Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad (Coles de Bruselas)

Posted on October 5, 2014 by melsmosaic

I was flipping through a recent copy of Shape magazine that my friend brought over because she saw a bunch of recipes that she figured I’d like. They did have several and this is the first one I’ve tried. A lot of oil and butter for Shape magazine and since I’m lactose intolerant I nixed the butter and I feel like a lot of the oil isn’t needed. I also left out the feta. The dish was very nice and provided great leftovers! I enjoyed it both hot and cold. You just can’t go wrong with Brussels sprouts.

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad (Coles de Bruselas)

(note, I can’t find it on the site, but It was in the September or October version of the magazine (I’m thinking September))

Serves 6

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15-25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter (didn’t use it — I’m lactose intolerant)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (didn’t use nearly that much — no need for it!)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved though stem
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp sherry vinegar (or whatever you have handy — I used tarragon vinegar — I wasn’t buying a new bottle for that small amount)
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4-6 shallots)
1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem and chopped
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup canned chick peas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 orange, zested and flesh cut into segments
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz Feta, crumbled (optional)

Directions

1-First, I didn’t feel like chopping like chopping the shallots the night I made this, so I broke out the mini-prep! Have some fun with kitchen toys!!!

2-In large saute pan over low heat, melt butter into oil (I used a bit of oil and also sprayed the pan). Place Brussels sprouts in the pan, cut side down (that didn’t last too long). Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until sprouts are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer sprouts to a large bowl and season with 1/2 tsp of the salt.

3-In a medium bowl, mix remaining salt, vinegar, shallots, mustard, thyme, honey, and olive oil. Pour into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add beans and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4-Add orange zest and segments, red onion and pepper to the sprouts. Pour the hot vinaigrette-bean mixture on top of the sprouts and mix well to combine. Top with feta, if desired.

This was very good and I would definitely recommend making it!

Oh My Clydesdale!

Posted on October 5, 2014 by melsmosaic

As I’m traveling across the country, there was a stop in St. Louis. That meant a visit to the Anheuser-Busch brewery was due.

But, the only thing I truly wanted to see was the horses. I have done much work for A-B and I told them I never needed money (I say that as though I was the one truly getting the pay, I know my employer wouldn’t be thrilled with this thought), all I wanted was to do was come see the Clydesdales and play with the Dalmatians and Labs. What more could one ask???

So, we arrived at the brewery and did indeed enjoy a cold brew first. I’m not a huge fan of macrobrews (and will say I’m disappointed in how InBev/A-B, and some other names are trying to take over the beer industry), so I did not have a Budweiser. I opted for Shock Top, the good ol’ original one. They had the seasonal (pumpkin) one on tap (which I’ve had in the past and it’s pretty good), as well as the apple brew. They also had the good non-Bud brews available, including Bass, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Kirin, Stella, Beck’s, Goose Island, which they now own.

We were able to get a horse-tour only pass to go check out the great Bud icons.

Off we went to get a history of the horses and what they do. There was one outside and the rest were in there rough digs inside. They have quite the life.

We were also told about the farm where many more of the horses live, Warm Springs Ranch, and stopped by it the next day. Acres and acres of land where several hundreds of these majestic guys live. It was closed when were arrived (and tough to get a tour, anyway) but I was able to snap a couple pics.

So, I got most of what I wanted to see. Now I just want to see the dogs, both the Dalmatians and Labs, and my A-B goal will be complete!

Beer Class — Autumn Equinox: Fall’s Beer Harvest

Posted on October 2, 2014 by melsmosaic

I get the great emails from Total Wine and when reading one recently they another drink in it — BEER! They were offering some great beer classes and one caught my attention — Autumn Equinox: Fall’s Beer Harvest. How can you go wrong? I think of this time of year with all the great pumpkin brews (apparently they started coming out super early because somebody with the first name Sam located in New England decided to hit the shelves much earlier than normal).

We had many great sips that night. We started with Marzen from Germany (on the right) — October(fest) beer, then worked our way to pumpkin brews. My favorite German beer was the 2nd one (from the right). I can’t remember the name but the picture gives the label.

My next favorite was the Lost Rhino Brewing Company’s RhinO’fest Marzen. It’s an Amber Lager. Great flavors.

When we moved on to the one with the frog on it and the Shipyard, they truly tasted like liquid pumpkin pie. Overly sweet. Crazy!

It was a very fun night a fun, trying sips of so many different beers.

