Winter Salad with Roast Squash

This salad is a perfect accompaniment to roast pork tenderloin or ham. It offers layers of flavor from the sweetness of honey roasted squash, the tart taste of  pomegranate seeds and balsamic vinegar and the saltiness of pepitas and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

1 small acorn squash, about 1 pound
1 small butternut squash
2 teaspoons honey
5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 cup Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup pepitas
4 - 6 cups fresh spinach
2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Shaved Parmesan cheese or garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice acorn squash into rounds about 1-inch thick. Cut each round in half. Remove seeds.
Peel butternut squash and cut into 1-inch chunks, removing seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared squash on top, spreading out in a single layer. Drizzle honey and 2 Tablespoons olive oil over the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or under soft. Remove from oven and allow to sit on baking sheet to cool slightly.

Remove the ends of the Brussels sprouts and half or quarter, depending on size. Place on small baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast until tender with crispy outer leaves, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit on baking sheet to cool slightly.

Spread pepitas on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to toast slightly in the oven until they are a light brown, about 5 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Place the spinach in large bowl and toss with the balsamic-olive oil mixture.

To assemble salad, place dressed spinach on large platter. Arrange roasted squash and Brussels sprouts on top. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pepitas. Garnish with shaved or grated Parmesan.

Sesame-Soy Ahi Tuna Steaks with Brussels Sprouts

I'm a fan of Brussels sprouts in any recipe. This offering combines a sweet soy marinade that goes so well with both the tuna and the sprouts.

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 pound ahi tuna (3 or 4 steaks)
1  pound Brussels sprouts, with the bottom sliced off and cut in half.
Garlic powder
1 - 2 tsp sesame seeds
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. Asian chili sauce

Instructions

Prepare marinade by whisking together all ingredients.
Place ahi steaks in shallow glass dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Pour 1/3 - 1/2 of the marinade over the tuna steaks and marinate 2 - 24 hours.
Reserve the remaining marinade.

Remove the ahi from the marinade, discard the marinade used with the fish. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Sprinkle each side of the ahi with sesame seeds. Transfer to grill pan and cook 3 - 4 minutes on each side.

Add 1 T. Asian chili sauce to reserved marinade. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 T vegetable oil and 1 T. sesame oil, Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts and saute about 5 minutes until they start to brown slightly. Add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, cover and cook until Brussels sprouts are tender, about 5 minutes.

Top with ahi steaks and serve with rice or couscous.

Pesto Zoodles with Brussels Sprouts

One of my favorite gifts from last year was a spiralizer. I love the idea of taking vegetables and turning them into noodles. This recipe uses spiralized turnips and thinly sliced brussels sprouts, a great combination!

Ingredients

1/4 cup basil pesto
2 cups trimmed Brussels sprouts
3 medium turnips, peeled and spiralized into linguine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Spiralize the turnips into linguine-sized "zoodles". Halve each Brussels sprout and then thinly slice into shreds.
Heat one Tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add turnip zoodles and Brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until turnip noodles are al dente and slightly browned.  Uncover and toss occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl. Add pesto and stir to coat thoroughly. Serve warm.

Teriyaki Salmon with Brussels Sprouts and Shitake Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
4 teaspoons chopped garlic, divided
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
6 salmon fillets (about 1.5 pounds)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
1 Tablespoon Canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms


Instructions

Position rack in center of oven and heat to 450F

In a bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, honey, vinegar, 1 tsp. garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
Place salmon in shallow dish; sprinkle with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of teriyaki mixture. Marinate for 15 minutes.

In second bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with 1.5 tsp. garlic, 1/2 Tablespoon canola oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Coat a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Spread Brussels sprouts in pan in a single layer. Roast until light brown, about 5 minutes.

In a third bowl, toss mushrooms with 1/2 Tablespoon canola oil, 1.5 tsp. garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Move Brussels sprouts to the center of pan. Top with salmon. Place mushroom in pan around edges.
Roast, stirring mushrooms occasionally until salmon is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Top cooked salmon with remaining teriyaki mixture; serve over Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.

Brussels Sprouts Hash

Ingredients

2 slices bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pints Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into quarters
3 red potatoes, quartered
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Cook bacon in skillet. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but one Tablespoon of grease.
Add butter and shallots to pan. Saute until golden, about five minutes. Add garlic and saute one more minute. Add Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Saute about 3 minutes more until lightly browned. Add broth; Cover and cook until crisp tender and liquid is almost gone, about 5 minutes more. Uncover. Cook off any remaining liquid. Add vinegar and sugar. Cook, stirring for about two minutes. Crumble bacon on top. Salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup

The lowly Brussels Sprout makes a favorful contribution with this recipe. This recipe comes from The Denver Post, November 19, 2014 edition.

Ingredients

3 slices bacon, thick cut is better
1 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise if they are larger than a walnut
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp and browned. Transfer it to paper-towels to drain.
Save the bacon fat.

In large saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add the sprouts and cook until they turn a bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold water and drain again. Pat with paper towels to dry thoroughly.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss the sprouts with the bacon fat and spread onto prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until they start to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle sprouts with maple syrup and stir to coat evenly. Return sprouts to oven and continue baking, stirring occasionally, until syrup has reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes more.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving bowl and top with crumbled bacon.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1.25 pounds brussels sprouts

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Heat oven to 400F. Trim ends from brussels sprouts. In bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.

Add brussels sprouts and toss to coat uniformly. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange on rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes or until tender and browned. Flip once during cooking time to ensure even cooking.