Work-a-Day Wednesday: Braised Brussels Sprouts

Lately brussels sprouts and I have really been feeling the love. I discovered I actually liked brussels sprouts last year after overcoming a life of lies, deception, and a couple unfortunate run-ins with buffet style brussels sprouts.

I've come even further since then. This summer I gave them a try in my garden--just on one of those gardeny whims. Only one of my plants actually ended up producing and I'll be danged if I didn't have the slightest idea of how these babies looked on a stalk. I'd expected the sprouts part to cluster up in a little bunch at the top, a la broccoli. Instead they grow in the nooks of the leaves and get larger as the season goes on. They take a long time to mature (I actually harvested mine--and they were teeny--in an unseasonably warm December since I hadn't put them in till May). I got a whopping 1/2 C of tiny sprouts, but I was proud anyway, and I'll be darned if they didn't sautee into the sweetest little things.

And then brussels sprouts recipes started popping up all over the internet. And then I learned that they're called brussels sprouts, not brussel sprouts. (Who knew?)

And then I made a bunch of sprout recipes in a row. They were all different and all delicious.

The thing about brussels sprouts is that you can't boil or steam them or they get a bitter taste. Sometimes, if you leave them whole they'll boil or steam within their own little tightly-leafed heads even if you're roasting or sauteeing them, so it's best to chop or thinly slice them.

If you're going to be cooking them in water or stock as I do with this recipe, the cooking must be done quickly and without a lid. I cannot stress enough that you don't want these steaming. Set them to high heat and let them absorb the yummy liquids, but don't let them stew in the liquids. This makes for fast cooking. Which is why they're so nice for Work-a-Day Wednesday. They're done in 5 minutes. 

Just be sure to make them last because they really are best served hot. 

A newcomer to the the brussels sprouts revolution? Have a look at my original post, How Not to Hate Brussels Sprouts. 

Today's recipe is originally from Laura at This Is How We Eat. Laura and I were high school friends (she's also got a butt-kicky voice and the best hair ever) and have now been reunited through facebook and food. Isn't growing up nice? 

Braised Brussels Sprouts

adapted from This Is How We Eat

Prep and cook time: 10 minutes

Cost: $2.75

1 pound brussels sprouts

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 C chicken stock

Chop of the ends of your brussels sprouts and get rid of any sad leaves. Thinly slice the heads of the sprouts (alternately I'm sure you could just chop them, but they're prettier sliced). 

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts and garlic and raise heat to medium high. Stir them very consistently--as in not quite constantly, but don't run off and do something else. Stir them every 30 seconds or so. When the leaves/slices get a bit wilty, soft, and perhaps a wee bit brown at the edges. Now add half your chicken stock. It'll soak up/boil off pretty quickly and that's a good thing. Add the rest of the stock and let it soak up/boil off quickly as well. When the liquid is nearly gone, but not quite, take the brussels sprouts off the heat.

Eat them soon thereafter. If you wish to add a sprinkle of Parmesan, I won't stop you, though they definitely don't need it. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Mint Frosting

Emma's turning two. Do you know what that means? It means, well it means a lot of things, like that she can climb onto the sink and turn the water on and get a "drink" ("shower"). It means she can open the fridge and that she can flush (but not use) the toilet. It means your toothbrush is not safe from her and that the knives and medicines must be kept way way way up high. It means she insists on kissing everyone in the family before going to bed and that even when she's being naughty she'll come to me and say, "Huggies," which really does make so many things right in the world. It means she can dance, and sing, and try to shoplift candy from the store and pitch a pretty good tantrum. It means she can imitate nearly everything her brother and sisters do or say (for better or for worse). And it means she looks wicked sweet in a couple of pigtails. 

But today, today what it means is that for another year or two I don't have to worry about her insisting on getting a 4-layer rainbow cake (not that I would mind if she did) or having pink everything (not that I would mind if she did) and that I can just whip up a simple wacky cake in a simple 9x13 inch pan and add whatever kind of icing sounds good to me today. For an after-bustle-of-Christmas birthday, that's kind of nice. I intend to enjoy it while I can.  

