Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts

I hijacked and adulterated this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. She does some great gluten free and South Beach friendly recipes of which I enjoy but I can hardly resist putting my own spin on them.

I started with a head of Cauliflower and a pound of Brussel sprouts. I know people have a love/hate relationship with these little cabbage balls but I promise if you stop steaming them to skunky funkiness you will like them better. Most veggies deserve a little accoutrement so by all means indulge them.

Trim the Cauliflower with a paring knife and toss into a baking dish. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss them into a 350 degree oven for 30 mins.

Cut the bottoms of the sprouts off and score an X in the bottom. This will help the core steam faster.

Put the sprouts into a steamer to open up their pores a bit. (10-15 minutes)

Shock them in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This works with all steamed veggies. It helps set the color and keep them from turning brown. Strain the ice and water and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Be sure you have the proper libations to make your cooking experience enjoyable. RineyRitas are a good recommendation.

After you drain the sprouts add them to a roasting dish. I choose my personal favorite multi-tasker. The good 'ol cast iron skillet. Get this a little pre-heated first. 20-25 minutes in the over should be good here.

Toast some pecan pieces with some brown sugar and a dash of salt. Watch the heat so that you don't burn the sugar. Add a couple of pats of butter to get things coated.

I found and tried this little product. Pre frozen ginger. They also have garlic, basil, parsley, and cilantro. Seriously economical and really handy. This comes in during the sautee process.

My secret ingredient and biggest deviation from Kayla's was my little magic tin back there behind my salt pig and my golf ball. It has some bacon drippings in it that come in handy when you want to and a little flavor.

You know you all have a golf ball in your kitchen. They are handy for rolling out thins strips of veal and chicken and for making, "Bumponi" which is a classic italain pasta that has small lumps to cling to the sauce. Ok, I made up that last part.

And when it is time to deglaze keep things consistent. I don't think the original recipe had agave squeezings in it either.

So after the sprouts and cauliflower are done roasting, and by done I mean soft when you poke them with a knife and are soft through the middle, take them out and add them to a large mixing bowl. Add some onion, garlic, shallot, and the ginger to the cast iron pan with some olive oil and salt and pepper. I added some Za'aatar seasoning but that is not the easiest to find and not essential. I got lazy and added some precooked chicken breast to the sautee, which is also optional. After the onions are translucent add a 1/4 cup of wine, tequila, or Everclear depending on your demographic and socioeconomic status of course. Add all of this to the large mixing bowl with the pecans and feta. I chose Feta because the wife is not a fan of gorgonzola, and we all know that marital harmony is prime. Toss together and enjoy.

HONGRY!!!

Mangia.