Perfect Simple Brussels Sprouts

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Several weeks ago, I traveled home to Minneapolis for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was my first visit in a while so much of my time was spent catching up with old friends, most of whom I haven’t seen since I left for college. My pivot from college where I was a food studies and business major, to culinary school, and now to my work as a private chef and entrepreneur prompted lots of questions. Food is so fun to talk about so I was prepared for the onslaught. What did surprise me? After hearing about my experience, multiple of my friends had the same random follow-up question: “So how do you cook Brussels sprouts?”

It seemed like everyone had a plan to include the vegetable on their holiday table but no clue how to cook them like [insert restaurant name here] where they ate last week/month/year. Even my most vegetable-averse friend from college who swore that Brussel sprouts smelled and tasted like garbage was on the bandwagon. After a few probing questions on my part, I realized where many people go wrong. Given the fact that our next set of holidays are about to be upon us, I thought it might be important to share the following revelations.

The key to cooking Brussels sprouts well (if cooking at all–shredded Brussels make a great salad base:)) is to a) caramelize those babies as well as possible and b) give them a flavor boost. For the former, the easiest way to achieve a golden-brown crust is a hot oven, an uncrowded sheet pan and a proper amount of olive oil. For the latter, it all depends on how you like them: sweet, spicy and/or decadently rich. Let me show you how to act accordingly. Below, I’ve laid out three simple preparations in layman’s terms. Begin each recipe by preheating an oven to 425 degrees, cutting off the nubs on each sprout and then slicing them in half.

For Basic/Spicy

  1. Lay Brussels sprouts evenly spread on a sheet tray. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes to taste. Coat with a glug of oil and toss to combine. They should be shiny all over but not swimming in oil.
  2. Roast the Brussels sprouts in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway throughout to ensure even cooking. They should be golden brown and crusty all over. Try one!
  3. If you want to bump up the heat factor even more, toss them with a little fresh lime juice and sriracha or fermented chili paste to taste (start with less, taste and add more if you like). You could finish these with a little fresh cilantro too. Want them spicy sweet? Toss them with any of the above and honey.

For Sweet

  1. Follow steps 1. and 2. above for basic roasted Brussels sprouts. Once the sprouts are almost finished cooking, remove the sheet tray from the oven and drizzle over some honey or agave nectar. Toss to evenly coat and return to the oven for 3-5 more minutes. This will glaze them and allow the sprouts to caramelize even more while adding a hint of sweetness. Keep a close watch because you don’t want them to burn.
  2. Bump up the sweetness factor even more by topping the finished roasted sprouts with fresh pomegranate arils, sliced dates and/or fresh mint and sliced scallions. A little lemon zest and juice would be welcome here too.

For Decadent Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Lardon

  1. Slice thick lardons into half inch strips and fry on the stovetop until crisp. Drain lardons on paper towels, reserving the fat left in the frying pan. Use some of the bacon fat in lieu of oil to toss with the raw Brussels sprouts before roasting. Otherwise follow steps 1. and 2. above for basic roasted Brussels sprouts.
  2. Once finished roasting, toss the sprouts with the bacon to combine. To make them even more insane, top them with homemade bread crumbs toasted in a pan with olive oil, sliced garlic and salt. Oh, and maybe a little shaved parmesan or pecorino to finish. Sky’s the limit!

With love and happy holidays! xo Kristina

Rian’s Butternut Squash Soup

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Butternut squash soup with greek yogurt and arugula

Fall is in the air! The leaves on the trees are becoming as vibrantly colorful as this season’s offerings at the farmer’s market. It’s officially time to swap stone fruit for sweet and crunchy apples, trade summer squash for the butternut squash, and switch from pea shoots to brussel sprouts. Fall is a warm invitation for comfort; a time for greeting the familiar scent of a bonfire, sipping spiced tea, firing up the oven for roasts and braises.

