Orange Cranberry Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Some days you just can't seem to get a win. Whatever the gaffes or self-perceived utter failures, I have to remind myself of what I AM good at. We're all good at something. I'm good at holiday meals and vegetables with bacon. I needed a double dose of self-assurance, so my two great talents have come together for the sake of my sanity and your Thanksgiving menu.

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. People, this is a day that is completely dedicated to cooking and eating. There is no religious occasion that takes priority or gifts to distract -- this is solely a food day. Oh yeah, and thankfulness and the spirit of friendship and compromise or whatever.

And stretchy pants.

Consider adding Brussels sprouts to your side dish rotation. They're seasonal and simple to prepare. The fresh orange zest, cranberry and bacon in these will make any of your party guests love Brussels sprouts.

Did you know this is how Brussels sprouts grow? Little nodules on a heavy stem. It's nifty to see them on the stalk, isn't it?

Crisping the bacon renders beautiful fat, which you'll use to brown your sprouts.

A little color to start and then in go the cranberry and orange juice. Those cranberries will plump up before you know it with bacon-y orange goodness.

Orange Cranberry Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

1-11/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved

1 teaspoon olive oil

4-6 slices bacons, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Juice of 2 oranges

Zest of 1 orange

Salt and pepper

Heat oil over medium-high heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crisp and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place on paper towel to drain. 

Add sprouts to pan with bacon fat. Cook until edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice to pan, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add cranberries and cover; reduce heat to medium and cook until sprouts are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Toss with orange zest before serving. 

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Just about the only thing more American than apple pie... is voting. We are blessed to live in a place where we all have the right to participate in government. Whomever you choose today, just be grateful you have that right and do your part by making an educated decision.

Like the ever-present conflict of red and blue, this pie is a delectable flavor fight to the Ohio-like last bite. Sweet tart granny smith, piqued with salty, sticky caramel. All checked and balanced by a flaky, buttery crust.

After seeing Smitten Kitchen's Apple Mosaic Tart, I was dying to make a pie variation for my Thanksgiving menu.

I started with Martha Stewart's pie crust recipe. Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor with COLD butter until a light meal forms.

Stream in ice cold water until this lovely dough comes together.

Refrigerate covered in in plastic wrap for at least an hour. This can be done a few days in advance.

Then we roll out on a floured surface. This dough will stick, so no cuts in the flour department.

Of all the damn kitchen supplies I've acquired over the years, I realized yesterday that I don't have a pie pan. A cake one will work just fine, but you'll feel like a failed food blogger for a lacking a kitschy vintage pie plate. Note to self to raid mom's cabinets at the holidays.

Prepare for caramel time. Admittedly I was a bit intimidated at the "candy" part of this... the only "soft ball" I know involves drinking beer in the outfield. But this was surprisingly easy.

Pour over thinly sliced apples, reserving a bit to glaze the top.

Baked until ooey gooey done.

Enjoy a piece after you've cast your ballot. You've earned a moment of true American celebration. Try not to stay up too late tonight trying to figure out how this thing is gonna go.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie
For the crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes2-3 tablespoons ice water

For the filling
4-6 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

For the sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Combine crust ingredients and COLD butter in a food processor. Pulse until a coarse meal forms. With machine running, stream in cold water one tablespoon at a time, until a stick dough forms. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to several days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare an 9-inch pie plate by greasing with a butter wrapper. Roll out   dough on a floured surface until thin and wide enough to fit pie plate. Gently lay in to the pan and fill with apples, setting aside enough slices to cover the top.

Over medium high heat, melt sugar for caramel sauce; stirring frequently with metal whisk. Cook sugar until it acquires a copper color (about 3-5 minutes; monitoring closely). Off the heat, add butter and sugar; stirring until butter is fully incorporated. Add heavy cream and return to heat; stirring vigorously. Cook another 1-2 minutes and handle with care; this is VERY hot.

Pour 2/3 of caramel over apples in pan. Beautifully arrange remaining apples over the top of the pie and glaze with remaining caramel.

Bake pie until crust is golden; about 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Apple Parsnip Pork Loin with Caramelized Onion

Some flavors are just classic pairs. Pork and apples are like that old couple that have been married for seventy years; cutely telling stories of past dishes and finishings each other's sentences. "In 1982 we did pork chops and apple sauce and of course on our honeymoon it was apple stuffing." 

Yeah, I just created a fake pork/apple memory dialogue. 

They just make sense together. But why would you read this blog if I just gave you the same old same old? Parsnips and caramelized onions spice things up for this old couple -- lending complexity of flavor and textural variety. They're not gonna know what hit 'em.

