Saturday, January 22, 2011

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts!


There are some veggies out there that just simply get a bad reputation and it seems it never changes. Most of the people I have discussed brussels sprouts with do not like them. Some are very open minded vegetarians when it comes to food. I personally love a good brussels sprout. I fear these individuals have horrible memories of steamed bland brussels sprouts from a freezer bag, perhaps drowned in processed cheese, that have no flavor and are no fun whatsoever. When prepared with imagination, these healthy little tidbits are fabulous. I found this recipe in January's edition of Vegetarian Times and it is really quite tasty. I used frozen veg instead of fresh simply for price and convenience, and it worked out quite well. I also had some hamburger I needed to use, so I made hamburger patties with onion, garlic and feta cheese. Turned out to be a pretty great supper for one since my favorite vegetarian was visiting his parents. (He is one of those open minded vegetarians who doesn't really care for brussels sprouts. I figured what better time? )

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries
adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp olive oil
1lb bag frozen brussels sprouts thawed and halved
2 shallots chopped (sweet or yellow onions would work, aprox 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic slivered
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries ( I accidentally bought cherries, worked out pretty well.)
1 Tbs Honey

In a dry skillet toast the walnuts over med high heat, about 3-4 minutes. You don't want them too brown, only lightly toasted to give them some great flavor. Set these aside til later. Take the shallots and garlic and saute them in the olive oil over med heat til they are beginning to soften and become translucent. Add in the brussels sprouts and cranberries and saute until tender, add a bit of water (aprox 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to keep them from sticking. When they are soft and most of the liquid is gone, let this cook until the onions and garlic and brussels sprouts begin to caramelize, (you will see browning on the edges, use a lower heat if needed to prevent burning) which gives it a sweeter flavor. I like my veg a little more firm than some, so cook til you are satisfied. Remove from heat. Add in the honey and walnuts, toss together and serve.

During this past week, Chris has been to visit his parents and things were very lonely around here. I have really enjoyed having him back home. I truly have a blessed life, in so many ways, but it is not complete when we are apart. I am thankful for my friend and husband that God has given me. He is the peanut butter and I am the jelly in this world we live in. Both of those apart are good, but put them together and it is fabulous!

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Thank you Lord, for your undying love, and the love you have given to me.

Many Blessings and Much Love!
Stace

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Year, New You?

It's that time again. New Year resolutions have been made, and now we have to try and follow through. The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity to try and make things "new", make a change, become a better person. Funny how the change of date can motivate so many. There are few ideas about where New Year resolutions originated, some from Roman and Babylonian cultures. The new year has not always begun on January 1st, so these traditions have changed over the years as cultures and ideas changed. We start out with good intentions and by the second or third month many of us have become less motivated to keep our resolutions.

I usually don't make a New Year Resolution, just try to make the best things as they come. Today I was looking at a cookbook a friend had given me and realized that I have a huge collection of recipes and I have gotten into a rut and cook most of the same things over and over. I resolved to cook at least one new recipe each week to take advantage of all these recipes. Why have them if I am not going to use them, right? So, for my friends who have asked to know what I am cooking, here you go. Tonight's meal was not new, but not something we have everyday. I used a black bean recipe from a Vegetarian Times cookbook (Thanks Patty!) and tweaked things to my liking.

Black Bean Burritos:

In a tiny bit of olive oil saute' 1 large onion diced, 2-4 cloves of garlic slivered. When this is nice and tender add in: 1 can black beans drained and rinsed, about 1/2 t. cumin, 1 t. cilantro, 1/2 t. turmeric and salt and pepper to taste. (adjust these to your taste, I don't really measure, just toss it in.) You could also add in some chilies if you wanted some heat. Cook til tender, add in a bit of stock or water if needed to keep from sticking.

Use whatever tortillas float your boat, we had large flour tortillas, I layered the bean mixture with some 2% cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce and fat free Greek yogurt (good alternative to sour cream) and sliced avocado that had been sprinkled with lemon to prevent browning. Roll all this up and Voila'! Quick, easy, pretty healthy supper. Good protein and plenty of veg. You can adjust the portions of things to suit your needs, I am using weight watchers so I use the point system. Very filling and not too pricey. You can also add in whatever yummy veggies you prefer. That is the beauty of this kind of supper. Use what you have! We finished ours up with a sweet delicious orange for dessert.

As for me, all those resolutions that are tempting to make, I am giving to God this year. He is really the only one who can make me a better person. You see, I know the REAL me. The one not many people get to see because of social etiquette and pride. He knows the real me too, and even though I can be a really nasty person inside sometimes, He loves me still the same and makes all things new. Thank you Lord.

And he that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new".Revelation 21:5

Many Blessings and Much Love,
Stace