Food plays such a large role in why I love the fall. Harvest time provides bountiful offerings, a plethora of seasonal recipes for savory, hot meals, and a prolonged sense of happiness and nostalgia as a result from eating such dishes.  Pumpkin bread, roasted mushrooms and pork tenderloin with homemade spiced-apple chutney never fail to bring me back to a happy place from my childhood. I remember the joy of submerging myself into the warmth and scents of a welcoming home after walking through the front door on a blustery day. All of these meals are treasured for the memories they carry with them, but in the end nothing comes close to the comfort I remember of curling up on the couch with a bowl of warm, spiced butternut squash soup.

I recently returned home one evening, exhausted from a long day, only to find that my roommate Rian, of What We Eat, had easily whipped up a small meal. The soup was ready and waiting for me while an armchair and a cozy blanket beckoned from the corner. I filled up a bowl and joined in watching a film, but was immediately transported to another place when I tried a spoonful of soup. Creamy in consistency, deeply herbaceous, slightly sweet, and lightly spiced with nutmeg, accented by a subtle heat achieved by a dash of cayenne. This meal embodied that fall represents, all in a 12 ounce serving.

With love, Kristina 🙂

Rian’s Squash soup

  • 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups butternut squash
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4th teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • parmesan cheese rind (or grated parmesan if you do not have)

The secret to this soup is to add depth of flavor by deeply caramelizing the onions. Roughly chop the onion and put into a pot with some olive oil on medium-high heat.

Once the onions have achieved some good color, add in chopped carrots and chopped butternut squash and sauté until they are tender, about ten minutes. At this point add in chopped garlic, cumin and nutmeg. Cook for a few minutes longer so that the spices can toast and then add the chicken stock.

For an amazing umami flavor, place a parmesan cheese rind into the pot with the rest of the ingredients. If you do not have a rind, a little grated parmesan added in before blending will be fine too. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer for about ten minutes and then remove from the heat.

Remove the rind now, or add in the grated parmesan. Blend the soup to a thick pureed consistency, either by using an immersion blender or a regular blender. Be careful of splatters if you do not have the patience to wait until the soup has cooled. At this point adjust by adding more liquid if the soup is very thick. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted bread, (I love mine rubbed with garlic and chopped into croutons) a dollop of Greek yogurt or a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro or basil.

Kristina’s Salsa Verde

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Chickpea and farro salad with fennel radish and salsa verde

The more you cook, the more you develop your signature style. Anyone who eats our food knows that well toasted nuts, strategically placed cheese and tons of citrus are a few of the What We Eat team’s hallmarks. But if there is one thing that defines our cooking, it’s our ridiculously abundant use of fresh herbs.

There is no better way to impart explosive flavor than with fresh herbs. Mint, cilantro, parsley and scallions are constants on our grocery lists, but we also reserve a place in our hearts for tarragon, basil, sage and dill. Of course, there are many others, but having the above on hand at any given time is crucial to the success of any meal.

Smorgasbord with Salsa Verde

An added perk to our herb obsession is that we find ourselves with an surplus of odds and ends at the end of the week…a few stems sprouting sad broken parsley leaves, a handful of bruised cilantro or one lone sprig of rosemary. What to do with these little bits that are too often thrown away as casualty or waste? There is a simple answer, a lesson I learned years ago that has since been held close and always remembered. Let me paint a picture for you…

It was 2010. I was sitting outside at an Italian bistro, sipping chilled white wine, awaiting my meal, a perfect day. Then the roast chicken was placed in front of me. After savoring my first bite of the tender meat, I questioned aloud, “What is it that makes this simple meal so unbelievably amazing?” As they say, the secret is in the sauce.

Roast chicken with lemon zest and salsa verde green sauce

Drizzled across the crisp and charred chicken skin was a thin but vibrantly green dressing, the ingredients of which were so frustratingly mysterious and difficult to pinpoint that it warranted further investigation. My helpful waiter informed me it was salsa verde (aka green sauce), a mix of whatever herbs they had on hand. Herbs + olive oil + blender = magical sauce served as an accoutrement to any dish from red meats to poultry, fish or vegetables. This aha moment will forever stick with me. Salsa verde, the endlessly versatile little black dress of sauces, appears as a star in many of my meals. It’s my signature.

