30 Days A Vegan: Week 1

Day 1:

• Breakfast: Avocado Toast on Grain Bread and coffee with Califia Farms Almond Milk Creamer – If you’re looking for a non-dairy, low-fat, and/or low-calorie all natural creamer, I HIGHLY recommend this brand. I’ve had all 3 flavors, and they’re delicious. I started using them months ago, so this isn’t a vegan thing, it’s a delicous coffee thing.
• Lunch: Pasta with Asparagus, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Pesto, and Roast Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms, and Broccolini – I realized after the fact that I inadvertently strayed from full vegan here, as the pesto contains Parmesan cheese. #RookieMistake
• Dinner: Since it was #PizzaFriday, we ordered from Domino’s. I had a thin crust pizza with double mushroom, black olives, diced tomatoes, green pepper, and onions, and no cheese, and a mixed green salad with simple vinaigrette. – I know, I know, pizza without cheese? Is that really pizza? Call it a veggie flatbread if it makes you feel better, but it was delicious, and I didn’t miss the cheese at all. Seriously.
• Snacks: Marcoa almonds while waiting for our pizza. Oh, and cocktails. Is it Friday night without a cocktail?
• Thoughts: This was a rather easy day, and set me up for a good start. What I knew before this, and is even more evident now, is that this type of diet (definition a, b, or c, not d) will require more planning and prep than I’ve had to do previously. Really, not a bad thing at all, but something to take into consideration.

Day 2:

• Breakfast: Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Zucchini Grillini, no cheese, and Organic Vegetable Soup from Jason’s Deli – This was our first trip to a Jason’s, and we’re already excited to go back. The menu looked awesome, the salad bar was STOCKED with some great options and healthy grain salads to top your greens, and they have free ice cream. That’s right, FREE ICE CREAM. Of course, I couldn’t have any, but what a cool option available for young and old alike as an incentive to finish their meal.
• Dinner: Portobello Tacos with Vegan Jalapeno Sauce – I’ve “warned” Jim we’d probably be enjoying a lot of Mexican food, as the easiest way to enjoy any vegetable is to wrap it in a tortilla and top with salsa. These were delicious, and my first experiment with cashew based sauces. Great flavor, but I wish I would have had time to soak the cashews longer, our errands that day took longer than expected, and added another jalapeno for kick.
• Snacks: Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole and Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas – Tequila is vegan, right?
• Thoughts: Again, I’m pretty early into this experiment, so it wasn’t too tough, but I did find myself wanting a cookie from the jar in the kitchen and ice cream during lunch, but it wasn’t too difficult to tell myself no. I also stocked up at Trader Joe’s on some staples for future meals, as well as some treats such as Honey Roasted Almond slices for salads and snacking, as well their Frozen Coconut Dessert With Chocolate, which basically just tasted like delicious chocolate ice cream with a faint hint of coconut. Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Day 3:

• Breakfast: Leftover Portobello Tacos with Jalapeno Sauce and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Leftover pizza from Friday and veggie sandwich from Saturday
• Dinner: Snack plate of veggies, hummus, and pita chips
• Snacks: Prosecco 🙂
• Thoughts: Anything is doable when it’s enjoyed with bubbles!

Day 4:

• Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly Chia Pudding, Avocado Toast, and Coffee
• Lunch: Snack plate of veggies, hummus, and pita chips
• Dinner: Sautéed mushroom, asparagus, and onions with jalapeños, corn, and kale over quinoa topped with jalapeño cashew sauce
• Snacks: Republic of Tea’s Coconut Cocoa Tea with Coconut Milk
• Thoughts: The struggle was real today. I was on my own with the kids for dinner, and I had the idea to go to Culver’s to get take-out. I could have a veggie burger and sweet potato fries, right? Wrong! The veggie burgers contained cheese. Luckily I had looked it up before getting into line. My alternate dinner was good, but I was really hoping for some sweet potato fries. In other news, that PB&J Chia Pudding was AMAZING. Seriously, so, so good. And easy too. I think it took me all of 10 minutes to mix it up into 5 servings for some quick weekday breakfasts. Can’t wait to try other flavor combinations. <runs off to google some more chia pudding recipes before bed>

Day 5:

