Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, Shallots, and Parmesan

Holiday season is here! I’m writing this post in the midst of studying for finals, during class, and nearly dozing off with 5 – 6 hours of sleep so I’ve been incredibly inactive. So sorry, folks. But I thought this side dish applies to any big Holiday meal and is essentially the best thing ever because it involves crispy, fatty, greasy pancetta and salty cheese…oh yeah and brussel sprouts (WHICH are also on my list for best things ever).

ALSO FURTHERMORE, I went through with it and got my tattoo! Lincoln Cafe in IA gave me the inspiration to tack on that message. It’s amazingly simple but important; especially for those who are really concerned with the sociology of food and how sourcing really impacts the health of those who surround you and the environment you live in.

…and free fries for life is kind of a plus.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
1/2 lb chunk of good pancetta
15 – 20 brussel sprouts, halved
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 coarsely chopped shallots
2 tbsp lemon juice
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F

Half all brussel sprouts, length-wise, and place them cut-side down on a large baking dish. Cut pancetta into small bite-sized pieces and, over med-high to high heat, saute them until fat is rendered and meat is crispy. Mix pancetta and rendered fat (if desired) with brussel sprouts along with lemon juice, shallots, and garlic. Make sure all brussel sprouts are still face-down. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, until bottoms of brussel sprouts are crispy and caramelized on the bottoms. Toss and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

Asparagus and Oyster Mushroom Gratin with Spinach Chiffonade

I love baked eggs. If you’re vegetarian, eggs and egg whites are like, the perfect source of protein– especially whites, with lower cholesterol, fat, and calories. This is a recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times that incorporates bitter asparagus, creamy eggs, and unami oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms apparently have the same taste as oysters but I can never find it anywhere. I bought King Oyster Mushrooms or King Trumpet Mushrooms that have a huge, fat stalk and a tiny head which can be found in most Asian Markets (maybe Whole Foods).

Asparagus and Oyster Mushroom Gratin with Spinach Chiffonade
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
2 lbs thin asparagus
2 cups sliced Oyster Mushrooms
3 eggs
1/4 cup non-fat or low-fat milk
1/2 cup Gruyère or Swiss Cheese, grated
fresh spinach leaves, rolled, sliced thinly
splash of lemon juice
Olive Oil, S & P, 4 – 6 oz. ramekins

Preheat oven to 500F. On a baking pan, toss asparagus with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Bake for 5 – 7 minutes until ends are slightly wilted but the stem is green. Remove and, when cool, chop into 1/2 inch pieces, reserving the tips. Reduce heat to 375F.

Slice oyster mushrooms and heat olive oil in a pan. Evenly spread out mushrooms and let it cook, without disturbing, for about 5 minutes. Stir and repeat until mushrooms are browned. Remove and set aside.

Place asparagus stems (reserve tips) into a food processor. Add milk and process for about a minute until pureed. Lightly beat eggs and whisk into milk-asparagus puree. Slowly add cheese and a splash of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Brush ramekins with oil and fill 3/4th of the way with mixture. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until tops are browned. Sprinkle with cheese 20 minutes through and allow to set.

Top with sliced spinach leaves and a sprinkling of lemon-infused olive oil.

Vegetarian Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

This will probably be reedited or reposted because I was hoping for something far more juicy but this was still a super delicious vegemetarian stuffed mushroom recipe. I didn’t use mozzarella in mine because I have no mozz! My house is about to be FUMIGATED so I’m not allowed to buy new things– just use up the old stuff.

The one thing about mushrooms I love is that it can have a delicious meaty flavor while still being a non-meat product. Honestly, I’ve hated on mushrooms for almost my whole life (unless it’s on pizza) and found out that the common button mushroom is the culprit. I’ve never really tried using some stranger varieties of mushrooms until I bought and reconstituted a dried wild mushroom mix in a wild mushroom pasta dish: Oyster, Shiitake, Maitake– so rich and earthy! It’s seriously on a different level than those boring common mushrooms.

Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms
15 large crimini mushrooms and maybe 2 extra for stuffing
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/4 c. minced onions
1/4. c. shredded fresh parmesan and mozzarella, more for garnish
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
s/p
(minced fresh parsley)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove the stems from the caps. Chop up the stems, very finely– onions and garlic should be the same size as mushroom stems. Remove some of the gills from the caps just for more room. You’ll want about equal parts onion and mushroom and you’ll probably need an extra whole mushroom or two as they will shrink during cooking. Chop up your vegs and grate the cheese.

In a saute pan, cook the onions over medium to medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil, stirring often until softened. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic and mushroom and cook until the mushrooms have shrunk a bit. Add parsley if you like and cook for 30 seconds to remove bitter flavor. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix in breadcrumbs and cheese, slowly, bit-by-bit. Taste, season with salt and pepper.

Stuff mushrooms and top with some fresh mozzarella. Place mushrooms on a oiled baking sheet. Cook in the middle rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, taking care not to burn the mushroom.

Kale Crostini

Kale is a dark leafy green that’s in the same family as Brussel Sprouts and Cabbage so it has this slightly bitter flavor and is quite hardy. Because of the toughness of kale, this simple recipe calls for you to quickly boil the leaf and saute it with garlic and anchovies. Don’t be afraid to cook it thoroughly– it’s not as delicate as spinach but be sure to use the whole bunch as it does wilt. The anchovies may sound a bit strange but it adds a nice deep, saline flavor that this starter can’t go without. I had leftover extra-aged Gouda cheese so I used that instead of Pecorino-Romano– I think any white, hard cheese can be used in the place of Pecorino or Parmesan.

Anyways, I was totally craving dark leafy greens today and I was under the impression that kale has tons of calcium in it but it doesn’t really. It still has some but whatever.

I made this after driving home from freaking San Diego– which is a 1.5 – 2.5 hour drive– and after eating terrible, terrible things this weekend with my bf. (Of which included, lasagna and alcohol– although we did have light Mediterranean pita… oh wait, the serving size for that is as big as my size 7.5 foot.) Nevertheless, the guilt of having eaten considerable amounts of unhealthy foods in large portion sizes made me want to make something delicious, simple, and somewhat healthy.

Kale Crostini
adapted from Bon Appetit
1 bunch of Kale
2 cloves garlic, roughly minced
2 anchovy fillets in oil, chopped
10 1/3-inch slices baguette
Pecorino Romano Cheese shavings
extra-virgin olive oil
Makes 1 0 – 12
~150cal, 8.6g fat, 1.6g saturated fat, 16g carbs, 1.9g dietary fiber, 3.2g protein

Preheat oven to 400F. Boil water in large pot. Meanwhile, slice your baguette into thin slices. Brush each slice with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place inside the oven. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the tops are golden.

To prepare the kale, slice around the hard stem and discard the center stem. Place kale in boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Thinly slice or roughly mince your garlic and slice the anchovies while the kale is boiling. Drain the kale. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet and saute the garlic and anchovy until aromatic. Add the kale and cook until tender, another 3 – 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the kale among the tops of the baguette slices. Shave Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan Cheese with a vegetable peeler and top each slice with some shavings.