Awards, part deux

Best Brussels Sprouts (and yes, I've made them a lot): Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries

As promised, Allison makes her online debut with... BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

I even got her to taste some when it was done!  I promised her that I had used enough butter that she wouldn't even notice there were veggies involved.  I was inspired by this recipe, care of Alton Brown:

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
• 3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces coarsely chopped dried cranberries

Directions

Slice the Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disk of a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you may slice thinly with a knife or a mandoline.

Set a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook, stirring continually, until the pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma, approximately 2 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender, approximately 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cranberries, toss and serve.

I was oh-so pleased that I was able to employ my new brussels sprout slicing technique that I learned from cooking guru Rebecca when Alex and I went to a cooking class (highly recommended!).  I used fresh cranberries instead of dried because I wanted to use them up, and it made the whole thing a little fruit-juicier than it otherwise might have been.  I was also too lazy to chop the pecans, which resulted in a little burning, but they didn't taste charred once mixed in with all that buttah and co.  This was so seasonal and lovely!  Shaved brussels sprouts resemble a bowl of, well, grass, but I thought that the butter really helped make it rich and not grassy.  Note: I almost never use butter in cooking, but I'm always happy when I do.

Best Repeat Recipe: Chickpea and Arugula Salad
This, of course, is another Mark Bittman specialty from How to Cook Everything.  I made it a couple months ago when I had a big dinner party at my apartment, and it was just as delicious this time.

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 c. cooked or drained, canned chickpeas
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
4 c. arugula leaves, chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced


Put the olive oil in a deep skillet over med. heat. When hot, add the ginger, garlic, and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the ginger and garlic are soft, 1-2 min. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir in the chickpeas until hot and coated in the oil and seasonings, about 3 min. Remove from heat. With a fork, stir in the vinegar, honey, and 1 Tbsp. water. Mash a few of the chickpeas as you stir to add texture to the dressing. Put the arugula and onion in a large bowl and toss with the warm chickpea dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, warm.

I had never used cumin seeds before, but they are sooo fragrant and have a really unique flavor.  This recipe is such a winner.  Do it.

Best Comfort Food: Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This one is now a classic for me.  I make a huge pot of it and freeze most of it to have throughout the winter. The recipe is from Nava Atlas's The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, which was kind of my bible in college. 

2 medium-large sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons light or extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 can (32 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 or 2 small fresh hot chilies, minced
OR
1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste

1. Bake or microwave the sweet potatoes on high until just firm, about 3 to 4 minutes per potato. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 3/4-inch dice. Set aside.


2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the bell pepper, beans, tomatoes, chilies, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and continue tosimmer until the vegetables are tender -- about 10 to 15 minutes.


3. Season lightly with salt. If time allows, let stand off the heat for 1 or 2 hours, then heat through as needed.


Embellish it: Pass a bowl of chopped fresh cilantro for sprinkling over the top of individual portions.

Make it a Meal: For an easy meal, serve this with purchased cornbread or other hearty whole-grain bread and a bountiful tossed salad.

A couple of notes on this: I accidentally bought only half of the beans that it called for, but I actually thought the proportion was right on.  So, if you wanted to go light in the beans (let's say you have a social situation to attend later?), you would be just fine.  Also, I tried it a couple days later topped with pecan chunks, and it brought it to a whole new level.  WHY have pecans not been on my radar until now???  Nuts, nuts, nuts!

Best Dessert Derived from Laziness: Frozen Banana with Melted Chocolate and Almond Butter

I've been totally into banana soft serve lately, but food processors are maybe the least fun thing to wash EVER.  Not mention my incredible clumsiness.  So I dug into my stash of frozen bananas and went the lazy route.

I kind of wished I had a popsicle stick or something for the bananas because my hands got cold holding them to dip, but OMG this was way too delicious.  I know it's totally weird to just eat plain old frozen bananas, but don't judge.   Try it for the sake of warm AB and dark chocolate, at the very least!
And now, your lightning round is complete!  Will try really hard to get back on a post-a-day schedule (with fewer than 5 recipes...) soon!  
Happy Friday!  I'm spending the weekend in Dallas, so social life should be minimal and posting will be maximal.