• Breakfast: Caramel Latte with Coconut Milk & Fruit Cup from Starbucks
• Lunch: Panera’s Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with almonds
• Dinner:  Out with a Friend for Mexican: DIEZ VECES MÁS LOCO VEGETARIANO: Zucchini, red peppers, green peppers, carrots, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, with Rice and Beans … and chips, salsa, and table-side guacamole. Obviously.
• Snacks: n/a … which lead to the massive amounts of chips and salsa consumed at dinner

Day 6:

• Breakfast: PB&J Chia Seed Pudding and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Mediterranean Salad from Potbelly with no chicken or cheese
• Dinner: Vegetable Sushi Rolls with Sesame Miso Kale Salad
• Snacks: Popcorn and Rosé
• Thoughts: Real talk. This evening I sniffed the cookie jar like I was part vacuum, but I resisted a bite of the delicious smelling butter and egg filled baked goods.

Day 7:

• Breakfast: Trader Joe’s Frozen Steelcut Oatmeal with bananas, cinnamon, and brown sugar and Coffee with Almond Milk Creamer
• Lunch: Leftover Veggie Fajitas with Sweet Potato Chips, Guacamole, and Salsa
• Dinner: Veggie Sub on Wheat from Subway and a Riverwest Stein from Lakefront Brewery
• Snacks: n/a
• Thoughts: Thus ends week 1. Overall, there were difficult parts, but it was easier than I expected. That being said, it was an odd week for our family, without as many family dinners as we usually have, i.e. 6 or 7 rather than 2. Next week should be more of a challenge, as we’re back to the usual routine, and my goal in all of this is to share as little resemblance as possible with a short order cook. Basically, I want my meals to parallel those of the rest of the family, with as few changes as possible to make mine vegan.

 

Now, onto week 2!

Mushroom Bourguignon

This recipe from Smitten Kitchen is one I’ve made a few times, and we’ve really enjoyed as a filling, comforting, and meat-free meal. It’s also great as a lighter alternative to the heavy and decadent foods of the holiday season. I’ve added the nutritional breakdown’s from My Fitness Pal to show just how “healthy lifestyle” friendly, notice I didn’t say “diet”, the recipe is, even with the pasta. Enjoy!

 

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 pounds portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (save the stems for another use) (you can use cremini instead, as well)
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
• Egg noodles, for serving
• Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

 

1. Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.
2. Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.
3. Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.
4. Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10  more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.
5. To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

 

Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

Total:	1,896	237	56	65	1,844	19
Per Serving:	237	30	7	8	231	2

Meal Plan – February 8th – Febuary 14th

• Friday: Family Dinner Out – North Star American Bistro – This is a restaurant I actually forgot about, but we ended up at due to their not having a wait on a Friday night when we’d already stopped at 2 other restaurants with hour+ long waits. I started with the Chestnut Manhattan, which I was looking forward to having again immediately after my first sip. Not surprisingly, we ordered calamari, which was very good. I loved my entrée of short ribs, cheesy mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. Unfortunately, Jim did not care for his entrée of bourbon salmon. His disappointment was slightly forgotten when he dug into a slice of turtle cheesecake garnished with candied nuts. So, so good.

• Saturday: Caesar Salads, Antipasti, and Bolognese Sauce over Tagliatelle – Great recipe, didn’t change a thing. The best part is that it’s a large batch and freezes very well for a quick weeknight meal.

• Sunday: Buttermilk Roast Chicken, Green Beans, Corn, and Mashed Potatoes – I LOVE this recipe. I don’t change much, except for upping the spices, and adding a bit of tabasco to the marinade. Another step I take is to drain and dry the chicken before roasting. I just use paper towels to sop up as much of the marinade as possible. The first time I made this, I didn’t do that, and the chicken was delicious, but soggy. When you dry before drizzling with oil and roasting, it gives the skill more of an opportunity to crisp up. And really, let’s be honest, isn’t crispy skin the best part of roasted chicken???

• Monday: Errands & Dinner Out – Chili’s – For as much as I don’t care for chain restaurants, there are a few that are “worthy” of our time and money. Chili’s is one of those on our list. I used to get the chicken tacos, and I’m still a little annoyed that they took those off of the menu. Scratch that, I’m a lot annoyed. They were good. Really good. Whatever, I’ll try to move on … try. My new go-to are chicken fajitas, Cadillac style. They’re always good, and they ensure lunch is also covered for the next day or two.