Chaat (Black Chick Pea Salad)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by melsmosaic

I was going to an event recently and there was a food theme to it. I had to do some research and a friend gave me a great recipe for a Pakistan Black Chick Pea Salad, known there as Chaat (which also refers to many snacks). Check out the Wikipedia info on it. I’d had a bite of this salad from my friends’ fridge the weekend before and it was delicious so I had to get the recipe. It was awesome to get this and translate it because it came from his mom so he was getting the true, true specs while speaking to her in Urdu and bringing it to me while applying some of the thoughts they have in the Middle East that they still use while cooking here to preserve the food. I have brought it down to simple stuff (only took a couple things out).

Ingredients:

Two cups dry black chick peas/garbanzo beans

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes

1 lemon

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, cut into small pieces

1/4 packet “Chat Masala” from an Indian Store

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 medium thin skinned potato with the skin removed after baking or microwaving

Go to a local Indian Store to get (two cups of dry) black chick peas. Rinse several times and then soak in a bowl of water overnight. In the morning, boil until they are the desired consistency and chewiness (about 1.5 hours in boiling water is needed after an overnight soak). If there is a time element, use regular Garbanzo beans/chick peas from a can in place of the black chick peas.

Directions:

While the boiling is taking place…

Bake potato (I nuked it for a couple minutes) and chop into small pieces.

Combine salt, pepper, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and chat masala in a medium sized bowl.

Get out a second bowl and add the chick peas (once done), tomato, avocado, lemon juice, chopped cilantro. Mix together (hands work well to do this). Add the potato.

Mix the second mixture with the first mixture and adjust salt, pepper, red pepper, to taste and add lemon juice.

This salad was awesome! It can be enjoyed warm or cold, I prefer the latter. So fresh and so many flavors. Would be great for tailgaiting!!!

Strawberry Hullin’

Posted on September 29, 2014 by melsmosaic

Kitchen gadgets can be so much fun! I went to a business lunch and there were door prizes. I never win anything. Most of the giveaways were gift cards, anyway, and as nice as essential cash is (they were Visa cards), I knew I wouldn’t win. Well, suddenly I heard my name. But, I didn’t get a GC. The stars aligned and I won the kitchen gift bag. The rep giving this one away had been to Sur La Table and had a field day. WOW! I was in luck. So, I got all sorts of new toys that I would totally never go buy for myself but loved getting.

The one I’ve played with the most is the Berry Pincher (that’s the formal name I give it). The manufacturer, Chef’n, calls it the StemGem. You can remove the leaves from strawberries and clean all sort of other things.

You just plunge the sharp teeth of this thing right in the top of the berry.

You give it a little twist.

And yank it out. The motion makes the picture a bit fuzzy! Sorry. The website has better pics.

The other great toys I got in my bag were:

A Kuhn Rikon Pepper Mill with Ratchet Handle — so cool with the handle!

A Joseph Joseph Rocker Garlic Masher — SMASH! Great fun, you can also use it to get rid of the odor in your hands.

And the last toy, by the same producer as the strawberry toy, I got the Zipstrip Herb Stripper. I haven’t actually gotten around to using this yet. I needed it the other day and of course was cooking in somebody else’s kitchen when I was looking for it!!

So if you want so new additions to your kitchen, consider checking these out.

Wine Crack(ers)

Posted on September 28, 2014 by melsmosaic

You can drink wine alone — there is zero problem with that. You can find a wine that pairs perfectly with your meal. You can find a meal to pair very nicely with your wine. Or, you can find snacks to nibble on while sipping your wine. While at the wine store, namely Total Wine, working a wine tasting and they give you these little nibbles to include at your table. Innocent little off-white globes, about the size of a thumb nail. These are Wine CRACKers. OMG. So, so, so good. I don’t know what is in these things but they are addictive!!!

Per the website, they are “O.T.C. Original Wine crackers are delicate, dry, yet slightly sweet with a hint of lemon and a touch of vanilla. O.T.C. Wine Crackers cleanse the palate and enhance the subtle flavor of fine wines. But you don’t have to be a wine lover to enjoy OTC wine crackers. While many people first experience them with wine, most end up eating them as a delicious snack or treat.”

They are totally right — have them on hand — they are like candy, oh, I mean snacks. So good! I’ve seen them at Total Wine and Wegman’s. Googling them brings up many other options, as well.

It’s Punkin Time!

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melsmosaic

Oh, yes, it’s (almost) fall, football is here, which means another round of seasonal brew is due. That means Dog Fish Head has Punkin Ale!

Great stuff (along with many other pumpkin brews). Went to the tapping of it last week at the Dog Fish Head restaurant in Falls Church.

It was so fresh on tap that they hadn’t even posted it on the (chalk) board.

Ordered one and started to enjoy. I finally got around to looking up this morning why they call it Punkin. It’s based around the local Punkin Chunkin on Discovery Channel. Hilarious show! Well, the beer was perfect, its normal pumpkin and spice taste, as one would expect. And, the bartender wasn’t totally sure the ABV, but I had look it up, and it’s on that previous link, 7%. Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Cheers!

