Brussels,Tatoes, and Chickpea Cutlets - VeganMoFo #7

I woke up to a freezing house and dreaded getting up to get ready for work. I just couldn't drag my ass out of my nice, cozy,warm bed. But, my dears, I have responsibilities. I started shivering as soon as I left the comfort of my blankets, and it seemed I couldn't get warm all day long. Cold days means comfort food cravings. Who am I to deny myself comfort? How many times can I type "comfort" in this post?

Potatoes=comfort food (I grew the potatoes in giant pots in my yard this summer)
Chickpeas cutlets=comfort protein
Brussels sprouts=comfort cabbages

So, yeah. That's what I made.

The sprouts:
I've learned that I can make super yummy Brussels sprouts in my cast iron skillet instead of roasting them in the oven. They cook a lot quicker and they are generally perfect. Just heat some oil over medium heat and, once hot, add your sprouts. Sear them until they start to caramelize. Then, I put a lid over the skillet and steam them for about 4 minutes.

The chickpea cutlets:
The cutlets are on page 133 of Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. I will say that I've made them quite a few times and I change up the recipe pretty much every time. I use the cookbook as a guide for the basic ingredients, but I change up the spices and such. Here's one of my main changes, though: I use steak sauce instead of the soy sauce called for in the recipe. Why? It fucking rocks, that's why. I also add some very finely diced red onion, maybe 3-4 TB. I also suggest using smoked paprika instead of regular paprika, as well as adding a little poultry seasoning. Don't worry, it doesn't have poultry in it...just spices. The recipe says you can either pan-fry or bake the cutlets, and I always bake them. This time, I made them thicker than I usually do, and it was a great idea. They didn't get dried out, and they were a bit chewy. Bonus tip: dip them in steak sauce.

Mashed potatoes: 
Peel and dice some potatoes. Boil them until they're fork-tender then drain them. Mash in some almond milk and vegan butter. Add a little salt and pepper. Pig out and get a carb-coma.

Happy MoFo

Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Walnuts

Ladies and gents! It's that time of year again. I can finally find brussels sprouts in my market again. I rejoice every single time summer hits and I can find fresh sprouts. I absolutely LOATHE the frozen sprouts you can buy at the grocery store. In general, I don't use frozen veggies except peas and sometimes corn. All the others taste like they've been frozen, and I just can't roll with it.

So, today, the fella went to visit his family for a bit, and I was left in solitude to read books and snuggle my pup. You see, she just had to have dental work done (as many aging chihuahuas must do), and she's feeling a bit mopey, thus she needed her mama to spoil and snuggle her all afternoon. When dinner time came around, I wasn't feeling like making a huge or elaborate meal as I sometimes feel the need to do on my days off. I popped open my fridge and instantly zeroed in on the sprouts. They were calling my name. I couldn't refuse the buggers. I'm an addict. I just needed one more hit of sprouts. Judge me if you must.

In the past, I've always roasted my sprouts in the oven, but I was feeling a smidge creative and decided to try pan-searing them in my cast iron skillet. Jackpot! You still get the crispy, caramelized bits, but you cook the brussel sprouts quicker. You can't beat that. This was my dinner. A plate of brussels with garlic and walnuts and a side of fresh tomato with olive oil and Thai basil. I have a happy tummy.

Here's what I did:

1. While trimming my sprouts, I heated a cast iron skillet over medium heat. After heating it for about 5 minutes, I added about 1 tsp of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the brussels (about 1/2 lb. with the end trimmed and top layers of leaves removed). Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. I added a little kosher salt here.
2. Once the carmelization starts on the sprouts, add in about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Stir and cook about 2 minutes. 
3. Now add in 1 minced garlic clove. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. The end.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know, I know-- Brussels sprouts! Yuck!  Only not at all!!!  So easy. So tasty. Brussels sprouts are surprisingly yummy. I didn't eat them when I was a kid because my mom never liked them (until about 2 weeks ago). I was at my local Farmer's Market recently and I saw some little buckets of brussels sprouts for $2.00. They seemed like a bargain, so I snagged one. I really had no idea what they tasted like or how I should cook them, so I figured that I couldn't really go wrong by roasting them in my oven. I guess I don't really even need to give you a specific recipe, since there's no much to it, but I'll try anyway...because you're worth it!!

Ingredients:

• brussels sprouts (use as many as you want)
• extra virgin olive oil - I used just enough to lightly drizzle on the sprouts
• salt - I like to use kosher or another larger-grain salt

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Chop the little stems off of your sprouts. Then slice your sprouts in half lengthwise.
3. Remove the top little leaves of the sprout.
4. Place sprouts in a large bowl and lightly drizzle with oil. Toss to coat the sprouts.
5. Place sprouts on baking sheet cut sides down. Sprinkle the salt on top of the sprouts.
6. Bake on middle rack of oven for about 18-20 minutes. I like mine with some crispy edges, so mine took about 20 minutes, but if you want them out sooner, take them out. The edges and tops of the sprouts will lightly browned if you cook them the full 20 minutes.