Thursday, October 7, 2010

Recipe: Brussel Sprouts with With Apples and Toasted Pecans

Nowadays I spend just as much time in the kitchen as I do on the trail, whether cooking for host families or working on Murphy's diet. I'm no Rachel Ray but occasionally I concoct something good enough to share especially when I'm way outta my comfort zone.

The other night while at Mommy H's house (Murphy's first mommy), all she had in the fridge was rabbit food - some brussel sprouts and such. It's apple harvest time in the North & she'd just bought a busshel of Ginger Golden (oh, the irony). Rarely do I mix sweet and savory but I didn't have much to work with. Here's what I came up with and surprisingly it's one of the tastiest dishes I've ever made and perfectly fitting for fall season.

Saute some brushel sprouts in butter and salt & pepper until al dente, probably 15-20 minutes. Add chopped white or yellow onions and some minced garlic and continue to pan fry until the onions are translucent. Add a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of white whine, turn up the heat, and add apple slices. I used Pinot Grigio as these wines are typically fruitier than Chards.

This is the tricky part or at least it was for me. How long do you cook the apples? You want them soft enough to sop up the butter and wine but not too mushy. One maybe two minutes may be all you need to reduce it down without turning it into apple sauce.

Add some toasted pecans or whatever nut you prefer though I'd stay away from almonds because of their bitterness. The piece de resistance is a dash of nutmeg to tie all the flavors together.

To be honest, I lacked confidence in it from the get go so after sauteing the brussel sprouts, onions & garlic I set aside one-half before adding the wine and apples. I love the simplicity of brussel sprouts bathed in butter but after sampling the finished product, the other half went right back in the pan.

As someone once said about me, "For a homeless guy, this guy can cook!"

3 comments:

Cynthia Moldenhauer said...

We are going to give it a try tonight. Bre & I love brussel sprouts, but have always done them with bacon, pine nuts, onion and mushrooms. This sounds like a good change! I appreciate your creative cooking contributions. At this point in my life, I have lost all creativity when it comes to meal planning.

Linda Bandow said...

Congrats on your great achievement! And I can hardly wait to try this recipe.....I love brussels sprouts and so does my husband.

Cathleen Garnier said...

This recipe was unbelievable delicious. I have been using this recipe to create different combinations and love it!