Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pancetta and Gorgonzola

This year, Will and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. Thank goodness he took the pressure off of me and smoked the turkey! I was able to focus on the stuffing and side items. I wanted to make something that we don't normally have. I love brussels sprouts and had been seeing a lot of salads made with them lately, so I decided to give it a try. I did some research and found a couple of different recipes and created my own. I absolutely loved it and think you will too! 

It was salty, crunchy, sweet and savory- it had it all! I would eat this any day of the week.

Of note, I made a large batch for Thanksgiving. The recipe I will provide will be enough for about 6 servings as a side item.

Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts from Trader Joes come on a stalk!

Off the stalk

Dressing

 Sizzling pancetta

       I chopped my almonds with a hand mixer 

            

Layer in ingredients to the shaved brussels sprouts

                

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pancetta and Gorgonzola

Ingredients
About 3 dozen Brussels Sprouts
1 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup Almonds
4-6 ounces of Pancetta + grease
S + P to taste
1/2 cup of Olive Oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1 Orange
juice of 2 Lemons
1 large Shallot, minced

Directions

1. Place pancetta in a medium sized pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Place on a paper towel to soak up excess fat and then set aside. Save about 2 tbsp of the fat from cooking the pancetta and set aside.

2. Wash the brussel sprouts with water and pay dry. Use the mandolin to shave them being sure to leave behind the "bases" or stems.

3. Chop the almonds with a hand emulsion blender (a food processor would probably be overkill) until coarsely chopped.

4. Once the pancetta has cooled, add it to the shaved brussels sprouts. In addition, layer in the almonds and gorgonzola cheese. Refrigerate.

5. For the dressing, mince the shallot and add the dijon mustard, lemon and orange juice. Slowly add in the olive oil and then the pancetta grease, whisking to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper (I was pretty generous). Refrigerate.

6. Toss the salad with the dressing when ready to serve.

Enjoy!


Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Prohibition

My friends and I had a girls night recently. We wanted to try somewhere we had never been together. We try to go to a new place each time we all eat together. My friend Susanne had been to Prohibition for her birthday recently and enjoyed it, so we decided to head back. This would be my first time eating at Prohibition. It has a pretty good bar scene at night and I had been a few times for drinks but never to eat.

All of us like to eat (a lot) so naturally we started out with an entree to share. (Isn't that how you start your dinners?) We ordered the macaroni and cheese which is cooked with chorizo, bacon, mushrooms and is finished with brioche breadcrumbs. It was good. It was different than your standard mac and cheese, but not too different that it didn't satisfy the craving. I'm not sure I would order it for my entree, but it was tasty. 

For my main squeeze (entree), I ordered the Carolina Roll. It was a brioche roll stuffed with a blue crab and shrimp salad, which was given a kick with a chile aioli and was then topped with fried oysters. This is my heaved and it was awesome. All of the seafood was cooked perfectly and the salad was perfectly balanced and didn't have too much mayonnaise. They delivered to me exactly what I was hoping for. And for the amount of seafood given in this roll, I though the price was on point. It also came with a pip (side) in which I ordered the bell pepper hash which was also very tasty. The potatoes were cooked perfectly through and through, and their was a nice balance between them and the bell peppers. It was served with a Sriracha hollandaise- YUM! I was very pleased with my meal. 

My friends ordered the fish tacos and duck quesadilla. Both were thoroughly enjoyed. 

We were surprised with complimentary desserts. A vanilla creme brûlée and a blueberry basket. The creme brûlée was good, standard. The blueberry basket was superb- a creme brûlée french toast, stuffed with blueberry ice cream. I would recommend it if you're wanting to top of your meal with something sweet!

With a name like Prohibition, you can't skip over the drinks. Their specialty is the cocktails, and they have a wide selection. I had two different cocktails and they were both great. I'm a vodka drinker- so I had the Itty Bitty, which was a tad sweet, followed by one of the cocktail specials for the night. 

 Its a great place to go for some drinks to start out your night. They usually have a band playing on the stage and have a swing band parading through the restaurant on the weekends! The atmosphere is perfect for a pregame, happy hour after work or a night out for dinner.