Apples, parsnips and thyme will roast under the pork loin, absorbing all of its gorgeous juices and flavors.

Ready to roast, with a touch of olive oil and herbs de provence.

Roast until 145 degrees internally. Did you know that the USDA now states 145 is the safe cooking temp for pork? No need to worry about pork doneness if you have a reliable thermometer.

While the pork is cooking, you'll caramelize the onions. Remember, this is very low and slow kind of deal. It will actually take about an hour.

Apple Parsnip Pork Loin with Caramelized Onion
2-3 lb pork loin
5-6 parsnips, cut into 1-inch chunks
3-4 apples, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
3 onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parsnips and apples in the bottom of a roasting pan and top with thyme. Brush pork loin with 2 tablespoons olive oil and rub in herbes de provence. Place in oven.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large pan over very low heat. Add onions and cook on lowest setting -- stirring frequently for 45-60 minutes, until a deep caramel color develops.

Roast in oven 40-60 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Allow meat to rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing and serving with apple, parsnip and onions.

Note: The company I work for represents the National Pork Board, which is where I learned about the temperature change. I was not asked to write this post, nor compensated for doing so. Just thought it was interesting.

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage and Marinara

You know the feeling... the ravenous grumble that's strong enough to make you push people down public transit steps or even curse your adorable dog because he needs to be walked. You're hungry for dinner and you're friggin' tired from working all day.

It's going to be okay. 

Some may maintain enough composure to come up with dinner after a long day, but I lack the creativity. That's why I plan all of my meals for the week on Sunday. A little planning ahead helps me finish up time-consuming prep work and allows me to be somewhat mindless Monday through Friday. 

This Tuesday night it was Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage and Marinara...and it only took me 15 minutes. The husband was spared from cranky town and the dog even got a walk. #winning

 

A little Sunday prep work. Not hard stuff, just needs a bit of time in the oven. 

Split and de-seed.

Roast cut side down in the oven for 45 minutes, cool and then store in the shell for up to three days. For night of prep I pulled some leftover marinara from the freezer and found some prepared Italian sausages from the store.

Use a fork to scrape out the insides. Isn't the texture marvelous? Not to mention so much healthier than traditional pasta.

Sauce warms and sausages brown in 10 minutes.

Warm up the leftover squash and serve. Be sure to apologize to the poor sap you pushed down the stairs too.

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage and Marinara
1 large spaghetti squash or 2 small
4-5 Italian sausages
2-3 cups marinara sauce (recipe here)
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split squash and scrape out seeds from inside. Place cut side down on cookie sheet and roast 45 minutes, or until tender. Allow squash to cool and refrigerate in the shell for up to three days.

Warm olive oil over medium heat and add sausages. Brown for three minutes on each side, add a few tablespoons of water and cover immediately. Continue to heat, covered, until sausages are cooked through.

Warm marinara over low heat on the stove. Scrape squash from shell and reheat in microwave.

Serve squash with sausage and marinara.

Simple Secret: Massaged Kale Salad

Leafy greens. Redemption for all of the beers and tacos you consumed on Saturday night/early Sunday morning. Don't regret... redeem. It's only food after all. But the karaoke you can never take back... just pray the videos never surface.

Prepare yourself to be addicted to massaged kale salad. Now I know you're all going to think it sounds weird to eat kale raw, but I promise I'm not being too granola over here. Lemon juice and sea salt provide the simplest of clean flavors and tenderize this tough guy more than my sweeping rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" ever could. Well and this salad will never spout the F-word on the chorus.

Start by removing leaves from the stems. Those are tough and woody. Once removed, rinse and dry leaves.

This is all... just three ingredients.

These citrus squeezers are amazing tools...especially when you get a hard lemon or lime. 

Kosher or sea salt for flavor and texture. This is not the place for table salt.

Massage the lemon juice and salt into the leaves for 2 to 3 minutes... gently rubbing the leaves. You'll start to feel everything tenderize and reduce.

Serve as is or dress with your favorite vinaigrette.

Simple Secret: Massaged Kale Salad
1 bunch kale
Juice of one lemon
1-2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

Remove kale from stems and tear into smaller pieces. Rinse and dry leaves. Squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle salt over leaves. Use your fingers  to massage leaves for 2-3 minute until leaves tenderize.

Serve alone or dressed with your favorite vinaigrette. This is a great base for heartier salads.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry

Before we dive in , just wanted to let you guys know that this blog is now CareyOnLovely.com... dropped the .blogspot (#legit). It will still redirect, but you may need to adjust your subscription. Good news is... it's now much easier for you guys to tell your friends the blog address :)

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Turns out you guys are just as lazy as I am, because I've gotten lots of requests lately for slow cooker recipes. I'm a bit of a slow cooker novice actually, getting my first one as a wedding gift last year. I totally get why people are addicted to them, especially if you're a beginner cook. I think the results can be great, but you need to be selective about the recipe and ingredients you cook to avoid the all-too-familiar slow cooker mush.

