brussels sprouts

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Craving the Green

November 16, 2012 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 6 comments

The past week has left me feeling slightly better. I don’t know where this cold came from, but it really wants to hang out with me. The good news is that my appetite has slowly returned, and I have gone from wanting to eat nothing but bread, soup, and tortilla chips to having major cravings for all things green. I’ve munched on kale chips, roasted dozens of Brussels sprouts, and added fists full of cilantro to the last bowls of hot and sour soup. Tonight we’ll be dining at Van Shabu, and I am already planning on multiple orders of seaweed salad.

Bring on the green!

This week I also thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to The Regal Beagle in Brookline. We joined Lin and Jon Saturday night for a truly delicious dinner, where I was, unsurprisingly, all about the green (and cocktails, of course).

kale salad

The Regal Beagle stole my heart with a simple, crispy kale salad special. I wanted this dish times ten. I usually don’t order a veggie starter and entrée, but I couldn’t resist. I was a vegetarian for about 10 years in the days when vegetarian food at restaurants often meant an iceberg salad with some carrots and cucumbers and maybe a pasta primavera, so I continue to be impressed with restaurants that offer creative food for veggies.

acorn squash, lentils, greens, cider cream

Though the photo is horrific, this dish of grilled acorn squash, warm mixed grains, dried fruit, greens, and cider cream was absolutely amazing. There was so much flavor, from the soft and sweet squash, to the crunchy hazelnuts that topped the whole thing off.  And cider cream should just be on everything, I am convinced. This dish epitomizes fall/winter comfort with lots of healthy elements. It just felt good.

broccoli and Brussels sprouts

Also enjoyed this week was a broccoli pesto inspired by my review copy of Carla Hall’s Cooking with Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You. I plan on doing a complete review soon, but I love the writing style in the book, the fun stories, and most of all, the homey, tasty-looking recipes. The vibrant green pesto was a fun twist on a classic and something that can be made all winter.

Broccoli Pesto

And while my palate is definitely craving green still, I think it’s my heart and soul that might be craving it the most, which is handy, since we are off to 40 shades of green tomorrow. It’s been a year since our last visit to Ireland, and it’s time to go home. The excitement on my husband’s face this week just says it all. We get to see my in-laws, my husband’s sister and brother, and our nephew who was just a couple of months old the last time we saw him. I can’t wait.

The Burren

I have some guest posts coming up, and I will be checking in from time-to-time, especially before Thanksgiving with a recipe roundup.

What do you have planned for the holiday week? What have you been craving?

Tags: brussels sprouts, Food, green food, greens, Ireland, kale, squash

Almond Meal Pizza Crust

April 25, 2012 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 8 comments

I’ll be honest. It has been quite awhile since I cooked anything new or exciting. First I was away in New Jersey and then I was eating loads of pasta and other carbs plus lots of kale smoothies, prepping for the Boston Marathon. Once the marathon was over, I had almost no appetite, and when I did, I was starving and eating pretzels, chips, pudding, and other snacks or takeout.

After a week of that, I not only started to get bored with my eating, but I also realized that without the training, I need to adjust the way I eat. I am also going to be in and out of a new office for awhile, so eating real meals and planning is going to be key.

On Monday night, I decided to get back in the kitchen with a new ingredient I picked up at Trader Joe’s, Just Almond Meal. My original plan was to add it to yogurt for an extra boost of protein, and I did that for breakfast. After spending some time googling, I also decided to make a pizza crust.

almond meal

Pizza crust made with almond meal is gluten free and has a nice amount of protein. Making the crust is easy, just 2 cups of almond meal, 3 eggs, a few drops of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. I added some garlic powder for seasoning, mixed it all up, and then formed it into a pizza on an oiled pizza pan.

almond meal

To dry the dough out, I baked it for about 6 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The recommended temperature is 350, but I was roasting perfect Brussels sprouts at the time too.

