So I was just like everyone else, I had only had Brussels sprouts once as a child and it had been really traumatizing. They were boiled to death and bitter and disgusting. Fortunately, Brussels recently became all the rage and some genius realized they were delicious shredded and raw! Here is my interpretation of the raw Brussels sprouts salad. If you want to indulge and make this really amazing, sub out the olive oil for bacon grease!
- 1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts, finely sliced or shredded using the slicer blade on a food processor
- 1 cup parmigiano-reggiano, coarsely grated, plus more to garnish
- 1 cup nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts), toasted
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- .5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 T sherry vinegar
- 1 T Stone ground mustard
- 1 t honey
Toss the Brussels sprouts, cheese, and nuts in a large bowl.
Season with salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
In a small bowl mix oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and honey,
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss brussels with vinaigrette to taste.
Once plated, garnish liberally with parm and black pepper.
Enjoy!
I’m going to risk making this salmon seem completely unappetizing to anyone reading this; the firm salmon with the crunchy panko topping was reminiscent of fish sticks. Allow me to explain, not just fish sticks, but delicious, adult, highly elevated, fish sticks. If you love salmon, you’ve got to try this! Because of the wonderful panko topping, this would also be a great dish to introduce a newcomer to salmon (maybe even children?!). I can’t say enough about lentils and these are packed full of flavor. Equally at place at family dinner or as a weekend indulgence, this is one of my favorite new ways to prepare salmon.
For lentils:
- 2 T plus .25 cups olive oil
- 1 leek, white and light green part, sliced .25-inch thick
- 2 carrots, .5-inch dice
- 1 t garlic, minced
- 1 cup French green Le Puy lentils
- 1 whole onion, peeled and stuck with 6 whole cloves
- 1 white turnip, cut in half
- 1 t unsalted butter
- 4 t dijon mustard
- 2 T red wine vinegar
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 t freshly ground black pepper
For salmon:
- 2/3 cup panko
- 2 T fresh parsley, minced
- 1 t lemon zest, grated
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 T olive oil
- 4-6 oz salmon fillets, skin on
- 2 T dijon mustard
- 2 T vegetable oil
- Lemon, for serving
Start with the lentils.
Heat 2 T olive oil in a medium saute pan.
Add the leek and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, place the lentils, 4 cups water, onion with cloves, and turnip in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the onion and turnip and drain the lentils.
Place them in a medium bowl with the leek and carrots.
Add the butter and stir.
While the lentils are cooking, whisk together the .25 cup olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add to the lentils, stir well, and allow the lentils to cool until just warm
While the lentils are cooling, begin on the salmon.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix panko, parsley, lemon zest, .5 t salt, and .5 t pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board.
Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then season generously with salt and pepper.
Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet.
When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5-7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned.
Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.
At our house, we love bourbon in our cocktails. I especially love a great manhattan. The boulevardier combines the bourbon and vermouth of a classic manhattan, with aperol for something a little different. If you’re a bourbon lover, you’ll want to try this tonight!
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz aperol
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- Lemon twist, for garnish
Combine bourbon, aperol and sweet vermouth in a large mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir until glass is very cold, about 1 minute.
Strain into a coupe, martini, or rocks glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
I love asian flavors and have been wanting to make some indulgent short ribs, so this recipe was a no brainer! It’s a time consuming recipe but you can complete the initial braise, cool the meat and sauce overnight, and then pick up with the first sauce reduction and get it on the table in about 30 minutes. These short ribs have amazing depth of flavor and umami. They are a must try!
- 5 lbs beef short ribs
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- .25 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 5-inch stalk lemongrass, halved and smashed
- 1 T peeled and minced ginger
- .5 cup light brown sugar
- 1 quart water
- .5 cup sliced green onion, white part only
- .75 t crushed red pepper
- .25 cup fresh orange juice
- .25 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- Jasmine rice, for serving
- 2 t finely grated orange rind, for garnish
- Green onions chopped, green part only, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot combine the short ribs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar, water, green onions, crushed red pepper and 2 T orange juice.
Make sure short ribs are submerged in liquid.
Bake, covered, for about 3 hours and meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid..
Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Drain the fat off the cooking liquid and discard.
Place the remaining juices in a saucepan with 1/4 cup hoisin sauce and bring to a boll over medium-high heat.
Reduce the liquid until about 1 1/4 cups remain.
Strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
Stir in remaining 2 T orange juice and lemon juice.
Return the short ribs and the reduced sauce to the pot, coating the ribs well with sauce.
Bake for 10 minutes until glazed.
Remove the short ribs from the sauce and let cool until cool enough to handle.
Shred the meat and discard any bones or fat.
(At this point you may want to further reduce the sauce, I did. Be mindful to taste as reducing so your sauce doesn’t become too salty.)
Toss meat in sauce again and serve over rice with orange zest and green onions to garnish.
When Scott and I first started dating, my idea of romance was making a special meal for him. Of course things don’t always go as planned! I drove all the way from Tuscaloosa to Nashville to make this shrimp dish for us and I was so nervous I spilt all this olive oil all over the cute white shorts I was wearing. Nonetheless it turned out delicious, and memorable, and was the perfect first meal to keep Scott coming back for more! Whether you make this for your family, or a hot date, it will please anyone!
- 1 lb large shrimp. peeled and deveined
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1 t crushed red pepper
- 3 T olive oil, plus 1 to 2 T
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- .25 t dried oregano leaves
- 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 T fresh basil, chopped
Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with salt and red pepper.
Heat the 3 T olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp and sauté for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the shrimp to a large plate and set aside.
Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 t olive oil to the pan if needed and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano.
Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
Return the shrimp and any juices to the pan, toss to coat, and cook for about a minute to meld the flavors.
Stir in the parsley and basil.
Taste and season.
Serve with pasta or polenta.
Nothing says Easter and Spring better than a beautiful roast leg of lamb! This is a simple and impressive roast with a fantastic pan sauce, and will surely make for a memorable holiday for your friends and family. Enjoy!
- 1 leg of lamb, bone in (6-7.5 lbs)
- .25 cup fresh lemon juice
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 T fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 1 T kosher salt
- 2 T coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, chives, and parsley)
- 2 cups onions, diced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup red wine
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice.
Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the meat.
Season the meat generously with the salt and pepper and place the lamb in a roasting pan.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare or 145 to 150 degrees at the lambs thickest point.
Remove lamb from the pan and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Position the roasting pan over your stove burners.
Turn stove to medium.
Add herbs and onions to the pan and stir to combine with pan juices.
Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release the fond.
Reduce over high heat until it reaches sauce consistency.
Slice lamb and drizzle sauce over top to serve.
This is one of our household favorites! It comes together quickly and packs big flavor. These thighs are fast and healthy enough for a weeknight but would also impress guests. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe!
- 1 T plus 1 t fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 t dark brown sugar
- 2 t kosher salt
- 1 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1 t crushed red pepper
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- .25 rice vinegar
In a small bowl, mix 1 T rosemary, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper.
In another bowl, toss the chicken with the vegetable oil.
Toss chicken evenly with the rosemary mixture.
Warm the marmalade, vinegar, and remaining rosemary in a small saucepan over low heat until just warm.
Keep warm over very low heat.
Heat a grill over medium-high or a cast iron skillet and get very hot.
Cook about 5 minutes per side.
Let rest 4-5 minutes.
Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