This veggie-forward recipe avoids blahsville with a punch of curry and delivers on health and weeknight ease. No crockpot classic cream of mushroom soup to be found here.

Seriously... look at all these vegetables. These ingredients are also really adjustable based on your personal preferences or what's leftover in the fridge.

Leftovers from my Butternut Squash Pizza made their way into this recipe.

There is just a bit of prep work for this recipe, but it can easily be done a few days before. I sauteed up my onions, squash and potatoes on Sunday and assembled everything on a weekday morning.

From what I've read from slow cooker recipes and my manual, ideally you need liquid to come up about halfway to the inside rim of the slow cooker bowl. I have an inherent fear every time I use one of these that I won't use enough liquid and will create a burnt mess. Rule of thumb, you're not really going to lose any liquid, so think about what you're looking for in the final product.

Also, DO NOT open your slow cooker lid during cooking. This will really throw off the cooking time. Add a snarky note to keep your husband/friends/kids out of there. Profanity encouraged.

Just before serving, in go coconut milk and spinach. You always want to reserve any "milks" until just before finishing. Otherwise you'd have a curdled mess.

Give things a stir and you're ready to go. Also, your entire apartment will likely smell like curry. And maybe for a few days. But it will be okay...you get to eat it after all.

Serve with naan bread and relish in all the extra time you have on a weeknight evening. I painted my nails with the pup... it was adorable and much needed.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 russet potatoes, diced
1/2 butternut squash, diced
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons curry
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup beer
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 16-oz can chickpeas
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 head cauliflower, but into florets
1 28-oz can diced tomato
1 6-oz bag baby spinach
1 cup light coconut milk

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion until translucent; add potato, butternut squash and salt. Continue cooking until potato edges begin to soften; about 5-7 minutes. Add curry, garam masala, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cayenne. Stir until spices are fragrant and then add beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove browned bits.

On the day of serving, add potato mixture to the slow cooker bowl. Add chickpeas, red pepper, green pepper, cauliflower and tomato. Pour chicken stock over mixture until bowl is filled halfway. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. DO NOT remove lid during cooking.

When ready to serve, stir in coconut milk and spinach. Serve with warm naan bread.

This will make a LOT of food, so be prepared for leftovers. It freezes well.

*Recipe inspiration from The Kitchn

Butternut Squash Pizza

It's everywhere... butternut squash takeover. I knew I needed to make it into pizza when I repinned it two Autumns in a row. Same damn recipe two years in a row. In the wide world of kiddie cakes and cat scarves on Pinterest, what's the likelihood? I apparently know what I like. This stubbornness of "liking" has also led me to wear leopard shoes  and dark frame glasses since the late 90s. I'm just gonna stick with calling it "classic" instead of "uncreative" or "lacking sense of current trends."

Pizza is really the perfect vehicle to get creative though. So many cheese, meat and vegetable combinations to be enjoyed. Starting with a whole wheat crust, being sensible with the cheese and adding plenty of veg actually makes it a pretty balanced meal. Just be careful with that fratty delivery stuff.

Thinly slice half a butternut squash -- the long end -- obvs. Then a quick roast will get things pizza ready.

It will only take about 10 minutes, since the squash is nice and thinly sliced.

Instead of a "sauce," I put together a quick garlic-rosemary infused olive oil. I made some extra too to use in salads for the rest of the week. Little perk-ups like this can make a big difference.

A quick brush with the oil and we're ready for ricotta. No better way to do this than with your fingers. Appreciate my cluttered refrigerator door. And yes... that IS a "Real Kitty Kats of Greece" postcard. Jealous?

Ready for the oven... and pizza party time.

Butternut Squash Pizza
1 package prepared whole wheat pizza dough (my favorite is Trader Joe's)
1/2 butternut squash, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat butternut squash slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven 10-15 minutes. Squash can be prepared ahead of time.

Warm olive oil with garlic and rosemary on stove on low. Remove from heat before it starts to bubble and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface (some doughs may require kneading, check package instruction). Brush dough with olive oil, covering all edges. Use fingers to spread ricotta, leaving crusts. Arrange butternut squash slices and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, along with another pinch of salt and pepper.

Bake in oven 15-20 minutes, or until middle is set and edges are golden. Note, depending on how thickly you've spread the dough, cooking times may vary. Garnish with rosemary.