While the dough got nice and dry for the toppings, I chopped leeks and melted them down in some nice brown butter. I also made a quick pizza sauce with canned plum tomatoes with basil, salt, and a pinch of sugar.

leeks

When the dough was dry, I topped it with the sauce, goat cheese, and leeks. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, until it was brown at the edges and the cheese was melted.
gluten free pizza

I served the pizza with roasted Brussels sprouts that had been drizzled with honey. I was trying to recreate the Russell House Tavern sprouts. Mine were good, but not that good.

Brussels sprouts

The pizza? It was delicious. It definitely had a hefty crust that filled me up quickly, but I really enjoyed how buttery it was and how easy it was to make. The toppings were perfect. You can’t go wrong with leeks and goat cheese! I didn’t tell my husband about the crust until he finished and was raving about the pizza. We were both pleasantly surprised at how good this nutrient-rich option was. I’ll definitely be using almond meal to make crust and other baked goods in the future. But don’t worry, I am not going all Paleo on you, just mixing things up a bit.

Have you tried any new-to-you ingredients or cooking methods lately?

Tags: brussels sprouts, dinner, Food, leeks, pizza, vegetables, Vegetarian

Two Seasons Salad

March 27, 2012 in Food by traveleatlove | 9 comments

Like Mother Nature, our lunch this week is caught between two seasons. I was inspired to whip up a healthy lunch salad for the week by some fresh asparagus I picked up at Target, and I decided to mix it with one of my favorite wintry veggies, Brussels sprouts.

I started with a bag of whole wheat Israeli couscous from Bob’s Red Mill. I may be a whole grains loving nerd, but I can browse the Bob’s section at Market Basket for a really long time. I am so intrigued by how many different options there are. Melissa mentioned in a comment that Bob’s products are cheap at Ocean State Job Lot; I need to empty out the trunk of the car and head over there!

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While I was boiling up some water to cook my couscous, I chopped my fresh asparagus and started thawing my Brussels sprouts.

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I also got the oven heated to 425 in order to roast a small head of garlic. I went to a class at Whole Foods River Street last week with Chef Chad Sarno, and he showed us how to roast garlic in vegetable stock. I didn’t have any on hand, so I just filled this little ramekin about 1/4 of the way with water, chopped the top of the garlic off, and popped it in. It worked out really well and didn’t require oil.

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Chef Sarno also showed us how to caramelize onions using a really hot pan, then deglazing it with liquid. I have tried this twice in the past week, and I have made the best caramelized onions I have ever made. Again, you avoid using unnecessary oil here but still get a great result. I am all for oil and other fats, but it’s nice to be able to cut back when you can.

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While all of that was going on, I was stealing bites of asparagus. I can’t get enough!

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When the couscous was cooked, I stirred the asparagus in, letting the heat of the couscous do its thing. I tossed the Brussels sprouts in with the onions and let them cook.

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And then it was time to make the “sauce” for the salad. This might be a really weird idea, but it was delicious. I pureed the Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions with some salt, pepper, olive oil, truffle oil, and nutritional yeast, then tossed the couscous in it until coated.

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This was definitely an interesting dish, and one I would make again. Pureeing the sprouts gave the salad a ton of flavor and nutrition without making it seem overwhelmingly filled with vegetables. It was a good way to use them up!

And it was very nice to have lunch all set for both of us for the next three days!

In other news, you may remember a call for recipes I posted awhile back. Well, the book is now available online:

You can find out more about Where Hash Rules and buy a copy by clicking on the link below.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/144495 or visiting the Amazon page:

Here’s a little bit of information about the book.

Where Hash Rules is the story of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, a cultural landmark in Boston since 1927, with tales and photographs about the many interesting characters who have enjoyed turkey hash and eggs through the years. Named an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation in 2005, the diner has evolved to be as much a part of local folklore as the tea party.

Have a great day, everyone!

Tags: asparagus, brussels sprouts, couscous, Food, healthy, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian, whole wheat

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