ROASTED BRUSSELS'S MEDLEY

  YOU WILL NEED:

§        24 fresh washed or frozen thawed Brussels’s sprouts

§        3 ripe Roma tomatoes

§        3 to 5 garlic cloves according to your taste

§        3 stalks of celery

§        7 mushrooms

§        one small onion

§        1 tsp chopped fresh or dried basil

§        1 tsp fresh chopped or dried oregano

§        1 tsp crushed anise seeds (optional)

§        1 tbsp sugar

§        1 tbsp lemon juice

§        1 stick of butter or margarine

§        3 tbsp olive oil

§    1 to two tsp or to taste salt, sea salt if you have it. More salt is preferable for roasting Brussels’s sprouts.

§        1 tsp or to taste pepper, fresh cracked pepper if you have it

§        ¼ tsp hot cayenne pepper

§        more salt and pepper to adjust seasoning to taste

   Mix the olive oil, salt and pepper together and toss all the Brussels’s sprouts in that mixture coating all well. Place an oven shelf at about the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 420° F. Place the sprouts on a cookie sheet and in the oven on the shelf. Set your timer for 30 minutes.

     Chop the onion and celery, and slice the mushrooms, and set all in a dish covered so the onions don’t bother your eyes. Peel and seed your tomatoes and chop into large, about ¾ inch pieces, and set in a bowl. Crush your garlic cloves by placing them under your large chef’s knife (the large wide all purpose blade best for chopping) blade and smashing it with your hand. Then you will see that the peels will loosen and easily pull off. Mince the peeled garlic small and place in a little ramekin, or dish. Crush your anise seeds with a mortar and pestle or between two spoons. Place them, the basil and the oregano into a little ramekin or dish. Wash off your cutting board and knife and keep them at hand for later use.

     Cut your butter into pats, and melt it in a large skillet, and as soon as it is melted add the onion, celery, and mushroom mixture. Turn your heat down and sauté for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for about three to five more minutes until the onions just start to get translucent. Add your minced garlic and basil oregano and anise mixture and also add your cayenne here, and stir in. raise your heat to hot for one minute stirring the mix. Take off the heat.

     Hopefully your timing is about at the thirty minute mark to check your Brussels’s sprouts. You want the sprouts to just be starting to toast brown on the edges. If they have more to go cover your veggie medley until they are toasted. As soon as your sprouts are done take them out and set them to cool for just a moment. Have the cutting board and sharp chef’s knife ready. Mix your sugar and lemon and have handy.

     Turn on the heat under your skillet again, and add in the tomatoes, stir in and lower the heat to medium.

    Next take your roasted sprouts, still warm, and roll them on to your cutting board. Chop them very loosely. Just in half or in quarters. Add them all at once to the skillet, as well add your sugar and lemon here, and turn the heat to high gently blending everything till all is heated through. Then serve. Ideally your tomatoes will just be hot but still flavorful and with body, your sprouts will have toasty edges but be tender, celery will be just slightly crisp but cooked. This dish does not need to be over cooked. It will still taste delicious if cooked too much, but the fresh textures and tastes you are looking for will be missing. I must apologize that I didn’t get a better photo of the medley cooked, it’s shown here with fried onion rings and tilapia along side mac-n-cheese. I ate it all before I looked at these pics closely and realized that the sprouts are hard to see in the medley. Trust me though in that they were delicious.

Blessings mes amis