Brussel Sprouts I & II

1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts 4-6 Tbsp butter 1/2 onion, chopped Salt and Pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice, fresh squeezed 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds Method 1 Remove any ragged or old-looking outer leaves on the brussels sprouts and discard. Parboil the brussels sprouts (or steam them) for 3 minutes or until just tender. They should be almost cooked all the way through (split one in half to test). Strain the hot water and place the sprouts in a bowl of ice water, this will keep their color bright green. Cut the sprouts into halves. 2 Heat 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp more of butter and the brussels sprouts halves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for several more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, while the brussels sprouts are cooking. Do not overcook! Overcooked brussels sprouts are bitter and are the main reason why some people don't like them. 3 Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half of the toasted almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving dish and garnish with the rest of the toasted almonds. Serves 6-8. Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Recipe 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 1 lbs brussels sprouts 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 teaspoons butter 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tbsp black mustard seeds or poppy seeds 2 Tbsp vermouth or dry white wine Salt and pepper to taste. Method hashed-brussels-sprouts-1.jpghashed-brussels-sprouts-2.jpghashed-brussels-sprouts-3.jpg 1 Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut bottoms off sprouts, and discard. Halve sprouts lengthwise. If you are really ambitions, carefully cut out and discard the firm core of each sprout half. Thinly slice the sprouts. As you work, transfer slices into bowl with lemon juice. When all sprouts are sliced toss them in juice and separate leaves. (Recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 hours.) hashed-brussels-sprouts-4.jpg 2 When ready to serve, heat oil and butter over high heat in a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts. When very hot (almost to smoking point) add sprouts, garlic and seeds, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are wilted and lightly cooked, but still green and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Some leaves might brown slightly. 3 Add vermouth, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the lemon zest, reserving a little for top of dish. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining zest and serve. Serves 4.

Braised Leeks Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Try to buy leeks with as long and as white a shank as possible. If you can only find ones with short shanks that are mostly green, don't buy them -- choose another recipe instead. Add to shopping list Ingredients 4-6 leeks 1 garlic clove, minced 3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter Salt 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon sugar 1 bay leaf 1 cup white wine or vegetable stock 1/4 cup parsley, chopped Method 1 Cut off the ends of the leeks until you get to the shank; a little of the light green part is fine, but not too much of it. If you want, you can save the unused portion of the leeks in the freezer for making stock later. Slice through the shank of the leek lengthwise until you get to the root end—do not cut through the root just yet. Clean the leeks under cold running water, as leeks are usually dirty. Once the leeks are free of any dirt or grit, cut through the root to make two long pieces of leek. 2 Get a sauté pan large enough to hold the leeks in one layer and heat the butter in it over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and begins to foam, turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic and then the leeks, cut side down. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just to get them a little browned and to let the butter get into the leeks. Turn over and sprinkle with salt, then cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. 3 Turn the leeks back over so the cut side is down, sprinkle the leeks with the sugar, the thyme leaves and a touch more salt. Add the white wine with the bay leaf and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 35-45 minutes over medium-low heat. 4 When the leeks are tender enough so that a knife blade pierces them easily, uncover the pot and bring the braising liquid to a rolling boil. Let this reduce by half, then turn off the heat. Add the parsley, swirl it around and serve. Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

Swiss Chard Recipe

Add to shopping list Ingredients 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard 1 small clove garlic, sliced 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp water Pinch of dried crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon butter Salt Method 1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips. 2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.