Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

April 16th 2011

It would not be inaccurate to say that I must have made this almost a year ago. I think I was going through a phase where I was so driven to try out so many new recipes that on average I must have tried at least 2 new ones per weekend. Obviously work was less intense then I guess or I was younger :P

Anyway, when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it because more than anything I had never eaten Brussels sprouts and the sauce was too tempting to not try. I was enticed by how the flavors would blend together and taste.

Time: 20 min

Difficulty Level : Easy

Ingredients:

For the Brussels Sprouts

• 1 1/2 pound brussels sprouts
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Cranberry Pistachio Pesto (see below)

For the Pesto

• 1/2 cup toasted pistachios
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 cloves roasted garlic
• a bunch of parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cut off ends of brussels sprouts, pull any loose outer leaves and cut them in half lengthwise, tossing with olive oil.
3. On a baking sheet or tray, spread the sprouts evenly and roast for about 25 minutes, until you being to see a bit of browning. The interior should be tender when tested with a fork. [If you put any loose leaves they will brown earlier leading to a burnt smell, so be careful to keep checking.]
4. Place ingredients for Pesto bar the olive oil in a blender and blend till ground semi-smooth. Drizzle in some olive oil in between to help grind and when done, stir in the remaining olive oil, seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. The pesto will be slightly sweet and salty and more or less divine!
5. Season the sprouts with salt and pepper and spoon the Cranberry Pistachio Pesto on top and dig right in.

Source: I came across this recipe originally at Steamy Kitchen here.

Confessions:

 OK, I'll go ahead and say it here because I know the Mr does not read this blog very much..I am not a big fan of brussels sprouts, at least the first time I tasted it. However I argue with him that one should eat everything and never say no and don't want to be caught not following my own rule :D. I truly truly loved the Cranberry Pistachio Pesto and it had a lovely sweet and salty flavor that would go well with any salad or even with an Alfredo or plain pasta. So there - few more ideas :)

Tortellini Pesto Pasta

March 6th 2011

Sometimes you are in no mood to cook anything big but still you don't want leftovers. It is at times like these having ready made pasta makes it a cinch to get fresh hot food on the table. And dishes such as these are suitable for the whole family - adults, kids and maybe even pets alike :)

Time: Prep Time (20 min), Making time (5 min)

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

• Basil Pesto sauce like here ( as needed)
• 12 oz (1 bag) of any Tortellini pasta with any filling ( I used TJ's pasta with mixed cheese filling)
• olive oil ( couple of tbsps)

Method de Preparation:

1. Cook pasta as per instructions. Be careful not to allow to overcook as the filling will spill out and it might get mashed. Add a bit of salt to the water while cooking.
2. While the pasta is getting ready, make your basil pesto sauce.
3. Don't allow pasta to drain for too long. Heat olive oil, and once medium heat is attained, toss the pasta in and add a few spoons of the basil pesto sauce.
4. Once everything is mixed well, turn off heat and serve immediately.

Tips:

1. Don't allow pasta to stay for too long after draining, it will become dry.
2. If you consciously want to reduce how much oil you are using, then it is fine to limit the amount of olive oil in the basil pesto sauce and in the pasta mix, however a little bit of generosity here will benefit the taste if not the waistline :D

Zucchini Fritters

March 5th 2011

You know how sometimes you see something and you want to try it out.  You might not get to it immediately but it will keep at you till you do. Well, this was one of those, don't ask me why, but it was. And I made this close to 7-8 months ago finally getting to posting it :)

These taste very good. Very light and crisp despite being fried in oil. A good way to use zucchini.  And you could reduce the oil and fry them out as Aloo Tikkis too. 

Time: Preparation time (15 min), Cooking time (15 min)

Difficulty level : Easy - Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 Zucchinis
• 1 tbsp minced garlic or grated garlic
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cheese ( any kind)
• 1 to 2 whole eggs
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper ( to taste)
• Olive or any other oil

Method de Preparation

1. Wash and cut ends of the zucchini. Shred without peeling using a cheese grater. Squeeze the water out with your hand or using a muslin cloth until you have gotten out most or all of the liquid.
2. Place shredded zucchini in a bowl. Add the garlic, breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, eggs, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Add or reduce ingredients to get into a paste like consistency. You can always add a bit of rice flour if needed to hold everything together.
3. Take a shallow pan and heat olive oil or any other oil to a medium temp. When the oil is hot enough (test by throwing a bit in), drop a scoop of zucchini batter into the skillet and flatten it out a bit. When it browns some (~ 2-3 min), turn the cakes over (they should be a nice golden brown) and cook until done.
4. These go well with our Indian Maggi Hot and Sweet and also with any cold cucumber dip. Some Chai on the side would be nice too :)

Source: I originally saw this at PW cooks here. 

Tip: The Kosher salt is powerful stuff. Use is sparingly or you might end up with a batch of cakes a tad bit salty like I did :)