• Tuesday: Pizza and Salad – We had Carter’s 4K registration and tour, and didn’t get home until almost 8:00 p.m. Thank goodness for frozen pizzas from Costco. Did you know I love Costco?

• Wednesday: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef over Rice with Asian Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms – This was good. Like, Jim asked if it was from a bag good. I should be insulted by that, but I know him well enough to know he meant no harm. I did add some Sriracha, which I will definitely do next time as well.

• Thursday: Alfredo Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Mushrooms and Steamed Broccoli – I just wasn’t feeling like actually cooking, so Carter and I picked up some sauce from the grocery and I tossed with sausage, mushrooms, and pasta we already had on hand. It was really a Valentine’s present to myself.

Mushroom Bolognese

I’m sure I’ve told you before, but the idea of a vegetarian dinner and Jim do not mix. Now, that isn’t to say he won’t eat and enjoy his vegetables, but in his mind, and the minds of many, many others, dinner = meat. So, knowing this, it was a risk on my part to feature this recipe from The Italian Dish as part of our Valentine’s Dinner. Though, I will say that it was a calculated risk, as it’s always easier to slip something questionable into dinner when it’s surrounded by pasta. Success! Not only did he eat it, he commented at how good it was BEFORE being asked for feedback. Yeah, that’s right.

This recipe made a pretty substantial pot of sauce, but, as the original recipe notes, freezes well for quick weeknight meals. I served over some good Italian dried pasta, but I think it would also be tasty over some cheese ravioli or even a sautéed chicken breast for those stubborn meat eaters in your life. Also, based on price, I paid $6.99 for one ounce, the dried porcini mushrooms may seem like a big splurge, but since you’re not adding meat and the rest of the ingredients are quite inexpensive, it’s worth the investment into the overall flavor of your finished sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
  
• 2 medium sized Celery Ribs, diced
  
• ½ medium Onion, diced
  
• Kosher Salt
  
• Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 3 clove Garlic, grated or minced
  
• ¾ cup Red Wine
  
• 1 pound Mushrooms, about 19 oz. before being stemmed (I used a mix of mostly baby bellas and some shiitake), chopped
  
• 1 ounce of dried Porcini Mushrooms
  
• 1 ½ cups Broth, beef or Vegetable
  
• 1 15 oz. can Whole Tomatoes, crushed
  
• 1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce or Puree
  
• 2 Bay Leaves
  
• 2 tsp Sugar
  
• 2 tsp Dried Oregano
  
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  

Directions:

1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of very warm water and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter and keep the liquid. Do not use a metal mesh strainer for this step – it is not fine enough. Chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.
   
2. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a large pot in the olive oil with a big pinch of kosher or sea salt and a few grindings of pepper. Let the vegetables cook for about 8 minutes, on low heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Increase heat and add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes, making sure the wine is simmering. Add all of the mushrooms.
   
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved porcini mushroom liquid. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour to an hour and a half, until the sauce has reduced down and a lot of the liquid has cooked off – cook until you like the thickness of the sauce. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning.
   
4. This recipe will be more than enough to coat a pound of pasta. If you don’t use all the sauce, it’s great the next day or you can freeze it.

Winter Pasta with Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, & Bacon

You know those meals that you labor hours over? The ones with multiple components, lots of chopping, hours of stirring, and intensive effort? Yeah, well sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t one of those. This is one of those quality ingredients, minimal effort, and huge flavorful results. Isn’t the latter ALWAYS better? Don’t get me wrong, I have no plans of giving up baking, salsa chopping, or spending hours, alright days, planning the perfect menu, but even I like a night off every once in a while.

So, what I give you is my adaptation of this recipe from The Year in Food that is a mix of perfectly roasted vegetables with the savory flavor of bacon, over a nutty and spicy bed of pasta tossed with deliciously salty parmesan cheese. Can’t you almost taste it? I knew you could. Seriously though, stop thinking about it, and just go make it. Oh, and for you vegetarians out there, go ahead and skip the bacon, it will be almost just as good. J

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. Whole Wheat Pasta
  
• 1 small or medium head Cauliflower, stem and leaves removed, chopped
  
• 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
  
• 6 slices Bacon, roughly chopped
  
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• ¼ cup chopped, fresh Parsley, plus more for garnish
  
• ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese, reserving a little for garnish
  
• ¼ tsp dried chili flakes
  
• Salt & Pepper, freshly ground, to taste
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰
   
2. Heat a pot of water on the stove for the pasta.
   
3. Toss the cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and bacon in one tablespoon olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until browned at the edges and soft in the center, about 20-30 minutes. Turn once about halfway through. And keep an eye on everything so it doesn’t overcook!
   
