Warm bacon and brussel sprouts salad

Here is a super simple 4-ingredients warm salad recipe, perfect for cold fall and winter days as well as a beautiful side dish to any feast!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main dish, 4 people as side dish):
- 1 lb fresh brussel sprouts
- 6 to 8 strips of thick cut bacon
- a dash of apple cider vinegar, to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic mustard (I used Fox Hollow Farm More than a Mustard, which I bought last fall while on a trip to VT)
Note: you can find this mustard here or here, but you can also replace it with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 grated clove of garlic and 1 tsp of quality balsamic vinegar)


RECIPE:
- chop the bacon in bite-sized segments and brown in a dry skillet over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden and crispy

- reserve the bacon on a paper towel and saute the halved brussel sprouts in the same skillet with the rendered bacon fat and drippings over medium heat for 3-4 minutes

- deglaze with the mustard and the apple cider vinegar then turn off the heat

- add the crispy bacon and serve warm

Garlic and basil pattypan squash stir-fry

There is nothing simpler than this delicious pattypan squash stir-fry! Fresh seasonal ingredients and literally 12 minutes from cutting board to belly.

Try it and let me know how you liked it!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main vegetarian dish, 4 people as small side):
- 2 lbs assorted summer squash (I used a mix of pattypan squash and round zucchini)
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- dice the squash into bite-sized cubes, crush the garlic clove and chop the basil leaves

- in a large pan, infuse the olive oil with the garlic clove and a basil bloom (if you have one on hand, otherwise just a few strips of chopped basil will do) over very low heat, then remove the golden garlic and either reserve for service or discard

- saute the diced squash in the infused olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste as well as the basil leaves and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the squash is cooked to your liking (I like mine quite al dente)

- serve hot, room temperature or cold as a main vegan dish, along with some rice or quinoa, as a side to grilled pork, chicken, tuna or swordfish (that's how I ate mine). The leftovers are delicious as a cold salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or just as a snack on toast!
- Enjoy!

Poblano rice

Poblano lovers rejoice!

This green rice recipe is out of this world! It is perfectly garlicky, cilantro-y and the poblanos give a round, smoky flavor to the rice that just makes it a perfect side dish to pretty much anything! This rice is a staple of mine when I'm feeling tex-mex for dinner, or as a side to grilled chicken, mahi-mahi or swordfish.

Delicious. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Here's how to do it.



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 1/4 cups of long grain rice
- 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth (for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable stock)
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- a splash of olive oil (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- grossly dice the poblanos, remove the seeds and membranes and chop the cilantro (reserve a little cilantro for decoration)

Note: if you want more heat, keep the seeds and membranes of the poblano peppers
- bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the chopped cilantro and poblanos and cook over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the poblanos are soft

- using a stick-blender, puree until smooth: this liquid will be the cooking liquid for the rice

- in a thick bottom pan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and rice together for 4-5 minutes

Note: I switched pots mid-recipe after realizing my first pot was too small, hence the differences in pictures :)
- add the garlic and cook for another minute
- pour the poblano broth over the sauteed rice and bring back to a boil
- cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes over very-low heat, or until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed

- serve as a side dish to a mexicali, texmex or mexican inspired meal :) This rice is a delicious addition to a grilled mahimahi steak, chicken or pork chops!
- Enjoy!

Braised collard greens with bacon and vinegar

There's a story behind this post.

This recipe stemmed from my love of cookbooks (maybe I should do a post about my faves, what do you think?) combined with a borderline obsession with anything that has to do with the South. I'm a Dixie chick at heart. I love the food (duh!), the landscapes, the warm weather… You get what I'm saying.

So when I stumbled upon this book, I thought 'Oh, how cool! A book just about New Orleans food'. I had absolutely no idea Treme was actually a show, and only realized it once I started to read the book back in the comfort of my home, curled up in my couch. Don't you love those cocooning sessions, wrapped up in a throw, reading a good book in peace and quiet? I do. And my favorite kind of books to do this are cookbooks.

I've always liked collard greens and just fell in love with the collard greens recipe in the Treme book the moment I saw it. I decided right then and there to adapt it and share it with you guys.

Hope you'll like this recipe :)

PS: go get the Treme cookbook now!


INGREDIENTS (4 to 6 people as a side dish):
- 2.5 lbs collard greens (for me, that was two bunches)
- 4 strips of thick cut bacon (I only had 4 strips left, but feel free to use more)
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- a few sprigs of thyme
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- salt to taste (I actually didn't need any because of how salty the bacon was)


RECIPE:
- remove the ribs of the collard greens and wash and drain the leafy parts

- bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the collard greens for about 2 minutes, drain well and chop into 1 inch wide strips


- in a thick bottom skillet, fry the bacon until crispy over medium-high heat

- add the diced onion, garlic, thyme and chili flakes and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until the onion is transparent

- add the vinegar, broth, bring to a boil and add the chopped greens

- cover and simmer for 2 hours over very low heat until the greens are tender

- serve warm
- those Southern-style collard greens make a perfect side dish to pan-fried ham and grits :)
- enjoy!