A “Fine Cooking” achievement!

I couldn’t come up with a suitable title for this post – should I go about saying that I’m featured in the Fine Cooking magazine.  My recipe made it to the magazine.  You might recognize this magazine if you love to cook and buy or subscribe to some cooking magazine (s). I don’t subscribe to Fine Cooking – and this is not an advertisement for the publishers – I’m not getting any rewards or prizes for posting this here, but received a complimentary copy of this issue, and you bet that I’m holding on to that for a long time to come 🙂

This issue of Fine Cooking is special.  Yes, the editors did think I was passionate about cooking and very graciously chose my recipe for the December 2012/January 2013 issue.  Was it some fancy recipe that required a trip to the grocery store for ingredients?  No, in fact you’ll be surprised (if you get to the bottom of this post) that most of the ingredients might be in your pantry right now.  I say that because Thanksgiving is just days away and Sweet Potatoes – the star of the recipe – might be in many kitchens already waiting to be whipped up in casseroles and pies, breads and more.

So, I guess the picture tells you what I dished up – Sweet Potato Curry.   Curry?  Not a favorite for Thanksgiving I guess, but for those people who are always looking for a tweak on some recipe – here is a very simple and easy recipe. If you are a vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. If you like your curry spicy, use more than a pinch of cayenne or chili powder. You could add cubed potatoes to the mix or any other vegetable – but for me this is divine. The color is so vibrant, it just looks so gorgeous and tempting, and can be used with rice, couscous, or with flatbread or pita bread. The sauce is delicious and perfect for dipping a piece of bread. It would also be delicious with idlis and dosas.

Here is the rest of the story….

 

Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts

 I’m sure no one needs another recipe for brussels sprouts – they’ve been roasted, fried, stir-fried, baked, and even ended up in curries.  But, I didn’t know that enthusiastic bakers had made Brussels Sprouts Cakes……here and here.  If carrots can be baked into cakes, why not brussels sprouts I guess.  Folks either love the sprouts or hate them, I hated them not too long ago but now find them delicious when roasted or pan-seared.  I don’t know about baking cakes with the sprouts, however, if I do get so adventurous, I’ll post some pictures and let you know how it tasted.

I made these pan-seared brussels sprouts for dinner tonight and they were incredibly delicious and almost crunchy.  I first trimmed the sprouts and cut them in half.  Then, blanched the sprouts in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes and drained the water.  While the sprouts were simmering away, I sliced some onions and began caramelizing them in a tablespoon of oil.  When the onions were golden brown, I added the blanched brussels sprouts and continued to cook on medium heat until the sprouts were well seared, brown, and almost crunchy.  In went some red pepper flakes, stirred it all around until well mixed.  It needed a pinch more salt, and that’s it.  I know this is how I like my brussels sprouts, I hope you do like it too.