Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup

 

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds carrots, roughly chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided

2 cups chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoons red curry paste

2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (15-oz.) can unsalted cannellini beans, drained

3 cups unsalted vegetable stock

1 (15-oz.) can light coconut milk

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced

1 cup cooked lentils

 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together carrots, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450°F until carrots are fork-tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once.

 

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Add curry paste, grated ginger, and crushed red pepper to Dutch oven, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add cooked carrots, cannellini beans, vegetable stock, coconut milk, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes.

 

Pour mixture into a blender. Remove center of blender lid to allow steam to escape; secure lid on blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening in blender lid. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

 

Stir in lime juice and black pepper. Divide soup among 6 bowls; top evenly with cilantro, avocado, and lentils.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

• 2½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  1 large onion, diced
  4 sprigs thyme or savory, plus 2 teaspoons leaves, divided
  1 teaspoon salt
  Freshly ground pepper to taste
  2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If sprouts are very small, cut in half; otherwise cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until brown but not crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan.
• Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, reducing the heat if necessary, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme (or savory) sprigs, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, add the Brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until tender and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs. Add the bacon, thyme (or savory) leaves and lemon juice, if using, and toss.

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Sausage
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup grated parmesan
1 lb (approx 15 large) jalapenos, stems cut off, halved and cleaned of seeds.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  Spray baking dish.
2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain g
   rease.
3. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes.
4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with Ranch dressing.
5. Can be made ahead of time and refridgerated until ready to bake.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• minced garlic

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

*this would also be good with bacon or pancetta