The 'Dressing'

I use this balsamic dressing for lots of things. We had it tonight helping to make the wilted spinach salad wonderful. I used it the other night mixed with extra mustard and rosemary to marinate the lamb. It's good on any type of greens. It's good with puff pastry chicken. Add a little ketchup and some red chili pepper flakes and it's a pretty nice marinade for grilled chicken.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
This isn’t a very pretty dressing- but it’s very good and also great as a marinade.

~mix together in a jar or blender
2/3 c balsamic vinegar, 2 tbl sugar, optional clove of garlic crushed
2 –3 tbl sweet hot mustard (like beaver brand) with 1 1/2 c olive oil

Variations:
~add more garlic and 1 tbls rosemary with 1 tbls mustard seeds and use as a marinade for lamb
0r - add more sweet hot mustard and spread on chops and broil for nice crust
~add red http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwine and parsley for beef marinade

Red Cabbage with Chicken Sausages

This is nice Fall or Winter fare.



Sweet Sausage with Red Cabbage

For Cabbage
~ Sauté together in a large non stick pan over medium heat until limp and sweet:
1 sweet onion cut in quarters and then sliced thinly
2 tbls olive oil
3 peeled garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 apple, rough chopped
~Add and simmer until cabbage is just tender and stock is reduced and syrupy:
(Maybe 15 mins)
1/2 medium head red cabbage chunky chopped (in about 1 in. pieces)
2 tbls margarine or butter
1/2-cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp kosher salt/pepper to taste
3 tbls balsamic vinegar
2 tbls golden raisins



Serve with broiled ‘gourmet’ sausages-and sweet hot mustard

I used Adelle’s chicken and apple- but it’d be good with any savory- but not too spicy sausage- and white rice. You could also serve it as sandwiches on crusty rolls, I bet.

Brussels Sprouts with White Beans

Hello Spicy Saucearians! I'm Robyn B., and I've cordially accepted C's invitation to blog here. Technically, my contributions aren't family recipes, but "offerings from J's splendid girlfriend who can make a mean pie crust" would take too long to type.

I'm starting off by spreading the gospel of Brussels sprouts. (pictured to the left, au naturale) This is one of my favorite recipes to make, partly because it's protein-y and easily achievable on a student budget, but more because everyone I've served it to so far has an initial reaction of "Brussels sprouts?? Bleah!" (It is, in fact, delicious.)

I think this might have something to do with a tradition in American cookery of boiling the crap out of green vegetables. My mother wouldn't eat Brussels sprouts or Lima beans because she remembered her mother stewing them into a flavorless gruel. Chalk that up to the moral of good-for-you food having to taste bad. Really the key to this recipe boils down (ha) to not doing that.

I found this on Epicurious:

- Rinse, trim and cut length-wise about 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts.

- Heat 4 tbl olive oil in a heavy skillet until shimmering.

- Add Brussels sprouts and cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Transfer to a large bowl

- Heat another tbl olive oil, and saute 5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped.

- Add the Brussels sprouts and 1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth. Cook until the sprouts are crispy on the cut sides.

- Add one can of cannellini beans (or butter beans, or great northern beans - this dish is quite versatile, legume-wise) and a tbl of butter, and cook until the beans are hot, the butter is melted, and the broth has been reduced.

- Stir in 1 cup grated cheese. The recipe calls for pecorino, which adds a nice kick, but I've substituted Gruyere for more creaminess and that's good too.

- Enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto

This one is so easy, and great- spicy from the cilantro and mellowed by the nuts.
Try this on grilled salmon with a corn and tomato salad. Or with shrimp fajitas with avocado, mango, and black beans. Or fish with mango salsa and green chili polenta!
Hmmm- maybe try it with the beer OR with wine...not both?
Cilantro Macadamia Nut Pesto-

~Combine in food processor:
2 cups, loose packed, washed and dried,fresh cilantro leaves, (it takes a while to remove the little leaves from the stems- it’s ok to have a few stems, but make sure you process them till finely chopped) 6 – 8 roasted garlic cloves, (or 2 minced fresh), 3/4c dry roasted, salted macadamia nuts , and juice from 1 lime.

~Process until roughly ground and then slowly drizzle in:
3/4 c olive oil or peanut oil
~Process until finely ground and creamy.

~ Add salt to taste- if you like it spicier- increase the cilantro a bit.

Serve with shrimp or chicken or fish-