If you're looking for a good meal and great spirits with a great atmosphere, I would recommend Prohibition. I've only been once, but it was a great experience and I'll definitely come back. Its not the first place I would take out of town guests, but its a great place to throw into the mix of places to go eat and enjoy some inspiring cocktails. 

Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen, just a regular Chinese restaurant?

Comparing Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen to Red Orchid or other Chinese establishments in town is easy for me to do. I've read articles and reviews of people saying that Lee Lee's is nothing special. I could not disagree more.

Walking into the restaurant itself is enough to set it apart on looks alone. The decor is beautiful and the atmosphere lively. Once you have some of their dishes I don't know how someone could call it "more expensive Chinese American food". Lee Lee's is authentic and it is very apparent that they are utilizing high quality ingredients, which are skillfully crafted and were thoughtfully put together. Their drink menu is nothing to overlook, either.

I thoroughly enjoy Lee Lee's. Actually, that's probably an understatement. I seem to find myself eating it every Sunday. It has become quite the Sunday night ritual. Whether its eating in or taking out, I enjoy it every time. Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen opened early this year by way of Karalee Nielsen Fallert (remember Park Cafe?). She reconnected with an old friend, Chef Lily Lei and they came up with the concept together- thank goodness!

Again, it is in the neighborhood of Wagener Terrace which makes me happy. In addition, if you haven't noticed I love the Asian cuisine. It has the Chinese classics that everyone loves but they are always creating specials and actually just made some menu additions! I haven't had anything I didn't like here but there are definitely some stand-outs that I cannot stop ordering.

Check them out on Instagram for weekly specials and updates. Or don't because you'll want to go in all the time.


Favorite Starters

The Sichuan dumplings - these are my absolute favorite. They've got some kick and are steamed, not fried. The Sichuan sauce is to die for. I think these are perfect <3

Scallion pancakes, chicken lettuce wraps and the crab rangoons (made with real crab) are delicious as well....if you can stop ordering the Sichuan dumplings.


Favorite Entrees 
(listed in order)

Singapore Noodle

1. Singapore Noodle- rice noodles, pork, shrimp, and vegetables in a yellow curry sauce- its seriously perfect.


2. Hong Sho Ro- pork belly in a 5 spice sauce. A delicious specialty!

3. Salt and Pepper Chicken- I've never had anything like it. Its fried chicken - the breading is deliciously peppery- with onions and peppers. The seasoning is SO good.

Pan fried pork dumplings & Salt and pepper chicken

4. Mu Shu Pork- This is a past time favorite of mine. Whenever my family would order Chinese, this was always something we ordered. Lee Lee's does a great job with it (pork & vegetables with pancakes and hoisin sauce) but its what you expect. Nothing over the top, I just love this dish and it brings back memories.

Mu Shu Pork

The Bok Choy in a sesame garlic sauce is a favorite of the Veggies- a delicious side to any dish. I absolutely love bok choy and they do a great job of cooking it perfectly.







These are my absolute favorites. I have tried most of the menu and with choosing from this list, I can promise you won't be disappointed! Go check out Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen today. I think this restaurant has a lot to offer. Decide for yourself and let me know what you think!

Sausage and Potato Scramble

My sister, Carolyn and Brother in-law, Randy stayed at our house the other weekend after a wedding. Will and I babysat Camden and they came back to our house after the wedding. It was their first big night out since Camden was born, so I knew they would need a hefty breakfast in the morning. This is the perfect breakfast or brunch meal. It's savory, filling and oh so delicious!

Ingredients

Potatoes sautéing

Potatoes getting golden brown / In a separate pan, brown your sausage 

Add in the veggies and sauté....

Then add the meat and spices...

Drop in the 4 eggs and put into the oven

Sausage and Potato Scramble

Ingredients

4 eggs

5 yukon gold potatoes, peeled & chopped
2 tablespoons of bacon grease (or unsalted  butter)
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Sage
Salt + Pepper
16 ounces of Sausage

Directions

1. Add the bacon fat or butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add in your chopped potatoes. Sauté for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown.

