Pasta Pr0n – Penne with Prosciutto and Sliced Sprouts

March 7, 2015 / jeffreyw

This was very good and really easy to put together. I saw an off hand comment someone made about having lemon butter pasta with Brussels sprouts the other day and a search turned up a NY Times recipe that looked good. I went with bacon and prosciutto for this one, and an entire head of garlic. A couple of tablespoons of butter went into it at the end along with a splash of good olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.I followed the “pinch of red pepper flakes” option instead of the pretty red chilies in the recipe photo because I didn’t have any. Mrs J got one of the pepper flakes on the tip of her tongue after enjoying half of her plate and quit eating, declaring the bottom half to be too hot. I have to admit, my pepper flakes from the cayennes I dried from last summer’s crop are actually hot, unlike the ones they sell at the Kroger spice aisle.

Baked Lemon Chicken

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015 / jeffreyw

This worked out nicely. I saw this recipe the other day after a search prompted by one of the foodie shows on TV. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the one I saw put together on the show but it looked really good. I made some minor changes but nothing radical.Dredge the chicken in seasoned flour and brown the pieces in oil. Set them aside and wipe the pan out, add more oil and cook some sliced onions down, then add sliced lemons, sliced garlic, chicken broth, and a little lemon juice with a few sprigs of rosemary and let it come to a simmer.Spoon the veggies into a baking pan and lay the chicken over the top, then pour the liquids over everything and place the tray into a preheated 400 degree oven. Baste every 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes in my oven. I turned the chicken over for the last 15 minutes and then back again before I took this shot.We had pearled couscous and Brussels sprouts to go with the chicken. The sprouts were sauteed in bacon fat with balsamic vinegar and more lemon juice. Pretty decent dinner.

Turkey Leg Confit

December 22, 2014 / jeffreyw / 1 Comment

I finally found the time to gather all the parts I needed for my first go around with the confit method of cookery. I’m not sure that’s quite the right term, confit is more a method of preservation than cooking. Generally speaking, a food item is salted down for a day or two, then cooked at a low temperature while covered in fat. Duck fat is all the rage in foodie circles but it can be done with most any any vegetable oil. I’m using the duck fat I bought the other day with a couple of turkey legs that have spent the night marinating in garlic, thyme, and kosher salt.Brush off all the salt you can then cover with fat. This quarter sized hotel pan was just right for this because it didn’t take a lot of fat to fully cover the legs. I made a foil cover and cooked them at around 200 degrees for about 4 hours. I was able to easily poke a skewer right through the legs. They were showing 185 degrees on my digital temperature probe.I managed to get them out without them falling apart, mostly. I gobbled down the pieces that came off, declaring then and there that the project was a success. Yum!I served them up with smashed tiny golden potatoes and Brussels sprouts that were tossed with the handy duck fat and roasted. I am a big fan of duck fat roasted stuff. Where has it been all my life! LOL

Chicken Picatta

April 13, 2014 / jeffreyw / 2 Comments

I think lemon goes really well with chicken, and I’m a real sucker for flour dredged chicken parts served with sauces. This is a recipe that combines all of that. Plus capers! We liked the sprouts and prosciutto dish so well that I did that one again, and rounded out the meal with a box mix rice pilaf.

Roasted Sprouts with Prosciutto and Balsamic Vinegar

April 10, 2014 / jeffreyw

I’ve ordered a couple of times now from a St Louis based food retailer, Ditalia, getting in rolls of pancetta, different cheeses, olive oil and a few other items as they suit my whim of the moment. I just got in a fair sized chunk of prosciutto and wanted to use some right away. I managed to slice a few little wafers with my old raggedy meat slicer but this prosciutto is more than it can handle. It needs to sliced so thin you can read through it. I have a pal that may be able to help me out with the slicing.

Anyway, back to the sprouts – I searched for prosciutto and sprouts and ran across this recipe that called for shallots and pine nuts along with stuff I actually had on hand and decided it was close enough. I used onions and left out the pine nuts, it worked out well.

Potato Salad Pr0n – Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

March 11, 2014 / jeffreyw

We were quite taken with the store-bought baked potato salad we bought the other day at the market. I was determined to make some and today seemed like a good day. Alas! I could only turn up a handful of small yellow potatoes. I did have a little bag of Brussels sprouts so I thought “why not”? I quartered the potatoes and halved the sprouts and set them to roasting on a tray at 400 in the oven, drizzling a little olive oil over them first. When they had a little brown on them I dumped the lot into a big bowl, adding sour cream and mayo, about a cup each. Also add chopped crisp bacon, I used six slices, and a fair measure of cheese. I have about one and a half cups of mixed cheddar and jack cheese. Chopped green onions are in the classic recipe but I had none, and judged the sprouts sufficient. I did rethink and add a bit of chopped parsley for a garnish. The crisp outer leaves of the sprouts go great in this, don’t try to pick them off!Some roasted chicken thighs set the salad off perfectly, I brushed them with bbq sauce at the end, and glopped a little more on them for the table. Yes, we keep napkins at the table. LOL

Emeril’s Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta and Caramelize Onions

November 21, 2013November 24, 2013 / TaMara / 3 Comments

Photo courtesy of Good Morning America/ABCNews

With Thanksgiving coming up, I wanted to highlight some different sides besides the traditional. This one really fit the bill.

From Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse’s phrase, “kick it up a notch” became famous for a reason—the New Orleans-raised chef raises flavors to the next level. This year, take your Thanksgiving to Emeril’s star status with his recipe for Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Pancetta.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, diced

3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Robin Roberts and Emeril Lagasse

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the pancetta and cook until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and set aside. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper to the pan and cook, stirring until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes.

In a large 14-inch sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat and when hot, add the Brussels sprouts and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook until the sprouts are golden brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the onions and pancetta to the Brussels sprouts, toss well, and return to the oven for 5 minutes longer.

Serve immediately.

Servings:4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Cook Time: 1-30 min

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