Flatbread Pizza with Spaghetti Squash, Pear, Brussel Sprouts and Balsamic Drizzle

Okay that's a very long name for a food, but no real easy to shorten it so there you go.

Though I took a short sabbatical from posting, food is never far from my mind and I'm looking forward to bringing you some new fall dishes and dessert treats as we go into the holiday season.

But to start, brussel sprouts...they really are the most adorable little mini cabbages!  Teeny and delicious and very fun to cook with.  So the inspiration for this pizza came from the flatbread appetizer I'd mentioned last time. Made one or two K2 alterations and voila! Something new and exciting.

Flatbread Pizza with Spaghetti Squash, Pears, Brussel Sprouts and Balsamic Drizzle
Since this is a pizza recipe, I don't have exact measurements for everything, just adjust the amounts to what you like and go from there.

Flatbread rounds
Olive oil
Spaghetti squash, roasted and "spaghetti'd"
Brussel sprouts, quartered
Pear, sliced thin
White cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced

PRE-PREP

Spaghetti Squash -- cut the squash in half, scoop out the guts, bake at 350 degrees (face up) for 30-40 minutes.  Take a fork and scrape the insides out to spaghetti it.

Brussel Sprouts -- quarter the sprouts and dry fry them (no oil or coating) in a non-stick pan for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender (and not zombified).

Pear -- slice the pear very thin (1/8") and dry fry them in a non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes or until almost translucent.

Balsamic Vinegar -- in a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup balsamic to a boil, allow to boil for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to reduce.  Set aside and let it continue to reduce in the pan away from the heat. You can use whatever type of balsamic you'd like, I actually had a sample bottle of Cranberry Pear Balsamic that really did the trick.

LAYERING

I brushed my flatbread with olive oil to give it a minimum coating and add some moisture.

Then I laid my pear slices down, sprinkled them with the shredded white cheddar.

Next I added the brussel sprouts and covered it all with a thin layer of the spaghetti squash.

Finally, I drizzled a moderate amount of the balsamic reduction across the top of the pizza.

Baked at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, though you can do less time or more time depending on how done you like your pizza.

All that's left is to slice and enjoy.

Little shout out here to my friend Bethany who served as guinea pig on this my latest culinary experiment.  It got a two thumbs up so I think you're going to like it too.

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Good and Good For You: Brussel Sprouts

Okay, I've got to be honest with you, I've never been a big fan of the brussel sprout. Despite it's adorable teeny weeny cabbage cuteness, there was just something so green and healthy and green about it that as a child I avoided them like little mini plagues.

Well a couple of weeks ago, I was at one of my favorite dining spots, a lovely wine bar with an ever-changing menu, and for one of their selections that evening they had a flatbread with shaved brussel sprouts, grilled spaghetti squash, phaeta, and toasted almonds with a balsamic drizzle. Un-for-get-able. Loved the flavor combo so much it made me want to try it at home so that will be coming at you in the next post.

But in the meantime, I wanted to reexamine these brussel sprouts (pronounced with a hint of condescension). And guess what, they turn out to be very good for you.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Brussel sprouts are a cruciferous veggie like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale.

They are chocked full of sulforaphane, a compound believed to have strong anticancer properties. The compound acts as a detoxifier and helps the body clear itself of potential carcinogens.

Sulforaphane in combination with the veggie's high fiber content contributes to reducing bad cholesterol as well as removing toxins that contribute to aging.  

Brussel sprouts are a good source of vitamin A, C and K. 

Though it is recommended that heart patients taking anticoagulants should not eat excessive amounts of brussel sprouts because vitamin K helps to clot blood.

Like other cruciferous veggies, brussel sprouts contain indoles (organic compounds) which are being studied for their affects on cell repair which makes them a great anti-aging veggie treat.

When you buy brussel sprouts, you want to choose those with tight, bright green heads, avoid any with yellow on the leaves.

It is best to cut the stem off up to the base of the leaves and to score them deeply once or twice to help ensure that they cook through.

They don't need long to cook, 5-7 minutes depending on your method. Brussel sprouts can be boiled, grilled, roasted, steamed, or stir-fried. Boiling tends to leach out the nutrients that make them so good for you while roasting them brings out their best flavor.

DO NOT overcook brussel sprouts! This cannot be emphasized enough. Because they basically turn into a zombiefied version of themselves -- they turn grey, get mooshy, smell bad, and take on a much less than pleasant taste.

Brussel sprouts DO taste best, though, when serve with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, Parmesan cheese, bacon, meaty nuts (like almonds, pine nuts, chestnuts or pistachios), brown sugar, and/or pepper.

So...yum, let's give these veggies a whirl.

Ooey Gooey Crunchy Chewy Monster Eyeballs

I know using "eyeballs" in a food title is problematic but it's almost Halloween!!!  I will warn you that while these are adorably disturbing, they are a little messy to make...but delicious.