2. While your potatoes are sauteeing, brown your sausage meat in another pan over medium heat.

3. Add the onions and your red and green pepper to the potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes.

4. Add in your spices and sausage and stir everything in the pan well to meld all of the spices and flavors together.

5. Deglaze the pan with about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of water being sure to scrape up all of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

7. Continue to saute everything until your water is reabsorbed and the potatoes are completely cooked (take one out of the pan and try it!). Also, while tasting the potatoes to assure its cooked, decide if you need to add any more S + P.

8. Using a spoon, make 4 shallow "holes" in the mixture and crack an egg in each hole. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites set (it took exactly ten minutes for me). Remove from the oven.

Serve and enjoy!

Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Will surprised me with Sean Brock's new cook book, Heritage. We were looking through it and this recipe caught my eye. We even discussed where we could get Red Russian Kale from. Low and behold, the following week our CSA, Rosebank farms, had Red Russian Kale and acorn squash coming our way- talk about meant to be!

This recipe is like a risotto but with farro instead of rice (hence the name). It is creamy and delicious. It is the perfect fall "side item". You could even eat it as a main if you would like.

Sean is very specific about using the specified ingredients that he recommends. I wish I did, but I did not have the time to make the vegetable stock from scratch. I used Trader Joe's low sodium veggie stock which gave my farrotto more of an orange color.

Secondly, the farro he calls for is Anson Mills' Farro Verde. I called Anson Mills and long story short, they will not have any until March. Therefore, I bought farro from Whole Foods. The Farro Verde adds a smokey flavor that regular farro is without, but for now Whole foods farro will have to do!

I am not quite sure what this would have tasted like with the farro verde and the homemade vegetable broth but it was delicious and is something I will make again in the future!

The acorn squash are beautiful, aren't they?

Two different ways to separate the stems and ribs from the kale

The kale all prepped and ready to go in the dish

Warming the vegetable stock- Trader Joes' vegetable stock is orange in color, which gave my finished product an orange tint (unlike Sean's)

Roasted acorn squash

Pureed squash

Toasting the farro

Sautéing onions and garlic

Added the vino!

The onions, garlic and farro prior to adding the vegetable stock

Slowly adding vegetable stock bit by bit as it is absorbed by the farro

Kale, pureed squash and then butter added in

Don't forget the cheese!

finito!

Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Ingredients

2 small acorn squash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup + 2 quarts of vegetable stock
1 bunch of Red Russian kale (~ 3 lbs)
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups Anson Mills Farro Verde (not available right now, so I bought Farro from Whole Foods)
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds, and rinse the squash under cold water. Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet. Divide 2 tablespoons of butter between the halves and sprinkle with the salt and white pepper. Roast the squash for about 35 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the kale. Remove the stems and ribs from the leaves. Make stacks of the leaves. Roll them into cylinders and cut them into thin ribbons. Wash the kale in cold water to remove dirt/sand. Drain and dry with paper towels.

3. When the squash is done, remove it from the oven. Pour the juices from the melted butter into a container. Set aside and let the squash cool enough to handle.

4. Warm the vegetable stock in a pot over medium-high. Once warm, remove 1 cup.

5. Peel the squash. Place the pulp in a blender and add the 1 cup of stock + butter from the cavities of the roasted squash. Blend on high to a very smooth puree, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

6. Turn the stock to low heat. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7. Heat the canola oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the farro and stir to coat with the oil. Place the skillet in the oven and toast the farro for 8 minutes (being sure to stir after 4 minutes). Transfer the farro to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

8. Put the empty skillet on medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until the wine is almost evaporated (about 2-3 minutes).

9. Add the toasted farro to the pan and stir to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the warm stock, reduce the heat to medium and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue cooking, adding 1/2 cup of warm stock at a time. Be sure to continually stir to prevent scorching. Don't add the stock too quickly. Be sure to add the next batch right as prior pour is almost completely absorbed. The farro grains will expand throughout the process. This process will take about one hour. The farro will look creamy like risotto.

9. Remove the farro from the heat, add the squash puree and kale. Stir until the kale is wilted. Put the skillet back on medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cheese. Stir and serve!

Enjoy!

I served this with my Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (also on the blog)