Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Recipe

One of my favorite sides is brussels sprouts. Growing up, I would NEVER eat them. I had only tried them steamed which were awful. They were like tiny stinky cabbages. No thank you. My mom loved them, but the rest of my family did not.

Many many years later, I was in NYC for work and I went to dinner with my co-workers at one of Mario Batali's restaurants, Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria. Someone ordered the roasted brussels sprouts and convinced me to try it again and I was hooked.

For a long time, I would only order them out, but then I started buying them and trying new ways of cooking them. I have roasted them and sauteed them many different ways. But one of my favorites is super simple and I always have the ingredients on hand for it.

INGREDIENTS

Brussels Sprouts
A couple cloves of garlic thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar (a good one. I have a few that I buy locally, but I used Big Horn (local) which you can order online)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut off the stems of your brussels sprouts. Then chop them in half if they are on the large side. This helps them cook faster.

2. Heat your olive oil at medium heat in a saute pan. I usually just swirl the bottle a couple times in the pan.

3. Add your brussels sprouts. Stir to coat with the oil. Add in salt and pepper to your taste. Turn down your heat if they are cooking quickly. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

4. Once the brussels are close to being done, add in your garlic to brown. Do not burn your garlic.

5. Once the brussels are cooked to your liking (browned and semi-soft), turn down the heat to low and add in your balsamic vinegar. Start with a little and add more as you like. I usually let the vinegar cook in for about 2 to 3 minutes.

 Big Horn Balsamic Vinegar

6. Serve and enjoy.

Do you love brussels sprouts?

Recipe: Meatloaf

Growing up my mom made the best meatloaf. Now I know what you are thinking...meatloaf can be so blah. I rarely eat meatloaf other than this recipe because it usually disappoints. But I promise, this is the best meatloaf.
Course: Entree          Level: Easy
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (15 - 20% fat content) 
• 1/4 cup cornflake crumbs
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1 egg
• 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line 9 x 13 inch pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
3. In a separate bowl, combine ground chuck, egg, diced onion, cornflake crumbs, 3/4 of one can tomato sauce and half of each spice: pepper, garlic salt and onion salt. 
4. Do not over mix as the meatloaf can get tough.
5. Shape mixture into a ball and place in the 9 x 13 inch pan. Push the center of the ball down and pat sides to make a uniform shape. 
6. Pour remaining 1 1/4 cans of tomato sauce on top of meatloaf.
7. Sprinkle remaining spices on the tomato sauce.
8. Cook for 1 hour. 

Ingredients

 

Mix ground chuck, egg, cornflake crumbs, onion, 3/4 can tomato sauce, half spices

Form into a ball, place in pan and push center down while patting edges of meatloaf.

Pour remaining tomato sauce and spices on top, bake, serve and enjoy!

Note: I used a smaller pan as I had other side dishes using the 9 x 13 inch pan. It is better to cook in a larger pan, so the juices don't build up around the meatloaf.

The Awkward First Post

So I decided to start a blog after a year of contemplation.  I read blogs daily for recipes, DIY ideas, fashion, the personal stories, travels and places to see.  I love to cook.  I am constantly traveling for work and pleasure.  I have a bit of a shopping problem especially online shopping.  I love to talk about myself.  I want to get my voice out there, so I finally gave in and decided to start a blog.

I love sparkles.  Everything with sparkles from sequins to diamonds.  I became a little obsessed with Spike The Punch jewelry.  Before she had her store up, you had to follow her on twitter and etsy to score one of her amazing Rainey Necklaces.  Every time she posted her necklaces, which were about five of them, they would be gone in seconds.  It always seemed they became available when I was in an elevator with barely any service or early in the morning.  After months and months of trying, I finally scored one.  Then she started her store and I instantly bought two more.  I know online shopping problems.  But the point of this rambling was, I love sparkles, whether it is a sequin piece of clothing or the diamond engagement ring I not so secretly beg for, every girl needs a little sparkle in her life.

I drink a latte every day.  More specifically a Skinny Vanilla Latte.  Since I am hypoglycemic (basically can't have too much sugar otherwise my sugar levels rise and crash and I get dizzy and sick) I drink sugar free lattes as much as possible.

I have some idea where I want this to go and how far I want this to go, but as for now, bare with me, as I learn to blog.