You'll find my wacky cake recipe here. You mix it in the pan. It contains no eggs, milk, or butter, and is therefore extremely cheap while also being allergy/vegan friendly if you're interested in that sort of thing. It is incredibly moist and simple and perfect in every way. Today I decided to take a walk on the wild side by frosting it with a chocolate mint frosting. Emma seemed to think that was a great idea. She was covered in chocolate before lunch and is now onto her 2nd shirt. How many do you think we'll go through before birthday number 2 is over? 

Chocolate Mint Frosting

Makes enough for one 9x13 or two 8 or 9-inch round cakes

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cost: $1.30

(butter: .25, cocoa: .25, milk: .07, sugar: .70., other: .03)

1/2 C (1 stick) butter

1/2 C cocoa

3/8 C (6 Tbsp) milk

4 C powdered sugar

1/2 tsp mint extract

Heat butter, cocoa, and milk. If you want to feel sweet and old-fashioned-y, you can do this in a saucepan. It smells lovely and invokes images of early 20th century grandmothers. If you're onto the 2nd birthday of your 4th child and it's 16 days after Christmas, you can do this in a big microwave safe bowl in the microwave. You need to heat it until your butter is nearly melted and everything is warm. 

Now beat it all together until it looks like chocolate awesomeness. But don't taste it because unless you like things 100% dark, it won't taste good. Now try telling your kids that. Okay, add the powdered sugar and beat it until there are no lumps and it's creamy and beautiful. Now try keeping your kids and their spoons and their clean shirts out of it. 

Add the mint extract. Beat it in and you're done. Frost the cake when it's fairly cool. If it's in a 9x13 inch pan, it needn't be entirely cool, but it can't be hot either. 

Now go change your shirt. I think someone grabbed your arm. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE 

Button Mushrooms Simmered in Juice (aka White Wine Mushrooms Sans the Wine--sure, why not)

Recently, I made Pioneer Woman's Turkey Tetrazzini. And I realized a few important things about myself. 

1. I don't like turkey leftovers that are cooked into a casserole or soup. I like turkey leftovers, oh yes I do. I like them as themselves, with leftover potatoes and stuffing. Or used cold in salads and sandwiches (yummmm....). But for whatever reason other forms of leftover turkey don't work for me. 

2. I love mushrooms and should buy them more often and make more stuff with them and tell them all my secrets and otherwise be best friends. The first part of the (somewhat fussy) tetrazzini recipe involved sauteeing mushrooms in butter and then simmering them in white wine (I used white grape juice). Truly I should have stopped there because I fell in looooove and kept picking mushrooms out throughout the cooking process. 

Why did I use juice instead of wine? Well, I did it because this is a non-drinking family and thus we never have wine on hand. However, I have to say that using juice instead of wine is also an excellent cheapskate thing to do. You still get a sweetly simmered mushroom, but it costs a lot less. 

White Wine Mushrooms Sans the Wine--sure why not

Serves 2-4

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Cost: $1.75

mushrooms: 1.49, butter: .12, white grape juice: .14

1 lb mushrooms, all the dirt scrubbed off and mushrooms cut into quarters

2 Tbsp butter

1/3-1/2 C white grape juice 

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add quartered mushrooms and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add grape juice and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce a bit and boil until the juice is almost gone and you have just a bit of syrupy buttery yum left in the bottom of your pan. 

Serve hot. Try not to burn your mouth or to eat the whole lot. Because that's a lot of 'shrooms. Not that I know from experience or anything. Also, try not to lick off your buttery juicy plate. Although I won't judge you if you do. No, I definitely will not be casting the first stone there. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

And here's a picture of the finished product. My excuse for its ugliness is that we have a new camera and, although eventually this should make my pictures better, there's a bit of a learning curve, especially for someone as technically impaired as I.