Category Archives: winter

Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup

I stood in front of a fridge packed full like a kid’s closet.  A couple of times I opened the door and a bottle of sparkling cider, wine or a boursin would fall out and hit me in the shin.  I cursed this fridge, full of leftovers from Thanksgiving.  Pies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, casserole, vegetables, strudels, and a hundred different types of cheese.  I couldn’t find anything, I couldn’t put anything new in there and damnit, I was sick of the same leftovers and I wasn’t going to eat it anymore!

So I decided to make a dish out of my leftovers that didn’t taste like giving thanks.  As someone who doesn’t eat turkey, google searches for leftovers were a wash, so I had to get creative.

I decided on soup.  And o.m.g. I’m glad I did.  It was delicious…thankfully.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup

No recipe, but here’s what I did.  I heated some frozen celery leaves I had saved from a stalk a few weeks ago with “no-chicken” broth in a pot and added some Sunny Paris seasoning from Penzey’s and let that heat up.  Tossed in some rustic truffled mashed potatoes (chunky, with skins) and some cheesy corn casserole.  Added black pepper, crushed red pepper and salt.  And boom! Soup!

We had this soup as a side last night with a vegetarian Reuben and it was amazing.  What a hearty, winter meal!

Brussels Sprouts

A lot of people in the city of Richmond, VA are obsessed with pizza.  I am definitely one of those people and I have a batch of gluten-free pizza dough rising in the other room right now.  However, there is another cult following in this town and it’s all brussels sprouts, baby!  The most common obsession is the sprouts at Avalon on Main Street in the Fan District, and for good reason.  They are delicious.  This is the first place I had eaten them since I was a kid and I became instantly obsessed.  There’s something about the way they crisp up when you roast them that I just can’t resist.  It feels so homey and savory even though I don’t ever remember eating them at home as a kid.  (My dad hates brussels sprouts, so I guess I got lucky?)

Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.  They are known to be super for antioxidant support!  Brussels sprouts are also a source of indole-3-carbinole, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.  They are also high in fiber and may lower cholesterol and one cup of brussels sprouts boasts 161% of your daily recommended Vitamin C intake and 274% of your recommended Vitamin K.  They are great for your body’s detox system, antioxidant system and anti-inflammatory system.  Bonus Jonas, if I say so myself!

Raw Brussels Sprouts, in season in autumn and winter

To prepare Brussels sprouts, remove the hard stems and any yellow or discolored leaves.  The wash thoroughly.  Some people cook their sprouts whole.  In fact, most people probably do, but I’m not one of them.  Also a lot of people steam them, but I’m not one of them either.  The only preparation method I do not recommend is boiling because, while easy, it reduces a lot of the health benefits you get from eating them.  And let’s be honest, how many things are good just boiled?  Meh.  I like to cut my sprouts in halves or quarters and roast them.

Kristel’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Ingredients

~20 Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered depending on size

2 T EVOO

1 T Aged balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano to garnish

Directions

Toss Brussels sprouts with EVOO, balsamic, salt and pepper.  Spread out in a roasting dish and cover with foil.  Roast in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover, continue to roast until crisp and browned, about 15-20 minutes.  If the sprouts are already tender but not crisping on the outside, I may broil them instead so as not to overcook them.

Garnish by shaving some Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and adding any salt or pepper, if necessary.  Enjoy!

Beet and Chevre Salad

Beets.  Beets.  Beets.  They remind me of Los Angeles, but only because people either love them or hate them, just like the city where I was born.  I love them both, the city and the vegetable.

Beet and Chevre Salad

I had some baby beets (pre-prepared from Trader Joe’s) and some goat cheese covered in an outer layer of cranberry relish (Hi! Yum!) and I knew they would be perfect together.  I threw them over some baby mixed greens with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

In retrospect, I should have added some toasted almonds or walnuts, but I was really hungry and just wanted to eat something.  It was absolutely delicious but it also reminded me that as good as the baby beets are from TJ’s, I like mine better.  I wish they didn’t take so damn long to prepare!  However, if you want to prepare your own beets but think it’s too difficult, just pick some up from your local farmer’s market and follow these simple instructions…

 

Continue reading →