and not so much a 'cheese' sauce as a 'pepper cream' sauce.

It's great! The pepper really contrasts with the nuttiness of the cauliflower and the toothsome bite of the pasta. It's another winner -- worthy of a place on a festive table.

The recipe is easy enough, but does require a pan or two or three. But the results are -- to my taste -- worth the time and effort.

CAULIFLOWER MAC 'N' CHEESE

Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Time to table: 75 minutes
Makes about 4 cups

PASTA
8 ounces dried pasta, Dreamfields Pasta for carb-watchers and diabetics

Cook the pasta according to instructions, being sure to salt the water well. Drain.

CAULIFLOWER
2 tablespoon unsalted butter (one tablespoon per skilletful of cauliflower)
1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed, core cut out in a large V-shaped cone, head cut into bite-size florets

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on MEDIUM HIGH until sizzly and beginning to brown. Add about some cauliflower, only enough for a single layer, toss well to coat with fat. Turning just once, let cook until browned, about 4 - 5 minutes. Put aside and repeat until all the cauliflower is cooked.

SAUCE
8 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Stir together.

CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 cup panko
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh thyme leaves

Add to cauliflower skillet and cook over MEDIUM until crumbs are quite brown.

ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 400F. In the pasta pot, stir together cooked pasta, cooked cauliflower and sauce. Taste sauce -- make sure it's peppery. If not, keep adding pepper. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over top. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until hot and bubbly clear through.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Cook cauliflower. Make crumb topping.
MORNING OF Cook pasta. Mix sauce. Assemble.
BEFORE DINNER Return to room temperature. Top with crumb topping, bake at 400F for 45 - 60 minutes until hot and bubbly clear through.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Half Cup: 317Cal; 17g Tot Fat; 9g Sat Fat; 52mg Cholesterol; 120mg Sodium; 33g Carb; 6g Fiber; NetCarb26; 4g Sugar; 10g Protein; Weight Watchers 7 points

NUTRITION NOTES
If you use Dreamfields pasta, which uses a patent-pending formula to 'protect carbs' from being digested for a net of only 5 digestible carbs per 2 ounces of pasta, this becomes a 'low carb' dish, even though that's not reflected in the straight-up nutrition data.

To lower the calories, use only 4 ounces of pasta, choosing a 'small' size versus the 'large' penne so it will distribute more easily. You could also use half 'n' rather rather than cream. In addition, I think that fat-free half 'n' half would work here, since thickening properties aren't needed, as would part-skim ricotta. These make huge differences in the nutrition -- whew! I wish I'd made it this way!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Half Cup: 195Cal; 7g Tot Fat; 4g Sat Fat; 17mg Cholesterol; 152mg Sodium; 25g Carb; 4g Fiber; NetCarb21; 5g Sugar; 9g Protein; Weight Watchers 3 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from a 2007 seasonal publication from Fine Cooking, it's been a real inspiration.

KITCHEN NOTES
After cooking the cauliflower in the skillet, I wondered if roasting it might have been quicker and easier.
I used the Dreamfield's pasta I had on hand, penne, but I think that 'ears'/orichiette or something smaller would soak up the sauce a little better.

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MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES for CAULIFLOWER
~ Cauliflower Cream ~
~ Creamy Cauliflower Gratin ~
~ Cauliflower with Pancetta, Capers & Parmesan ~

~ more cauliflower recipes ~
~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes 2008 ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2008

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Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin ♥ Recipe

Today's Thanksgiving recipe idea: A simple gratin of fresh Brussels sprouts, first roasted, then braised in cream, then finished under the broiler.

Oh. My. MY.

What heat and cream don't do for baby cabbages. In fact, this might be my new most-favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts, simple and decadent both at once. The sprouts are elevated to a whole new experience, perfect for special occasions.

And they couldn't be easier to make, so for anyone who has room for the calories, this is a great recipe for everyday, too.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS? Not everyone likes Brussels sprouts. But the reason may not be about 'picky eating' -- but instead about chemicals called glucosinolates. If someone in your family is hesitant, resistant or outright militantly in opposition to Brussels sprouts, know that the trick is to break up the center of the sprouts by cutting them in half and then, to leach out the chemicals, to cook them in a lot of well-salted water.

CREAMY BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Serves 8

2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, stem ends sliced off, outer layer of leaves removed, sprouts halved lengthwise through the core
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted in the microwave in 10-second increments
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream

TOPPING
1/2 cup panko
1/4 ounce fresh Parmesan, grated
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the butter, salt and pepper. Arrange in a shallow baking dish just large enough for a generous single layer. (The sprouts do shrink while roasting so some overlap is good.) Roast for about 35 minutes (stirring well after 15, 25 and 35 minutes) until the sprouts are very nearly cooked through and brown in spots. Pour the cream over top and return to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes (stirring after 5 and 10 minutes) until cream thickens, coats the Brussels sprouts and darkens slightly. Remove from oven, switch oven to the broiler.

Mix topping ingredients and spread evenly over top. Place under broiler for 5 - 10 minutes until topping turns crisp and golden.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Mix the topping ingredients.
MORNING OF Prep the Brussels sprouts, toss with butter, salt and pepper.
BEFORE DINNER Roast and finish.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 207Cal; 14g Tot Fat; 9g Sat Fat; 49mg Cholesterol; 320mg Sodium; 16g Carb; 5g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 6g Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points (technically 4.5 points)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from a 2007 seasonal publication from Fine Cooking. This issue features all side dishes but if there's another this year, based on this one, I would much recommend it.

KITCHEN NOTES
I don't recommend using frozen Brussels sprouts for this recipe.
Choose Brussels sprouts of any size for this recipe. That said, do make sure that all the Brussels sprouts are roughly equivalent in size. In addition, smaller Brussels sprouts will cook somewhat faster. If what you find are large, you might consider quartering rather than halving.
Note: If you or your Thanksgiving guests are watching carbs, skip the topping. It's largely a superfluous finish, though does offer some small texture contrast too.
To reduce the calories, you might try half 'n' half (half cream, half milk) but I don't recommend using fat-free half 'n' half, as it doesn't seem to have thickening properties.
By accident, I learned that these Brussels sprouts are very forgiving. They were already cooked when I popped them into the oven to reheat for a few minutes. Instead, they were in the oven for nearly an hour and emerged looking completely burned and inedible. Instead, the cream had just turned very dark, the Brussels sprouts had turned into soft bites of amazing flavor.

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MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPE IDEAS for BRUSSELS SPROUTS
featured in 2006
~ Brussels Sprouts with Apricot Glaze, a prize-winner ~
featured in 2007
~ Brussels Sprouts with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette ~
more ideas
~ Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Garlic ~

~ more Brussels Sprouts recipes ~
~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes 2008 ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

FAITHFUL READERS Are you afraid that A Veggie Venture has become butter-cream-n-cheese blog? No doubt, Thanksgiving vegetables are rich. But don't worry, A Veggie Venture will soon return to its usual vegetable recipes, fast, low-calorie and easy to put on the table. After testing all these Thanksgiving recipes? I have to!

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2008

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