4. While the cauliflower is roasting, cook your pasta according to instructions on the package.
   
5. When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot to keep it warm. Add the two remaining tablespoons of oil to the pasta, then the parsley, and chili flakes. If it’s a little dry, add some of the cooking liquid. Toss gently to distribute everything. Add the cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and bacon and toss again, gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the pasta needs to be reheated, do so over a low flame, stirring to prevent burning.
   
6. Garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

Baked Oven Fries

There are a lot of great duos out there: Sonny and Cher, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Vodka and Tonic, and, of course, the greatest of duos, Burger and Fries. Yes, as healthy and home cooked as I try to be, there’s no substitute for some great fries alongside your burger. Since I really don’t want to get into the habit of deep frying at home, I was excited to find this recipe on The Nifty Foodie for a baked fry that was a close to the “real thing” as I’ve ever had. I will warn you though, if your oven is anything like mine, you may want to disconnect the smoke detector while you’re turning them, or you will have a stressed dog and a two year old saying, “Uh oh mama. Uh oh!” over and over again.

Ingredients:

• 3 Russet Potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges or sticks
  
• 5 Tbsp Vegetable, Canola, or Peanut, divided
  
• ¾ tsp Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
  
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
   
2. Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
   
3. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes.
   
4. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.
   
5. When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season, to taste. Serve warm.

Lighter Loaded Potato Soup

January in Wisconsin. There’s not much to say about it, except for one word: cold. Now, I’m not going to complain, as I think WAY too many people complain about the weather here, and it’s pointless, as it always comes back around. How does one beat the cold? Why with soup of course! I found this recipe on Ezra Pound Cake. I made only a few, slight, changes, which are reflected below. Paired with some fresh bread, and maybe even a light salad, it’s a nice way to warm yourself up before heading back out into the cold.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. Red Skinned Potatoes, about 3 or 4 depending on size
  
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
  
• ½ cup Onion, chopped
  
• 1 ¼ cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
  
• 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  
• 2 cups 1% Milk, divided
  
• ¼ cup Low-Fat Sour Cream
  
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  
• ½ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• ¼ tsp Granulated Garlic
  
• ¼ tsp Celery Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp Chives, minced
  
• 3 slices Bacon, chopped
  
• 1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  
• 4 tsp Scallions, thinly sliced
  

Directions:

1. Scrub and dry the potatoes, and prick them all over with a fork. Place the potatoes on a plate, and microwave them on high for 13 minutes. The potatoes should be tender. Cut them in half, and set aside.
   
2. While the potatoes are cooking, sauté bacon in a saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Remove bacon drippings from pan.
   
3. Add the oil to the pan, and sauté onion for 3 minutes. Add broth.
   
4. In a small bowl, combine flour and ½ cup milk. Add the mixture to the pan with 1 ½ cups milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute.
   
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in sour cream, garlic, celery salt, salt and pepper. Set aside.
   
6. Peel skin off of potatoes. Roughly chop the cooked potatoes and add about 2/3 of the potato pieces to the saucepan and blend with a hand blender, or potato masher, until smooth. Add remaining potato pieces and stir to heat through.
   
7. Stir in chives, and taste to see if additional salt and pepper is necessary.
   
8. Garnish each serving of soup with cheese, green onions and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

Lighter Chicken & Dumplings

Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles is one of my favorite bloggers. I find myself going to her blog constantly, and this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated is another reason why. This was a delicious recipe that I am happy to have leftovers of and will definitely be making again. I loved that the broth was rich and flavorful with a nice balance of broth vs. “stuff”. That being said, I did add some extra carrot and celery pieces at the end to give a little more crunch, Bridget’s idea, not mine. I think the best part of this dish were the dumplings. They were perfectly fluffy with a dry, not dense, center that was a delicious compliment to the overall dish. Yes, this was the perfect dish for a cold Wisconsin evening.

