Baked Brussels Sprouts

4 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed, and cut in half
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Serves 12.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place the Brussels sprouts into a casserole. Arrange pieces of butter on top of the sprouts. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until sprouts are just barely tender. Stir now and then to keep them from sticking. During the last 10 minutes, sprinkle the pine nuts over the sprouts. When the sprouts are done, sprinkle blue cheese over them before serving.

This is also good simplified... put the sprouts in the dish, drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, bake for 30-40 minutes.  Done.

Ginger and Honey Carrots

Two pounds baby carrots

Salt
2 Tbsp butter

2 pieces of fresh ginger (each about two inches long), peeled and julienned

3 Tbsp honey

Peel and wash carrots.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. 

Salt water, add carrots, and reduce heat. 

Simmer until carrots are almost tender. 

Remove carrots from heat, and drain.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add ginger, and saute, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes. 

Add carrots and honey, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until carrots are glazed. 

Serves 8-10

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Shallots

• 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots (about 8), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips (about 6), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
• 8 shallots, halved if large
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• Olive Relish, for serving (see under Pickles and Relishes label in sidebar)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss carrots, parsnips, and shallots with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto 2 baking sheets, and roast, turning sheets twice and rotating once, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 35 minutes (remove shallots if cooked first). Serve with olive relish.

Serves 12

Carrot Puree

• 6 pounds carrots, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 
  
• Place carrots in a dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
• Puree carrots in a blender or with a potato masher, adding cooking liquid as needed, until thinned but still chunky. Stir in salt, and season with pepper.
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Serves 12

Spiced Carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 pounds carrots, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cup water
Coarse salt

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Add garlic cloves, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and ground cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add carrots, lemon zest, water, and coarse salt; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and serve.

Serves 16

Honey Glazed Carrots

• 2 tablespoons oil, such as safflower or coconut oil
• 4 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths, halved if thick
• 2 cups canned chicken broth or water
• 1 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 
  
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots; cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, 2 minutes.
• Add broth, honey, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook over medium-high until carrots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 7 to 9 minutes more (there should be only a small amount of liquid remaining).
• Remove skillet from heat; add butter, and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• 
  

Serves 12

Creamy Carrot Rice

3 cans chicken broth, 14 1/2 ounces each
3 cups carrot juice
6 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups long-grain rice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine broth, carrot juice, and 6 cups water in a 6-quart saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

 
Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 9-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. 

Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. 

Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Raise heat to medium; add rice and cook, stirring until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup hot broth mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until most liquid is absorbed. 

Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and rice is tender but still a little firm to the bite, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Divide among dishes, and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan.

Serves 12

Nasi Goreng

8 slices of bacon

2 cups diced red onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green onion
1/2 cup grated carrots
6 cloves garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup soy sauce (ketjap manis)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup catsup/ketchup (without corn syrup)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp curry powder
One pinch to 1 Tbsp sambal oelek (red pepper paste) to individual taste

10-12 cups cooked & cooled rice (basmati or jasmine)

4 beaten eggs
8 chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 cans of low sodium Spam, cubed (believe me, you want Spam, and you want low sodium) :)

In a very large pan or dutch overn, saute the bacon and set it aside, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.

To the bacon fat, add the red onion, celery, first bunch of green onions, grated carrot, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until tender.

Add the soy sauce (ketjap), fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, coriander seeds, white pepper, curry and sambal. Stir & saute for a couple of minutes to let flavors mingle.

Mix in the cooled cooked rice. Put pan aside and keep warm.

In another pan saute the cubes of Spam until just crispy. Mix into the rice.

In the Spam pan add a bit of butter or oil and scramble the beaten eggs, or cook them like an omelet, then cut them into strips.

Crumble the bacon. Serve the nasi topped with egg bits, bacon bits, raw green onion, and cilantro.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Mary (8): I love this salad. It's like eating juice.

Catherine (6): I had one whole plate of it. And then I had more.

Dressing
2 lemons
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

Salad
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted
3 c. strawberries (1 lb)
1 medium cucumber
1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges
12 oz baby spinach

For dressing:
Zest lemon to measure 1 teaspoon zest.
Juice lemon to measure 4 tablespoons juice.
Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a bowl.
Whisk until well blended.
Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

For salad:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Spread almonds in single layer over a baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted
Remove from oven & let cool.
Hull strawberries & cut them into quarters.
Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then slice halves.
Slice onion into thin wedges.
Place spinach in large salad bowl; add strawberries, cucumber & onion.

Whisk dressing; pour over salad & gently toss to coat.

Top with toasted almonds.