RECIPE INDEX & RESOURCES

Friday, July 5, 2013

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado

I had been whining earlier in the week as July began here with gray skies and rain. But it turned out this whining was much ado about nothing as by mid-week the sun and blue skies returned along with some pretty warm temperatures. Living near the water means the temperature can be slightly cooler and then there is always the breeze coming off the ocean that makes warm sunny days comfortable. But warm is warm and hot is hot, no matter how one tries to rationalize it. So why I decided to heat up the oven (in the unair-conditioned house) to roast pecans and brussel sprouts is probably a little odd, but I had been wanting to make Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado recipe ever since I came upon it and didn't want to wait much longer.


The combination of flavors and textures in this dish was not like anything I had tasted before. The combination of the toasted pecans, roasted brussel sprouts and creamy avocado takes brussel sprouts to quite a delicious level (for those of you who are rather nonchalant or even indifferent to brussel sprouts, this roasted version might help you change your mind about them). 


But to be honest here, I thought this dish was even more flavorful when it came to room temperature rather than it was still very warm. So I don't think I will serve it 'warm or hot' the next time I make it. For me, this would be a perfect dish to serve with chicken or a grilled flank steak in any season regardless of the temperature outside.

Toasting pecans in the oven transforms them, making them even more flavorful. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of pecan halves but I didn't think that was enough in comparison with the amount of brussel sprouts the recipe called for, so I increased them to 3/4 cup. In a pre-heated oven, the pecans are toasted at 400 degrees for five minutes. Once cooled, they are coarsely chopped.


I had found some beautiful brussel sprouts in the grocery store. My little store in town always has perfectly ripe avocados and I always have a wide variety of nuts in the house, so the warm weather was not going to prevent these ingredients from coming together. And hey, it's summer, warmth is a good thing, it's what we endure the winter for, right?

After trimming the ends of the brussel sprouts, they are first blanched in lightly salted boiling water for about three minute or until they are bright green in color. After they are drained, you lightly pat them dry and then cut them in half.



Placed on either one or two large baking sheets (I used one) the brussel sprouts are tossed with a 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. They are baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are just tender and nicely browned on the bottom. If you have enough room for all of the brussel sprouts, roast in the top or bottom third of the oven. If you divide them between two baking sheets place one on the top third rack and the other on the bottom third rack, rotating them halfway through the baking time.



Until seeing this recipe I would have never thought to add avocado to any roasted vegetable. Guess my culinary creativity or inventiveness needs some work! I love being able to buy a ripe avocado as opposed to buying the ones where you have to wait a few days before they ripe. I am an instant avocado gratification kind of girl.


The roasted brussel sprouts are transferred to a large bowl and tossed with the chopped avocado, thyme and pecans. After again seasoning with salt and pepper, you drizzle the mixture with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately or allow to come to room temperature (you can taste them warm, but I also want you to taste them room temperature to decide for yourself which way or ways you like them). 

For those of you who like goat cheese, you can consider adding goat cheese crumbles to the top of this dish as that would add yet another flavor and texture. I wouldn't say I am goat cheese crazy, but anytime I can add goat cheese, I will (scrambled eggs with goat cheese and roasted asparagus with goat cheese are two of my favorites). 

Recipe
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado (slightly variation to the recipe created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten)

Ingredients
3/4 cups pecan halves( toasted and then coarsely chopped)
2 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large avocado (cut into 1/2 inch dice)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
2 - 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the pecan halves on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool and then very coarsely chop.
3. Blanch the brussel sprouts in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until bright green. Drain, pat dry and half in half.
4. Using either one or two large baking sheets, toss the brussel sprouts with the extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place brussel sprouts cut side down before putting in the 400 degree oven. Bake in the upper and/or lower third of the oven (if using two baking pans) for 20 minutes or until just tender and nicely browned on the bottom.
5. In a large serving bowl, toss the brussel sprouts with the pecans, avoado and thyme. Season to taste with salt and  pepper.
6. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and serve. Recommend allowing the dish to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving as the flavors are even more enhanced. 

There are a few things that can make for a great start to holiday that don't involve food. One of these would be going to an antique show where almost everything on display is from the time period I love (early 1800s to mid-1800s). Even better, it would be going to antique show less than 10 minutes from where I live, taking it all in, finding a few treasures and then still being able to get to the beach (before the beach parking lot is closed). This would have been the start of this year's 4th of July. In my world, this was as perfect as a start as I could have imagined (other than having my family and friends with me on this day). 

I find it great fun to take photos of the things I come across at antique shows, sometimes because they are interesting or unusual or sometimes because it might be something I am thinking about buying (every now and then I show restraint, sometimes with regret). So I was surprised when one of the antique dealers would not let me take a photo of an item in their booth (maybe I shouldn't have asked permission). The piece I couldn't photo was a memory jug (jugs that have been decorated with broken pieces of glass, china, trinkets or even shells.) While I have neither the time, talent nor inclination to 'replicate' such a piece (the reason the dealers didn't want the item photographed, fear of reproduction), it was one of those pieces that fell into the category of interesting and possibly own worthy. For a moment I thought I would tell the dealers I had a photographic memory, but then I wasn't sure how well that would have been received (wicked or weird or both could have been the impression I would have made, but thankfully I chose to keep my wicked and sometimes weird sense of humor to myself). Without an actual photo, I will just rely on the mental picture I took of the memory jug (as it was quite interesting).  Fortunately all was not lost and I have been able to visually enjoy the 'couldn't live without couple of treasures' I did find at the antique show. Keeping my thoughts to myself turned out to be my experience of showing restraint for the day.