Two New (Tasted) Brews

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melsmosaic

Checked out Mussel Bar in Bethesda the other day (hadn’t been since literally the day they opened) for some good beer on tap. They have quite the selection! Almost too many good ones to pick from.

Opted to first try the Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red

Per the menu: “Our “Velvet M-80” is a hefty, dry hopped double-red ale with a nose full of aroma, a sticky mouthfeel, a malty middle and unctuous hop flavors. G’Knight sports a surprisingly sensuous finish for a beer of its size (8.7% ABV, 60 IBUs)…”

Very nice and smooth, not too hoppy. Great for a summer night outside. Did not taste like 8.7%…

After awhile decided to sip on another and went for Dogfish Head’s Sixty-One.

From the menu: “The name Sixty-One is a reminder that this beer is Dogfish Head’s best-selling 60 Minute IPA plus one new ingredient: syrah grape must from California. The label, painted by Sam, is a twist on a typical watercolor…”(6.5% ABV, 60 IBU)

Could definitely taste the grape in there. A bit sweet, but not overbearing. However, definitely couldn’t drink more than one of these.

Great to try these new (to me) brews. And it was a perfect night out so got to enjoy them outside. Has anybody had them or had others they can share feedback on?

Multiple Continents of Tastings

Posted on August 26, 2014 by melsmosaic

I figure since you can’t easily travel the world (time, money, etc), why not just grab a bottle of wine to check it out. So, the past few weeks I’ve explored most of the world. Between the Georgian wine I posted about recently (have some new bottles to be opened soon…) I have also checked out the following great vinos…

1) Chateau St. Jean, Pinot Noir, CA — (though this is Sonoma, think of Napa and support the locals by buying a bottle of Napa wine. They’ve had aftershocks after the big quake on Sunday.) Amazing, amazing CA Pinot — cherry and some leather. Was enjoyed with salmon.

2) Phebus, Malbec (Reserve), Mendoza, Argentina. Very nice. Berries, some chocolate. Can find it for about $10.

3) Klein Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa. Light, pineapple, peach and grass notes. Great for enjoying on a sunny afternoon or with fish or salad. And, screwtop for easy access. About $12.

4) Pfeffingen Weilberg Riesling, Germany. (Note: that site doesn’t stay in English the whole time) Nice and dry! Some stone fruit, various other amazing mineral flavors. Paired it with a pea and garlic gazpacho with grilled chicken. Perfect! It’s been in my wine rack for awhile so not sure the cost, but online I’m finding about $30.

From Quinoa to Cookie

Posted on August 25, 2014 by melsmosaic

I make birthday cookies for my friends and for a recent one I emailed her with an idea because of dietary concerns. I know she’s big into quinoa and I looked for (cookie) recipes with quinoa in them. She was kind enough to send me a link to the cookie (recipe) she would like for her birthday goodies. They where basically simple chocolate chip cookies, but with a coconut kick.

As I investigated the recipe, it of course called for quinoa flour. I went to Whole Foods and they had it (I was just talking to them about it, didn’t actually see it but could only fathom the price — just googled it $10-$13). But then I thought, there has to be a way to make this stuff. Of course! This makes it much more fun, and beyond less expensive. You pay $3-$4 for the quinoa and you’re set.

So, found a great recipe for it on Homemadeadventure. You just take 2 cups of quinoa and put it in a skillet over medium heat.

Toast it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The quinoa will start to make a light popping sound, kind of like popcorn, when the toasting starts. You want this sound for about a minute or two. Then it gets nice and brown.

Let it cool then put it in a food processor.

Blend until fine. I did mine for probably about 8-10 minutes.

Then baking started!

The recipe was from Ambitious Kitchen and named The BEST Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa flour (homemade or store bought)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (Trader Joe’s has great stuff)
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl whisk together quinoa flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. (I always tend to just put this on top of the wet mixture later).

In bowl of an electric mixer beat together melted coconut oil and brown sugar until smooth. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat again for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Add in flour; and mix on low speed until just combined. Slowly add in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 2″ balls and place on cookie sheet leaving 2″ apart. Love the Silpat mat! It didn’t say whether you would spray the cookie sheet or not so glad I have it. Bake 8-11 minutes or until edges just being to turn a golden brown. If you noticed that your cookies are baking flat, then you may want to chill your dough for 10-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes on baking sheet. The cookies will need to set and will be very fragile at first so you have to be a little patient for the edges to harden a bit before removing them. Once the edges and bottom harden a bit, transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes 18-20 cookies. I got about 2 dozen out of this recipe!