Ooey Gooey Crunchy Chewy Monster Eyeballs

1-1/4 cup dried apricots, small chopped
1 cup dates, small chopped
1 cup pecans, small chopped
1 cup flaked, sweetened coconut
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
4-5 graham crackers, crushed
1 (16 oz.) package milk chocolate CandiQuik
Wilton candy eye

In a large bowl, mix together dried apricots, dates, pecans and coconut.  Add the condensed milk and mix until well blended.

Put the mixture in the fridge for about 30 minutes, letting it firm up.

Add enough crushed graham crackers to keep the mixture from being too moist and enough that you can easily roll it into 1-1/2" balls.  Place balls on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

Melt the chocolate bark over low heat.  Once ready to go, dip the balls in the chocolate, shake off any excess, and replace on wax paper.  Pop a candy eye on the top before the chocolate hardens.

Spooktacular!  Nice little rush sugar for all the little ghoulies to enjoy.

Pumpkin Pie'scream

I've not been shy over the years about my undying love of all things pumpkin, and tonight I'm excited to bring you another exciting iteration of that love.  This was one of those driving home from work brainstorm creations.  As always, you're very welcome.

Pumpkin Pie'scream

1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin
2 cups light cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup graham crackers, broken into bits
2-3 tbsp. caramel sauce

Whisk together pumpkin, light cream, sugar, spices, and eggs in a deep saucepan.  Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, then remove from heat.

Transfer mixture to a bowl (preferably metal) and place in the fridge to cool off.

Once the mixture has cooled to at least room temperature, put in the ice cream maker and follow directions of machine to make ice creamy.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a metal baking pan and place in the freezer.  Will take a bit longer, but will work the same.

Once the ice cream reaches soft serve stage, fold in graham cracker bits and caramel sauce (loosely so that the caramel doesn't blend too much).

Transfer to a freezer friendly container and allow to set.

Scoop up, top with some whip cream, garnish with some pecan bits and savor the pumpkin fabulousness of a non-pie piescream treat.

DAD'S NOTE

Dad's recommendation is to take this delicious frozen treat and put it in a pie crust and make it a Pumpkin Pie'scream Pie.  Maybe add some whip cream, a couple pecans...an additional caramel drizzle might not come amiss.  Now you know where my genius comes from.

Angel of Death Brown Sugar Bacon Bites

In honor of tonight's premier of The Walking Dead, I chose to try a heavenly treat from The Snacking Dead combining the peppery pop of cayenne with the warm palate embrace of cinnamon served up on a little slice of bacon bliss.  Enjoy.

Angel of Death Brown Sugar Bacon Bites
variation on original recipe because I need new reading glasses

8 slices of bacon, each cut into 3-inch pieces
   I used a full pack, 12 slices, and cut them into thirds
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
   I used 3/4 tsp. because of the reason italicized above
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and add the bacon pieces in a single layer.

Line another baking sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on top.  Spray the cooling rack with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cayenne and cinnamon. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the bacon pieces.

Bake until the bacon is well browned, crisp and bubbling, 16-18 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from oven.  Transfer the bacon pieces to the cooling rack and set aside to cool completely and firm up before serving.

ah, that would be Dad not waiting until they are cooled

Deadly delightful.

Did I mention you need to get this cookbook?

Check It Out: The Snacking Dead

Yay! It's finally October, my favorite month of the year. With Halloween creeping up at end of the month and the mid-month premiere of The Walking Dead, I found a fun new cookbook to share with you that combines some of my favorite things...creepiness, tongue-in-cheek humor, zombies, and food!

The Snacking Dead:A Parody in a Cookbook by D.B. Walker is fun and freaky. Recipes interspersed with stories of people eating...and we'll just leave it at that. All the recipes tie into the tale of action, drama, and culinary acumen.

How can you pass on Nachos of the Living Dead, Napalm Spicy Chicken Wings, Very Last Call Beer Nuts or Angel of Death Brown Sugar Bacon Bites? You can't if you expect to survive a culinary apocalypse.

Perfect for any twisted culinary cookbook collection or a great gift for your schambler-loving friends.  I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs off! ;)

The Snacking Dead:A Parody in a Cookbook
D.B. Walker
Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2013
ISBN 978-0-7704-35448 ($19.99)

Penne al Greco

 

With the weather getting cooler, I keep getting cravings for pasta so in keeping with my latest exploration of "exotic" flavors, I bring you a tasty Greek-inspired pasta dish.

Penne al Greco

1 lb. box penne pasta
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. Kalamata olives, minced
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped

Prepare noodles according to box directions.  While those are boiling, prep the sauce.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Mix in tomatoes and Kalamata olives, drop temperature to medium-low.

When the noodles are done, rinse with hot water and allow to drain.

Meanwhile, add feta cheese, fresh chopped dill and fresh chopped oregano to the sauce and mix well. 

Serve sauce over the prepared noodles, or blend them all together and enjoy!