Cole Crops
Cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage are just three of the group of foods known as "cole crops." Some others are Brussels sprouts, kale, and kohlrabi. This whole group, and others, are part of the plant family "Brassica." Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain nutrients with anticancer properties. Boiling reduces the level of anticancer compounds, but steaming, microwaving, and stir frying do not result in significant loss.
Broccoli Pancotto
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place bread cubes on baking sheet. Bake until bread is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium heat. Add chilies and garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broccoli, 1 cup water, salt, and toasted bread cubes. Toss to coat. Cook uncovered until bread absorbs water and broccoli is crisp-tender, tossing often, about 20 minutes. Drizzle pan drippings over, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
Chicken, Bacon and Brussels Sprout Baked Penne
Serves 8 |
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shredded brussels sprouts to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water, pressing out as much water as possible.
Add more water to fill the pot back up for the pasta and return to a boil. Cook the penne to al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, toss everything together and cook 1 minute until chicken is warmed. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells toasty and is just beginning to turn golden. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, stir in 2 cups of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Parmesan. Once cheese is melted, remove from heat. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. In a large bowl (or the pasta pot), combine pasta, Brussels sprouts, chicken mixture, bacon and cheese sauce. Toss everything to combine and transfer to a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Bake 10 minutes uncovered, until cheese is bubbly and penne is heated through. Note: If you refrigerate the penne prior to baking, bake for 20 minutes covered with foil, then 10 minutes uncovered. From Flying on Jess Fuel |
Coleslaw
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Shred:
Dressing:
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Combine dressing ingredients and add to cabbage mixture. Serve cold.
This can be a lot of dressing for 2 pounds of cabbage. So, adjust the amount according to how much dressing you like on your coleslaw. |
Kohlrabi Fritters
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Cut off the leaves and stalks of the kohlrabi, and then peel the vegetable. Once peeled, cut out any particularly tough areas, such as the root, and then grate the remaining flesh.
Squeeze the grated kohlrabi in kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture. Peel and grate the carrots, and mix the two grated vegetables in a large bowl. Add the chopped spring onions and chives, along with the eggs, flour, and plenty of seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium high and begin to add the fritter mixture. Use about two heaped tablespoons of the mixture per fritter, and gently press it down so that the fritters don't end up too thick in the middle. Cook for around 3 minutes, until the underside is golden brown and crispy, and then carefully turn each fritter over with a flat spatula. Repeat with the other side. When the fritters are ready, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. If you want to, you can keep them warm in the oven while you cook the next few batches. You will probably need to add a touch more oil to the pan in between batches, to ensure that the fritters become golden brown rather than charring. Serve warm. From Amuse Your Bouce |
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar (if used,) salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately. |
Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage
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Chop/slice the sausage, cabbage, tomatoes and onion.
In a large non-stick skillet, pre-cook the sliced sausage about 3 minutes to render some of the fat out. Remove sausage from skillet and drain on paper towels if needed. Set aside. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add cabbage and onion and cook and stir on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Add remaining ingredients, and the sausage. Cover the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover, and finish cooking until cabbage is desired tenderness and most of liquid has been reduced. |
Warm Brussels Sprout Salad
Serves 2 |
Trim off bottoms of Brussels sprouts and keep the leaves that are edible. Transfer leaves to a large bowl. Thinly slice the cleaned Brussels sprouts and transfer to the bowl with the released leaves. Discard trimmed bottoms.
Roughly chop walnuts then transfer to a medium bowl. Add green onions, honey, vinegar, and olive oil and set aside. Spread bacon in a medium cast iron or non stick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until completely crisp and fat has rendered, about 4 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, Transfer bacon to a small bowl. Pour two tablespoons bacon fat into bowl with walnut mixture and whisk to combine. Season walnut mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Return skillet with remaining bacon fat to high heat and heat until lightly smoking. Add Brussels sprouts and dried cranberries, spread into an even layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook without moving for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking, shaking and stirring until Brussels sprouts are bright green and just starting to turn tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl. Add bacon and dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Adapted from: Serious Eats |