Roasted Brusselsprouts with Potatoes & Bacon

Another instalment in my 101in1001 challenge - this time it was to give Brussels sprouts another try. To say that I am not fond of Brussels sprouts is putting it lightly. I don't like the taste, I don't like the texture; in short - I could comfortably do without ever eating Brussels sprouts again. But, seeing as TheHusband has quite a fondness for these little buggers, I decided to give them another go. 

I set about finding a recipe that promised to maximise the taste, adapted it a wee bit (by adding apples and leaving out the onion, as I had none), and this is what ensued.

I can't say it was the best dish I've ever had, but they certainly weren't as bad as I've had them before. The roasting do seem to bring out the best in the Brussels sprouts. Whether I would make it again? Maybe, but it will mostly be for TheHusband's benefit!

(On a side-note - the warmed up left-overs the next day seemed to benefit from a spoonful of wholegrain mustard stirred through)

Serves 4 - 6 (as a side-dish)

750g baby potatoes, cubed
500g fresh brusselsprouts
1 onion, cubed
1 big golden delicious apple, cubed
6 slices shoulder bacon, cut into 1cm strips
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 220C.
2. Cut a cross into the bottom of each Brussels sprout.
3. Combine the potatoes, Brussels sprouts, onions, apples and bacon in large bowl; toss with the oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss again.
4. Transfer to a oven dish and roast, stirring every 15 minutes until the veggies are tender and well browned (35 to 40 min.)
5. While still warm, toss the butter & lemon juice over, until the butter has melted and all the veggies are well coated. Serve immediately.

Greek Green Bean Stew

This is so good, especially if you have it the next day, when the flavours have had a chance to really settle in. It reminds me of a ratatouille.

Serves 4

olive oil
1 medium onion, halved & cut into slices
1 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
1 medium aubergine, diced
3 large handfuls of green beans, chopped into lengths (about 4cm)
250g baby tomatoes, halved
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Sprinkle aubergine with salt and leave to drain in a colander for about 30 mins.
2. Saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in a little olive oil until soft, but not browned. This takes around 10 minutes. I usually saute it over high heat for the first few minutes, then lower the heat, put the lid on and let the steam take care of the rest. Remove and set aside.
3. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and saute the aubergines over medium heat until just cooked.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes and onion & greenpepper mix and season with salt, pepper & a little sugar. Lower the heat, cover and let simmer until the beans are tender and the tomatoes have cooked away a bit.
5. Serve while hot, with the feta crumbled over each serving.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 195.5 Total Fat 14.6 g Saturated Fat 4.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g Monounsaturated Fat 8.4 g Cholesterol 16.7 mg Sodium 469.1 mg Potassium 174.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 12.4 g Dietary Fiber 2.7 g Sugars 1.6 g Protein 5.0 g

Bacon & Mint Filled Butternut

Dinner tonight was a stroke of brilliance, if I do have to say so myself.

Was eating alone and not keen on too much effort and I had a butternut lurking in my fridge for quite some time now. Then it hit me - wouldn't bacon, onion & green pepper make a particularly yummy filling for it? Then my eye caught some fresh mint leaves left over from earlier this week's tapas menu. So I ended up with this fabulous blend of flavours:

1 butternut, sliced in half lengthways
1 greenpepper, diced finely
1 packet of bacon, diced finely
half a onion, diced finely
half a tomato, chopped
few sprigs of mint, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1. Put the butternut in a saucepan filled with a little bit of water, cover and cook until soft, but still sturdy enough to hold the filling.
2. Heat a seperate pan and fry the bacon for a few minutes, add the onion and green pepper, and cook until done. Add a little oil, if neccessary. Now add the tomato and mint and cook through.
3. Scoop out some of the flesh of the butternut, to make a big enough hollow for the filling, and fill up with the bacon mixture. Sprinkle over some grated cheese and either put under the grill to melt, or wait a few minutes to let it melt from the heat of the bacon mixture.

Et voila!

Note: The combination of the sweet butternut, the salty bacon and the, well, MINTY mint is fantastic!

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 486.2 Total Fat 25.0 g Saturated Fat 11.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g Cholesterol 29.7 mg Sodium 1,444.0 mg Potassium 1,118.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 40.6 g Dietary Fiber 11.4 g Sugars 1.1 g Protein 44.1 g