Tag Archives: Brussels Sprouts

For the love of crostini

Who doesn’t love a good spread of crostini?  From the classic bruschetta to the more unexpected, I thought I would share some of my latest creations in the kitchen.

Starting with a canvas of toasted bread brushed with olive oil, these simple party bites can be created from a variety of ingredients you may have on hand anyway.  If you have a baguette on and need to entertain in a pinch, you can surely throw together a some crostino!

Basic Bruschetta
Rub bread with garlic clove.
Top with chopped tomatoes,
sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil,
and of course basil!

 


Steak with Blue Cheese Butter
Warm steak (great for leftovers)
topped with a little blue cheese
butter combo.

 

Truffled Brussels Sprouts
Thinly sliced brussels sprouts
quickly sauteed with crushed garlic,
dash of salt, and a generous grind of pepper.
Drizzle with truffle oil and top with shaved parmesan.

 


Roasted Grapes & Feta
Toss grapes with olive oil, salt, pepper,
and fresh thyme.  Roast for 40 minutes
at 400 degrees.  Press feta onto bread and
top with hot sliced grapes. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

 

I hope these ideas inspire you!
For my subscribers…I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted and I’ve decided to do more postings like this with ideas rather than specific recipes.  What can I say?  I’m more of an idea person in the kitchen than one who likes to strictly follow a recipe, so that format will work out better for  me.

Brussels Sprouts Perfection

I love brussels sprouts.  Why this great little vegetable has gotten such a bad rap is beyond me.  Of course, as a fan I often want to try new recipes using the sprout…but I always come back to this easy preparation.

This is more of a technique, than a recipe.

Perfect Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  • Brussels Sprouts (cleaned, towel dried, and sliced in half)
  • Good Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Before Roasting

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Brush foil with olive oil and lightly cover with salt and pepper.  Place sprouts cut side down onto sheet.  Brush top of sprouts with more oil and lightly sprinkle with more salt and pepper.

Roast these for about 15 minutes.  The edges of the top leaves will be starting to brown.
These were particular large and beautiful brussels sprouts and took a little longer than normal– 18 minutes on the dot.

After Roasting

Here’s a shot of the finished product.  I turned one over to show the comparison. The cut side will be perfectly caramelized.

Keep in mind that these will brown up a bit more while sitting in the pan, so if you aren’t plating them all right away, you may want to transfer to another dish.

These are great topped with some finely grated parmesan for an extra treat!