Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Lemon

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Lattes and Leggings

Manhattan is filled with over twenty thousand restaurants, and it can be hard figuring out where to go for dinner on a Saturday night. Sometimes you just have to pick a neighborhood, walk around, and stumble upon something along the way. This happened on Saturday. After a day at the MET and drinks at one of my favorite rooftops, Empire Hotel, we decided to head a little closer to home for dinner. That’s when we stumbled upon Cotta Osteria in the Upper West Side. I’ve walked past it a million times, but never thought to try it. As soon as I walked in the door I knew this was going to become my new favorite wine bar. We sat at the bar and coming from someone who used to bartend, the best service is at the bar, and you get to enjoy yourself and not feel rushed. From the ambience to the wine to the pizza to the great prices, it’s a great local spot. They have happy hour during the week which includes buy one get one free glasses of wine. If the Sicilian wine is on the list, that could be trouble. In a good way of course.

Enough about the wine. Let me tell you about the pizza. It’s served Italian style. I never really understood this until my husband went to Italy. They eat a whole pie by themselves. I thought this was crazy until I found myself eating a whole pie Saturday night. The pizzas are small with a thin, flaky crust. It’s like getting your own personal pizza without all the bread dough. It’s all about the toppings. The stand out pizza of the night? Brussels sprouts and pancetta pizza. I love love brussels sprouts. The pizza was topped with mounds of shaved brussels sprouts and salty pancetta with mozzarella and parmesan. It was heaven! My husband had the meatball pizza and loved it too.

The first time I tried brussels sprouts was at Blue Hill in Greenwich Village. Blue Hill is a farm to table restaurant that cooks seasonal food. I’ve been twice, and the brussels sprouts still stand out in my mind. It was a side dish of brussels sprouts leaves and pistachios. Very simple, but so good. After all this time, I finally made them, and wanted to share them with you. They are just as good as I remember.

I included the cores as well as the leaves to add more body to the dish, and I really don’t like wasting food.

Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts. Cut them in half. Then thinly slice them.

Pistachios add a nice crunchy texture.

And with a little lemon juice…perfection.

Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Lemon
adapted from Epicurious

The key to eliminating the bitterness that brussels sprouts sometimes tend to have is seasoning them well with salt.

serves 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
juice of 1 small lemon

Directions
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the brussels sprouts, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pistachios and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes until the brussels sprouts soften. Add the lemon juice and stir. Remove pan from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Spicy Beans with Lime Spritz

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Lattes and Leggings

Shuck corn. Grill corn. Shell beans. Trim beans. Blanch beans. Let’s be honest. Sometimes you just don’t have time to do all of that. Especially if you’re having a BBQ. You need more time to relax with that ice cold beer or whatever your favorite cocktail might be. The solution? Frozen veggies. No apologies necessary. Frozen fruits and veggies are usually packed at peak ripeness which is when they contain the most nutrients. It’s sometimes more nutritional than buying fresh produce that’s been sitting on the shelves. So go ahead and make these spicy beans with lime spritz at your next cookout. Cookout. Barbecue. Grilling out. It’s all the same. Sit back. Relax. And enjoy a cold one.

The key to getting the most juice out of your limes is to let them sit out at room temperature.

No need to thaw the veggies. Take them right out of the freezer and add them to the pot. Use a wooden spoon and stir away.

The red pepper flakes add the right amount of spiciness. You can always cut back for a milder taste.

Spicy Beans with Lime Spritz
adapted from Molto Batali

serves 2 to 3

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced (such as a vidalia onion)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen corn
kosher salt
2 limes, halved

Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, green beans, lima beans, corn, and pinch of salt, and stir with a wooden spoon. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat. Squeeze the limes over the beans and season with salt to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Sweet Pea and Leek Fritters

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Lattes and Leggings

I love love peas, and leeks too. Put the two together, and these fritters are my new favorite snack. I came across the idea from Food52, and I simplified the recipe to be packed full of flavor. The smell of the cooked leeks and frying the fritters brings me back to a time when I was younger. My dad would make my sister and I fried potatoes and onions with soy sauce burgers for dinner. The potatoes were thinly sliced with finely diced onions. I just remember the onions always being black and burnt to a crisp, but it made the potatoes so good! Don’t worry! The leeks are no where near what I just described. These fritters can be reheated in a 325 degree oven to bring them back to a crisp. Yum!

Random tidbit for the day: Rearrange Gabby’s last name Douglas, and you get “A US GOLD”. Fun fact I learned listening to HLN this morning on XM radio.

Leeks tend to trap a lot of dirt. Cut the ends off first then wash thoroughly with cold water.

I wish I could find English peas, but frozen peas are perfect.

Add a pinch of salt and use a wooden spoon to loosen and break up the leeks.

Leeks are cooked and cooled. Time to start on our batter.

The batter is all made right in this bowl.

Now comes the fun part. Frying! Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Prepare a plate lined with a paper towel so you can drain the fritters.

Hurry up and grab one. They’ll go fast!

Sweet Pea and Leek Fritters
adapted from Food52

makes 7 (3-inch) fritters

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, pale green and white parts only, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 garlic glove, minced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Remove pan from heat and allow the leeks to cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the leeks, peas, garlic, parsley, parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the milk and egg, and stir well. Stir in the flour until incorporated in the mixture.

Using the same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 2 tablespoon-mounds of the batter into the hot oil to form 3-inch fritters. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer the fritters to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Serve immediately.

Note: Fritters can also be reheated/recrisped in a 325 degree F oven.