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March 31, 2015

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Gratin

One more appearance for brussels sprouts here before I start transitioning over to spring vegetables. We had light snow and temps in the 20s over the weekend so keeping with winter vegetables for now seems completely appropriate. Cold weather calls for warm and cozy comfort food and this brussels sprouts and bacon gratin fits the bill. Usually I prefer my vegetables on the lighter side, but every so often I crave something rich and cheesy such as this gratin. It’s adapted from the cover recipe of the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook and while I am sure the original version is heavenly, I decided to lighten it up a bit by substituting whole milk for a portion of the heavy cream and slightly reduced the amount of gruyere. After all, I wanted this dish to be mainly about the brussel sprouts and even though I love gruyere, too much can be overpowering. I also used bacon instead of prosciutto, although I think the prosciutto would also be splendid. This naturally makes a good side dish, but it can also be a main course when tossed with pasta and served along with a lighter salad. This gratin can be made and assembled ahead of time and baked right before serving so it’s perfect fare for special occasion meals when there’s lots going on and it’s best to work ahead. If you are looking for a last minute vegetable for Easter brunch this weekend, consider making this one!

Brussels Sprout and Bacon Gratin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces nitrate-free bacon, diced
1¼ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
⅓ cup white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, about 1½ cups
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
Add the brussels sprouts to the same pan with the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until brussels sprouts start to brown and turn golden, about 7-8 minutes. Add the shallots and stir for another 2 minutes, until shallots begin to soften. Add the wine and cook for another couple minutes until reduced by half. Add the broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced by half and brussels sprouts are tender, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, transfer brussels sprouts to prepared dish. Sprinkle half of the gruyere on top. Boil the remaining cooking liquid until it's reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Lower heat to medium, add the cream and milk, and continue to cook to reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Pour cream mixture over brussels sprouts and gruyere. Sprinkle with crisped bacon and then top with remaining gruyere. Bake until bubbly and top starts to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

adapted from the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook

January 15, 2015

Oven-Baked Beet Chips

It seems that I am always on the hunt for ways to incorporate more vegetables into my kids lunches for school. It’s a challenge since neither of them are fond of raw vegetables (carrots being the only exception) and they only enjoy cooked vegetables when warmed. I dream of the day when I can pack mason jar salads in their lunches, but for now veggie chips are the name of the game. After years of being afraid of mandolines, I finally put on my brave face and bought one. And just like that, I’m now in love with my mandoline. I previously had visions of slicing off fingers, but I’ve realized it’s really quite safe as long as the guard is used. It makes slicing vegetables thin such a breeze and I love the consistency that comes when using the mandoline. Making these oven-baked beet chips have been one of my favorite ways to use my new tool. My heart is so happy when the beets are sliced into disks of vibrant color that then shrink and turn into crisp little chips. These are such an irresistible snack when a big bowl is left on the counter for all who walk by.

I used Karen Mordechai’s method of making root vegetable chips found in her gorgeous book Sunday Suppers. The beets first need to “sweat” after lightly salting; paper towels can be used to absorb the excess liquid. Afterwards the beets are baked for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a 250 degree oven until crispy and crunchy. I’ve now made a few batches of these and my most recent batch was the most loved of all. I’ve learned that it’s easy to over salt the chips and really only a light sprinkling is all that’s necessary for the beets to release liquid. Also, how long in the oven depends on how thick the beet slices are. The thicker the slice, the longer it will take, and the more crunchy and cracker-like the chip will become. I sliced my latest batch quite thin and the results were light and crispy chips. I added a light seasoning of onion and garlic powder right before the beets went into the oven, but again only a pinch adds a lot of flavor. Lastly, keep the various colors of beets on separate baking sheets if you do not want the colors to bleed into each other. (I did not mind overlapping colors.) Hard to believe, but no oil at all is needed for these chips. Simple, beautiful, and delicious.

Oven-Baked Beet Chips

Ingredients

3 medium sized beets (I used 1 red, 1 golden, and 1 chioggia)
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skins off the beets. Trim ends off of each side.
Preheat oven to 250.
Thinly slice each beet using a mandoline or carefully by hand. Spread beets in a single layer on paper towels and lightly sprinkle with salt. Allow beets for rest about 30 minutes. As the beets begin to release liquid, use paper towels to absorb the liquid.
In a small bowl, mix together the onion and garlic powder. Lightly season the beets. (I used an old seasoning jar.)
Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange beets in a single layer.
Bake for 1-1½ hours, until chips are crispy. Rotate pans after 40 minutes for even baking. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

October 26, 2014

Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips

I know it’s going to be hard for some people to imagine ever becoming excited about brussels sprouts. Believe me, there was a time when I would have also turned my head on them. The day I discovered these crispy brussels sprout chips, however, everything changed and all of the sudden brussels sprouts became exciting to me. And because I am so excited about these brussesl sprouts, I must tell you about them. Whenever I used to roast brussels sprouts, the favorite part was always the extra leaves that fell off of the main core. These little leaves would become crisp and crunchy during the roasting, similarly to how kale becomes crispy when making kale chips. It took me several batches of roasted brussel sprouts, but it finally occurred to me that I could just separate all of the brussel sprout leaves and make an entire batch of brussel sprout chips. My ideas do not always work out, but this one was a winner. We adore these. A few tips if you decide to give these a try:

When peeling off the leaves, it may become necessary to cut more stem off of the brussels sprout to loosen the leaves.
Using your hands to toss the leaves in olive oil helps to ensure that each leaf is evenly coated with oil.
Salt is essential for flavor, but a little goes a long way.
Do not overcrowd the pan or the brussel sprouts will not become crunchy. If you double the recipe, use two separate baking sheets.
Some leaves will turn crispy sooner than others. In order to avoid burnt brussels sprout chips, remove the leaves from heat once they become crisp and brown while allowing the rest to continue roasting.

So happy that brussels sprouts are now in the rotation of family dinner vegetables!

Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350.
Cut the ends off brussels sprouts and peel off leaves of each sprout. As you reach towards the center of the sprout, you may need to cut more stem in order to peel off the leaves.
Place leaves on a large rimmed baking sheet and use hands to toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper until leaves are evenly coated.
Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until brussels sprout leaves are cripsy and the edges begin to brown. To avoid burnt brussels spout chips, remove the leaves once they become crisp and brown while allowing the rest to continue roasting.