Tuesday, February 8, 2011

ANOTHER VISIT TO SCOOPY, AND A YUMMY NEW RECIPE

Shortly after we moved into the loft, Margaret and Ian issued a welcome dinner invitation.  What a meal: braised short ribs accompanied by endive, apples and grapes cooked together in butter until caramelized (with plenty of vino, of course).  The short ribs were delicious, but the fruit-and-vegetable accompaniment garnered the most interest and compliments. 

Consequently, I was intrigued to find a recipe for “Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pear and Shallots” in “Power Foods”, a cookbook put out by the editors of Whole Living Magazine.  I had a pear in the fruit bowl and a 2# bag of Brussels sprouts… no shallots but half an onion… and a few lonely carrots - so decided to give the recipe a try, with a twist.  Delicious – so good we had it again last night. 

Before you hold your nose, roll your eyes, and dismiss a dish made with Brussels sprouts… have you had them roasted?  Tender, but a little firm to the bite, with a rich caramelized color and flavor?  Like cabbage, Brussels sprouts are smelly and mighty unappealing when (over)boiled; roasted, they are an entirely different experience.  So good, you won’t even think about how good they are for you! 

Ready to roast: Brussels sprouts, onion, pear, carrots Odel's dinner plate

Here is the recipe, which I have also added to the recipe archive way down the left hand side of the blog.  The first night I made the recipe, we had the sprouts with grilled Steelhead trout; last night, we had chicken meatballs in curry sauce on brown rice (photo).   

No TV!We made another trip out to RV Renovators yesterday, where the renovations continue to move along.  The big, old, dusty, heavy TV that used to hang over the dashboard is out (sitting on the kitchen floor), and the TV cabinet is in the shop for a remodel.  Rumor has it that the new shelf to go behind the sofa is complete, but it had not yet been installed.

After a long and helpful (we learn something new each time we visit) conversation with Jerry, we got down to our business: turned on the refrigerator so it will be cold when we move back in, then made templates for two throw rugs.  We took our large carpet scraps back down the street to Mesa Sales (where we bought the carpet), along with the templates, and paid a small fee to have the carpet scraps cut and bound to the shape of our templates.  One rug will go near the accelerator and brake pedals, a pad for the driver’s heel; the other will cover the cockpit carpet, at the top of the entry steps.

Still to be done: resealing the roof and cleaning/resealing the skylight; caulking the kitchen sink; installing the new TV, the new shelf, the sofa and the cockpit seats.  Jerry thought the renovations might be complete on Wednesday (tomorrow!!); Friday would be fine with us (and ahead of schedule).  We’ll be visiting again Wednesday, helping everyone stay on task.  :)

13 comments:

  1. I'm so excited you'd think it was OUR RV undergoing these renovations...I cannot WAIT to see Scoopy all dressed up and ready to roll!!!! And yes, I DO love roasted brussel sprouts..those and turnips, rhutabaga, potatoes and carrots...a little EVOO and garlic pepper..roast it all up and YUMMO! Everything about that dish you posted looked great!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've always wanted to eat Brussels sprouts because they are so CUTE, but never caref for them boiled. I will definitely be trying this! Thank you!

    So glad that the renovations are going well. You will be home before you know it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't believe how quickly the work is being done. I guess that comes with having experience. It looks like they are doing a good job.
    Syl

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've converted several folks to brussel spouts since I started roasting the sprouts with various other things, YUM! Glad to hear the renovations are coming along!

    ReplyDelete
  5. the brussel sprout recipe sounds yummy!..no upturned noses here!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a wonderful recipe for brussels sprouts with a bacon and horseradish sauce. Yours looks good too. Adding fruit is interesting and I think we will try it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's great that your renovations are going so well, and ahead of schedule to boot!

    I love all veggies, but I'm married to someone who rarely touches them. Brussels sprouts? Not in our home! But I get to eat them at other people's places...so, when are we invited to dinner? :-) LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, your renovations are coming right along! Robert and I love brussel sprouts so I'll have to try this recipe. I'm sure it won't be nearly as good as yours! K

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the Brussel Sprouts recipe. They are one of the big things I'm missing on the road because I have always grown them in my garden. They are THE easiest to grow and you can eat them when they are no larger than the tip of your index finger and that's when they are really GREAT. Even steamed they neither smell nor taste like cabbage at that size but are SO sweet. But I don't eat them much anymore since in order to make a buck growers let them get too big. Wish I could grow them on the road. Can't you see me with my pot of sprouts being moved in and out!! Think I'll try your recipe with broccoli and see how it works.

    Just LOVE watching the renovations coming along. It's just going to be perfect!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Laurie - If you've turned on your refrigerator, did you put some sort of "ballast" in it? It is hard for the refrigerator to keep its cold if there is just air in there. Can you add some bottles (large, if possible) of water/juice to provide a mass for the cold to hold onto?

    This will also help considerably when you start putting your food back in. You might not have a full load in the beginning, so the blocks of cold will help to cool (or hold the cool) of the newly-introduced items.

    Put some into the freezer, too, for the same purpose, if at all possible.

    Can't wait to see the "after" pictures! ;->

    Virtual hugs,

    Judie

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want to be just like you guys when I grow up! First, let me say I had no idea that brussel sprouts could be so good until I had them sauteed in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. Worlds better than the bitter mush-balls I grew up being force-fed. Second, you guys are really inspiring. I'm about to be 30 in a couple of weeks and this is how I envision my retirement. Cruising around the country with my sweetheart in an RV with a Jeep hitched to the back, meeting all kinds of cool people and having great adventures. Take care and happy trails!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We LOVE Brussels Sprouts. Thanks so much for sharing that wonderful recipe. We're looking forward to seeing Snoopy's "after" pics. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I hadn't had a Brussel Sprout in years but your recipe looks delicious. I am going to try them in out NuWave oven. I've been roasting lots of veggies there and they turn out so good. I'll bet Brussels will too!

    Sherry's comment about how easy they are to grow inspired me to plant some when we get back home next month! Thanks Sherry...I'll let you know how they turn out!

    ReplyDelete