Cassie’s Ruminations

Quick Braised Brusssels Sprouts

Tonight we had some bratwursts and brussels sprouts. I usually roast them, but after trying baby turnips cooked this way, I wanted to try it with brussels sprouts too, and it turned out quite nicely.

Quick Braised Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer dark leaves removed
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
kosher salt and black pepper

Halve the brussels sprouts longitudinally and place them cut side down in a large skillet. Cut the butter in little pieces and toss on top of the veggies. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Pour the water in the skillet and cover. Turn the heat on to medium high and cook 6-8 minutes, or until the sprouts are a bright green and fork tender. Uncover and cook for another 2-3 minutes to boil off the remaining water and brown the sprouts in the butter. Serve warm.

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Arugula, Tomato, and Egg Salad

Shaun’s off at a concert tonight, so I’ve just been foraging for dinner. I found a little arugula from last week’s CSA box that I wanted to use, and I wanted to cook up an egg or two from this week’s box as well, so I made this very simple salad: just a few handfuls of baby arugula washed and spun dry, a small handful of grape tomatoes, and a fried egg, with the bit of excess butter in the pan drizzled over the whole thing in lieu of dressing. It was a surprisingly good combination and a nice summery dinner 🙂

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Whiskey Glazed Carrots

This recipe is via Ree, of The Pioneer Woman. I had a half pound of fresh baby carrots from last week’s CSA box to use, and this was a good recipe to use ’em up. I scaled way down, of course – I only used about 1 tbsp of butter total, and about 2 tbsp each of whiskey and brown sugar. This was a tasty side that I will definitely make again, though likely only for special occasions since the glaze is quite rich.

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Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs

This recipe is inspired by one from Fine Cooking, which is one of my favorite food magazines. They always have good recipes, tested well, explained clearly without being painfully long, and generally with easy to find ingredients. They have recipes for beginners and recipes to challenge experienced cooks as well. A very well rounded magazine! This recipe was a real winner. The garlic infused the meat with just the right intensity, as did the bed of lemon and herbs. We’ll be repeating this! I served this with some roasted baby beets and a tossed green salad.

Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs
Serves 2

1 large clove garlic
Kosher salt
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken thighs
1 large lemon, cut into four 1/4-inch rounds
4 small sprigs fresh rosemary
4 small sprigs fresh thyme
4 sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the garlic and a large pinch of salt into a mortar. Squish using the pestle to make a coarse paste. Add the olive oil drips at a time and continue to grind to form a thick paste, called an allioli. Rub the allioli under the skin of the chicken thighs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with non-stick spray and layer the lemon slices in the bottom. Place the herbs evenly in each quarter of the pan and place a chicken thigh, skin side up, on top of the herb pile. Pat dry if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until the chicken thighs are cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).

Remove the chicken complete with the lemon and herb stacks to a plate and cover. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

While the chicken rests, tilt the juices and any bits that stuck to the pan into a small skillet and bring them to a boil Reduce to a sauce-like consistency and drizzle around the bottom of the chicken, leaving the nice crispy skin dry.

Posted in Food, Poultry | 1 Comment »

CSA Box Week 4

This week’s box:

Flour-Hard Red Wheat
Butter
Free-Range Eggs
Free-Range Eggs
Kale-Green Winterbor
Lettuce-Butterhead
Squash-Farmers Choice (zucchini this week)
Cabbage-Green

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White Bean, Tuna, and Arugula Salad

I made a little batch of this for lunches at work. It’s easy, pretty healthy, and satisfying too!

White Bean, Tuna, and Arugula Salad
Serves 1-2

zest and juice from 1 small lemon
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
a few dashes hot sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot)
1 15-oz can canellini or northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 6-oz can high quality tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 oz baby arugula

Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Add the beans and tuna and toss well to combine. Chill for an hour or more to let the flavors meld. Just before serving, add the tomatoes and arugula and toss again to combine.

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Hillshire Farm Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage

Another super easy quick dinner tonight. We tried the other new Hillshire Farm sausage today, the Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage. This one is just as low in fat as the turkey sausage that we tried earlier, and we liked the taste of this one even better. These two new sausages are really a nice alternative to their full fat sausages. Once again, just for the record, Hillshire Farm does not know me from Eve, but I like to share when I find a new product I like. New things! 😛 I served the sausage with some scrambled eggs and some steamed asparagus.

Posted in Food, Poultry, Product Review | 2 Comments »

Citrus Tequila Chicken

This Mexican-inspired chicken is inspired by a similar recipe I saw on Cooking in Cucamonga. The marinade works very well and made for an easy and flavorful meal on the grill for the long holiday weekend. I served this with some refried beans and a tossed green salad.

Citrus Tequila Chicken
Serves 4

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs – about 2 lbs

For the marinade:
5 garlic cloves, pressed
juice and zest from one large lime
juice of 1 orange
2 tbsp tequila
1 tsp ancho chili powder
2 tsp pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
3-4 sprigs oregano, leaves stripped from the stems and coarsely chopped
1 tsp pepper

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large zip top bag. Add the chicken, seal, and gently squish around to coat.

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours. When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to starting up the grill.

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until cooked all the way through (165 degrees internal temperature).

Remove from grill and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with additional lime wedges to squeeze on top.

Posted in Food, Grilling, Mexican, Poultry | No Comments »

Island Spiced Pork Tenderloin and Sauteed Fava Beans

Tonight’s dinner was Island Spiced Pork Tenderloin, from Annie’s Eats, sauteed fava beans, and a quick green salad. The pork tenderloin was okay, but if I make it again, I’ll cut down on the cinnamon. It just wasn’t quite what I was wanting, but it certainly has potential. The fava beans were the last of last week’s CSA box, and I got them knowing they were a significant pain in the rear, but I was hoping they’d be worth the effort. They were quite alright, but unless I have an extra pair of hands or two to help with all the shelling and peeling, I don’t think I’ll bother with them again.

Sauteed Fava Beans
Serves 2

1 lb fava beans
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed

Shell the fava beans, removing the individual beans from the pods.

Place a medium bowl on the counter next to the stove with ice and cold water.

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 3 minutes. Move the beans to the ice water bath to shock them and stop the cooking process. When the beans are cool, remove the tough outer shell from each bean, leaving the tender inner bean.

Empty the saucepan of water and place the olive oil and garlic in it over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the shelled and peeled beans to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes – tender and infused lightly with garlic. Serve warm.

Posted in CSA, Food, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

CSA Box Week 3

This week’s CSA box:

Flour-Rye
Sage
Rosemary
Lettuce-Green Romaine
Arugula-Cut
Potatoes-Yellow Storage
Carrots-Spring
Beets-Mixed

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