Ingredients:

Stew:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs (about 2½ pounds), trimmed of excess fat
  
• Salt
  
• Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
  
• 2 small Onions, chopped fine (about 1½ cups)
  
• 2 medium Carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 cups) + 1 carrot cut on the bias into ½” pieces
  
• 1 medium Celery rib, chopped fine (about ½ cup) + 1 celery rib, cut on the bias into ½ “pieces
  
• ¼ cup dry Sherry
  
• 6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
  
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves, minced, or ½ tsp Dried Thyme Leaves
  
• 1 lb Chicken Wings
  
• ¼ Fresh Parsley, chopped
  

Dumplings:

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1 tsp Sugar
  
• 1 tsp Salt
  
• ¾ cup Buttermilk
  
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly
  
• 1 Large Egg White
  

Directions:

Stew:

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook until skin is crisp and well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, 5 to 7 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Discard all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot.
   
2. Add onions, carrots, and celery to now-empty pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in broth and thyme. Return chicken thighs, with any accumulated juices, to pot and add chicken wings. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until thigh meat offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but still clings to bones, 45 to 55 minutes.
   
3. Remove pot from heat and transfer chicken to cutting board. Allow broth to settle 5 minutes, then skim fat from surface using wide spoon or ladle. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin from chicken. Using fingers or fork, pull meat from chicken thighs (and wings, if desired) and cut into 1-inch pieces. Return meat to pot.
   

Dumplings:

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps; whisk in egg white. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl.
   
2. Return stew to simmer; stir in parsley, and remaining carrot and celery pieces, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Using greased tablespoon measure (or #60 portion scoop), scoop level amount of batter and drop over top of stew, spacing about ¼ inch apart (you should have about 24 dumplings). Wrap lid of Dutch oven with clean kitchen towel (keeping towel away from heat source) and cover pot. Simmer gently until dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 13 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts may be the Betty White of the food world this year. I mean, they’ve gone from the butt of jokes on things most wouldn’t think of eating to being on almost every table and menu and prepared in many different ways and paired with things such as mushrooms, balsamic, and, of course, bacon. The recipe below is a simple one I recommend to get your feet wet with this new craze. They’re so simple and, surprisingly, delicious, they will blow your mind and, hopefully, make a Brussel sprout convert out of you. Though, I’m not sure they will be hosting SNL any time soon.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh Brussel Sprouts, washed and trimmed of the rough “bud” on bottom and halved
  
• Olive Oil
  
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  
• ½ tsp Onion Powder
  
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  
• ½ tsp Black Pepper, freshly Ground
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425⁰.
   
2. In a medium bowl, toss ingredients together so that everything is evenly coated.
   
3. Pour the sprouts onto the baking sheet, roast for 30 minutes, turning once.

Rather Rich Corn Muffins

I recently made a Bacon-Watercress Salad from Food Network Magazine that contained a suggestion to serve with cornbread. Well, given that we’re big fans of cornbread, I wasn’t going to turn up my nose at their “expert opinion” and pair it with anything else. I decided to try this recipe featured recently on What’s Cookin’, Chicago?. Jim asked that we skip the add-ins this time, but I think any combination of the ones noted below would be delicious. I also liked this recipe, because it was easily halved and whipped up by hand for a quick weeknight side.

Ingredients:

Muffins:

• 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
  
• 1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  
• 2 Large Eggs
  
• 1 ¾ cups All-purpose Flour
  
• ¾ cups Coarse Cornmeal
  
• ½ cup Sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  
• ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  

Add-ins:

• 1/4 cup Sweet Corn, frozen
  
• 1/4 cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  
• 1/4 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  
• 1 bunch Scallions, sliced thin (green part only)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease 24 standard muffin cups or line them with disposable muffin wrappers; set aside.
   
2. Add all the ingredients except the ‘add ins’ into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed just until the ingredients are combined and not lumpy. Stir the desired add-ins until combined.
   
3. Using a large-sized scoop, fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full with the batter (one scoop of batter per muffin tin). The batter is enough for 24 muffins. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minute, until lightly brown and the tops spring back with touched.