Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Candied Walnuts and Almond Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes

May 17th marked chef Jamie Oliver's Annual Food Revolution Day but I took liberties 

and designated last weekend as my personal Food Revolution Day/Weekend. 

Lucky for me, I was hosting a friend's bridal shower so all the cooking and baking didn't go to waste. 

Food Revolution Day is about healthy eating, food education, and raising awareness around obesity. Jamie Oliver is doing amazing, important work; If I've learned anything from drooling over his cookbooks, following him on Instagram, and watching his cooking shows it's that healthy food is simple food. It's attainable and it's delicious. 

Here are two of my Revolution dishes, both vegetarian, and great when feeding a crowd.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Candied Walnuts

     from Noshon.It

Ingredients

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved

1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

½ cup candied walnuts, recipe to follow

olive oil

2+ tbsp butter 

salt & pepper

lemon juice

honey

Candied Walnuts

½ cup walnuts

1-2 tbsp butter 

1 spring fresh rosemary, diced

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

Directions

If you want to brave it and make your own, more savory-less sugary candied walnuts here is how...

In a sauté pan over a low heat, melt butter and then the walnuts. Stirring occasionally. 

Once the walnuts begin to darken, add in the rosemary. Cook for 30 seconds before turning off the heat and adding the honey and salt. Stir until combined. Let cool.

To prepare the Brussels sprouts...

In a large sauté pan (or 2), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Roast the Brussels sprouts for about 7-10 minutes until they begin to brown.

Then add in the butter and the apple, stir together, and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for a few minutes before adding in the walnuts and lemon juice. Cook until they are tender. Before serving, drizzle a little extra honey over the top. Serve these up hot!

Mmm mmm mmmm!

Almond Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
     from Family Fresh Cooking
     serves 8+

Ingredients

7 heirloom tomatoes, ¼ inch round slices

1 cup almond meal/flour

pinch of garlic powder

1-2 tsp of Tuscan herb salt, or your choice of dried herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary)

Black pepper

Paprika

Olive oil spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F and center rack.

Whisk together the almond meal, garlic powder, herb salt, pepper, and paprika. Dip both sides of the tomato slices in the almond mixture. 

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil, place the tomatoes in a single layer, and lightly drizzle olive oil over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are browned and crispy. Feel free to flip them half way through the baking if yours are looking light in color. Arrange tomato slices on a platter, garnish with fresh basil, and serve hot.

These made a great leftover lunch the next day. Reheat and serve with a glass of something tangy, like blood orange Italian soda.

There you go! Two tasty side dishes to add to your repertoire!

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

The flavors in this soup are amazing! 

The squash and apple are sweet and the curry and onions give a nice spicy balance.

I made this soup for a lunch my mom hosted for her coworkers. It got rave reviews.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

     adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

     yields 3 quarts

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 large yellow onions, chopped (I accidentally left the food processor on too long, pureeing them - don't worry if this happens to you, too, the whole thing is pureed at the end)

2 tbsp mild curry powder

3 lbs butternut squash (2 large)

2 sweet apples

2 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 cups apple cider or juice

water

Directions

Over low heat, warm the butter and olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the onions and curry powder, cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally. 

To prep the squash:

- cut off top and bottom

- peel the skin

- cut in half

- cut lengthwise

- remove seeds and dice

Peel and chop the apples, or use a food processor to chop them. Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil 

Once boiling, cover the pot, reducing the heat to low and cook for 35-40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft.

Using a food processor with a steel blade or food mill, puree the soup.

Return the pureed soup to the stock pot on the stove. Add the apple cider. Over a very low heat stir the soup. It will be sweet, smooth, and thick. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

As this soup was for a lunch party I only helped myself to a small bowl in the kitchen, 

but it was damn tasty, if I don't say so myself.

Hope you enjoy it!!

Good Ol'Apple Pie

Another day, another pie.

Sunday dinner with my parents. Dad made the pot roast and I made the apple pie.
This meal was very 1950s.

Apple Pie
     from Tyler Florence

Ingredients
Pie dough (see previous post)
5 medium-large Granny Smith apples
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
½ cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, cubed

Directions

Make pie dough, divide into 2 discs, chill dough in the refrigerate while prepping the filling.

Peel and thinly slice the apples. If they start to brown lightly sprinkle lemon juice on them. Preheat oven to 375°F.

For a classy baking experience I recommend a glass of bubbly.

In a large bowl, combine the apples and sugars. Sift the flour and cinnamon over the apples and toss until coated.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface. One will be the base, the other the top,  or lattice, or shapes. Transfer to a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Pour in the apple filling then top with the other pie dough. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter and placed dough cut-outs to form the crust edges and topping. 

Before putting the pie in the oven, dot the top with the cubes of butter. 

Bake for 25 minutes then check to see if the top is getting too brown, if so cover with foil. Bake for another 22-25 minutes.

Remove from oven once the top is golden brown. Sprinkle top with sugar. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

 Happy baking! Happy eating!

Zucchini, Carrot & Apple Muffins

What do you make for a Mother's Day potluck brunch? MUFFINS!

My parents receive a weekly vegetable box which has been great: new, fresh, local produce day in and day out, but it has proven tricky incorporating all the food into a weekly menu before it spoils. As luck would have it I had this recipe saved and with this past week's veggie box including zucchini and carrots no food went to waste!

Check out these delicious sweet and savory zucchini, carrot, and apple muffins. They are flavorful, moist, and perfect as a snack.

grating away

Zucchini, Carrot & Apple Muffins

   credit to A Bountiful Kitchen for original recipe

   yields 24 muffins

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 1/8 cups sugar
½ cup plus 2 tbsp sweetened coconut** 
3  tsp cinnamon
2 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp baking powder 
4 eggs
3 cups peeled grated carrots
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups grated apples
½ cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp vanilla 

** Don't be afraid of the coconut! If you don't like the flavor it isn't even detectable so no sweat.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare muffin/cupcake tins for 24 muffins.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together and set aside.

In another bowl lightly beat the eggs, oil, and vanilla together.

To save time and your nerves use a Cuisinart with the grater blade attachment to grate the zucchini, carrots, and apple. If you don’t have a Cuisinart, I apologize about the long grating process. Once these three ingredients are grated add them to the liquid mixture and stir together.

Pour the liquid-veggie/fruit mixture into the dry ingredients and fold in. And yes, the batter is thick.

Fill your muffin tins ¾ full and bake at 400 for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, rotate your tins and reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes until the muffins are a nice golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

yummers

Let the muffins cool for about ten minutes before placing on a wire rack. Serve these warm or cold. They are a great combination of sweet and savory!

Enjoy!