Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I don't know when it happened, but I love brussel sprouts. Nowadays I can't seem to get enough of them. Any excuse. My favorite way to make them is super simple. It's all by eye and taste. And goes with so many things.

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts - cut in half
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan, grated finely
chile pepper flakes (optional)
garlic, finely chopped (optional)
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F

Toss the brussel sprouts in oil, salt and pepper and any of the optional ingredients you want.
Spread onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until crispy on the outside (but not burnt) but soft enough on the inside to be easily pierced by a fork.

Sweet Potatoes and Mango Relish

I've been making this recipe for at least 10 years now. It is easy, good in winter or summer and packed full of flavor. It's really hard to mess up sweet potatoes - just add a couple spices and they are golden! The salsa is really flexible. I often use a little of whatever my favorite tomato salsa from the store is at the moment to mix in with the mangos, sweet peppers, and lime, and cilantro.

Ingredients:

for the potatoes
4 sweet potatoes, skin left on, scrubbed, and sliced into wedges
1 tsp each cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

for the salsa
1 large mango, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro (more if you want)
zest and juice of one lime
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 spicey tomato salsa of your choice.
1 Tbsp hot sauce (a non-vinegary but smokey one, such as boulder or d'oni - no tobasco!!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Toss together all the ingredients for the potatoes in a large bowl. Make sure the potatoes are well coated with oil (add more oil if needed). Spread on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once (bake until the begin to brown on the edges and are tender in the center).
While the potatoes are baking, mix together the ingredients for the salsa. Let sit 30 minutes (overnight is best) before serving so flavors can mix.

Black Beans

These are some of the best beans I know. They take a day of being at home in order to make them, but there really are only three major steps and a lot of simmering. (great to cook on a day of cleaning.) Now that I've been making them regularly, it's hard to go back to any other kind of bean. I want them all to be this flavorful.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black beans, rinced
1/2 onion, whole
1 bay leaf
7 springs fresh oregano
7 garlic cloves, 3 smooshed with the side of the knife, 4 finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped, both white and green parts.
2 green peppers, diced.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil

Directions:

Place beans in a bowl. Cover with water by 3 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible.

Drain and rince beans. Put in heavy pot and cover again with water by about 3 inches. Add bay leaf, half onion, smooshed garlic, oregano, and about a teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until beans are soft and most of the water is absorbed. If you need to add water, add it by the half cup full. You want there to be liquid with the beans, but more of a stew consistency, not a soup.

Once beans are desired texture, heat oil in pan over medium high heat. Add chopped garlic, and green onions and saute until garlic begins to turn gold. Add green beans and cumin. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the green peppers are soft.

Add saute mixture to the beans. Add another teaspoon salt. Let simmer for 15-30 more minutes to mix the flavors.

Chard with Cherries and Lemon

I never used to cook chard or collard greens. I knew they were good for me, but didn't like their bitter taste. But as soon as I began subscribing to a vegetable CSA, I started to get a ton of these in my boxes, so I had to figure out something to do. I finally figured this recipe for a side dish out, and I love it. It's very flexible, any jam or dried fruit will do. But the key is lemon and garlic along with the sweetness of the jam.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil (or even better, avocado oil)
1/2 red onion or 2 shallots
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch chard (stems removed and thinly chopped, leaves thickly chopped)
Juice (no more than 2 Tbsp) and zest of 1 lemon
a quarter cup (really a handful) of dried cherries or cranberries
1 tablespoon berry jam

Directions:
Heat oil in small wok over medium heat.
Saute the onion and garlic until garlic begins to become golden.
Add chard and stir occasionally until it wilts and becoems bright green.
Stir in lemon juice and zest, dried cherries and jam. Cook for 1 more minute so flavors can mix.

Sweet Potatoes with Lime Reduction

I think this is going to become one of the staple side dishes in my house. I made it for a friend who came to dinner paired with a greek lemon-marinated grilled chicken, and a basic marinated roasted vegetable salad. I found the inspiration for this recipe on epicurious.com, and I will say, the core: the sweet potatoes, the lime, and the chives are a threesome that made a very solid base - the sweet, the sour, and the bitter/savory.

The funny thing is that this dish has lead to three separate conversations on the difference between chives and green onions (including one with my dentist!). The answer (I had to look it up) is this: they are both of the onion family, but difference species. a good explanation is here at The New Cook.

Ingredients:
for potatoes:
3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 to 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tbsps olive oil
salt
black pepper

for reduction:
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
juice and zest from two limes

2 Tbps chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until coated well, then spread in 1 layer on a

shallow baking pans. Roast until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
While potatoes are roasting, mix water, sugar, and lime juice and zest to a simmer in a very small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves (about 30 seconds). Reduce to a simmer and let cook until the liquid is reduced to half (about 3-4 Tbps), which will take about 3-4 minutes.
Toss potatoes with syrup and zest in a large bowl, then sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.