Brussels Sprouts

I recently discovered that Brussels sprouts are nothing like the stereotypical disgusting vegetable! I would rather eat these than broccoli any day. That, in itself, doesn't say much because I hate broccoli. However, I should make a better statement about them, because I actually really enjoy Brussels Sprouts, especially when they are cooked well and topped with a little grated Parmesan cheese! They are also super fast, easy to make...and really difficult to screw up.

All you do:

• Cut off the hard white ends of the Brussels sprouts
• Boil and salt a pot of water
• Blanch the Brussels sprouts for 5-6 minutes (until tender)
• Saute some sliced shallot and garlic in a little butter and olive oil
• Toss in the Brussels sprouts and saute for a few more minutes
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Top w/ freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you want (I am a firm believer that everything is better when topped with a little bit of cheese)

Don't be scared off by June Cleaver's version... even though Beaver makes it seem that Brussels sprouts are the grossest vegetable out there... I promise they are actually really good!

Savory Balsamic Glazed Plums

Fall is officially here and with that comes plums! I thing plums are great but, for me, it has to be the right time of year... and October is the beginning of perfect plum season!

In addition to seasonal ingredients, I am a student with little free time. I love finding ways to spruce up left overs for a quick, yet delicious, dinner. This time the inspiration was left over pork loin and fresh plums.

I cut up the plums and saute them in a couple of tablespoons of some white wine, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. As soon as they get soft and the glaze starts to thicken and coat the plums.

approximate measurements:

white wine 2 Tbl.
balsamic vinegar ~3 Tbl.
2 sliced plums
brown sugar ~1Tbl.
cinnamon, to taste, and a tiny bit of nutmeg

Pork and plums are a great combination. I used a pre-marinated, lemon herb, pork tenderloin and roasted it in the oven. These tenderloins are so easy and great the next day as left overs for sandwiches or something like this warmed up with fruit on top.

Delicious Fresh Green Beans

Summer is officially over, but I did get some good fresh green beans from the farmers market before the cold weather set in. Fresh green beans are so much better than canned you really cannot compare them to fresh at all. With fresh green beans I like the simple approach. Blanch and Saute.

Snap the ends off of the green beans and rinse them. Boil and salt some water. When the water boils, blanch the green beans for 4-6 minutes (depending on how thick and crispy they are). After taking them out shock them immediately by dropping them into a bowl of ice water for another 4-6 minutes to stop the cooking. You want the beans to be in the ice water about the same length of time as the boiling water.

Melt some butter and olive oil in a saute pan and saute the blanched green beans with the butter and olive oil for a few minutes. Season simply... I like them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Sprinkle some freshly graded Parmesan cheese over the top. There is no better, and simpler way to eat fresh green beans... I promise. Even my sister (who hates green veggies) will scarf these down!