Therefore, it is finally time to share the recipe for my secret sauce. Keep in mind that certain ingredients may be omitted or altered, but that the recipe below is what I have found to be the tastiest. I’ve gotten Laura and Rian hooked on it as well, so next time one of them makes you something with an impossibly delicious green sauce, you’ll know who deserves credit.

With love, Kristina:)

Salsa Verde

  • 1/3 cup basil
  • 1/3 cup cilantro
  • 1/3 cup parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tarragon
  • 2 tablespoons chives
  • 1 tablespoon sage
  • 1 tablespoon dill
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1-3 anchovy fillets
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4th teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup olive oil

Roughly chop all herbs, garlic and anchovies and then place all ingredients other than the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse the contents of the food processor and then gradually stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

The end result should be a vibrantly green sauce in which the original integrity of some of the herbs is still apparent. This means that it should look like more of a rough chop rather than a paste or puree. We like to keep it rustic. Drizzle over any meal of choice and serve. Enjoy!

Roast carrot and egg salad with salsa verde

SALAD LOVE

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What We Eat: Salad Love
It’s such a cliché. A girl—a dietitian girl—who loves salads. But I won’t apologize. I love salad.

What makes me feel a little better about it is that other people seem to love my salads too. Sometimes we get requests from our clients: “Can we do chicken more often?” “More vegetarian meals please.” “Our kids aren’t into salmon lately so let’s nix that for awhile.” But by far the most consistent piece of feedback is “We love the salads! More of the same.”

Our claim to fame is that we can make anyone (okay, any adult…kids are hard) a salad lover if they give us time. This is something I’m really proud of because the fact is, the more veggies we eat, the healthier we’re going to be. (We’re saving lives here people! Not really. But kind of.) And if you can make them taste really good, there is no sacrifice.

So what follows are very loose recipes for some of my most oft-repeated salads. Some of them are my “pantry” salads – the ones I make because I haven’t been to the market but the vegetables needed are those that I keep stocked in my veggie drawer – while others I have on rotation just because I love them so much. A few special notes…

  • I’ve broken down the recipes into “set ingredients,” those that are non-negotiable, and “highly recommended additions,” which are those that bring the salads to the next level.
  • All of the salads should be made in wide, shallow bowls and platters so none of the ingredients get crushed or lost at the bottom.
  • Typically, the more fresh herbs, the better.
  • Never waste citrus zest. If the vinaigrette includes it, zest the citrus directly into the salad or include it in the vinaigrette.
  • Exact measurements don’t matter. Trust your instincts. If you don’t like it exactly as is you make it the first time, you’ll know what you want to adjust the next time you make it!
  • Varying the type of herbs, cheese and/or nuts you use changes the character of a salad. In that way, each of the recipes below represent countless recipes. Experiment!
  • I love tahini, even if I just use a teaspoon of it in my dressing. But not all tahini is created equal. I mail order Al Wadi and Soom brands and love both.
  • Avocado is always an optional ingredient but I almost always include it.
  • Always toast your nuts to bring out maximum flavor.

Year-Round “Pantry” Salads

What We Eat: Shaved Fennel SaladSHAVED CELERY SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Thinly sliced celery
  • Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
  • Sliced scallions or shallots
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
  • Toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
  • Parsley, mint, and/or basil

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula
  • Shaved Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
  • Avocado
  • A drizzle of tahini

What We Eat: Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad What We Eat: Carrot, Apple and Halloumi SaladSHAVED CARROT SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Carrots thinly sliced or shaved into ribbons using a peeler
  • Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
  • Toasted almonds or walnuts
  • Mint, scallions and/or parsley (the more, the better; def include mint if you have it)
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/tahini/olive oil/salt/pepper

Selection of highly recommended additions

  • Arugula
  • Goat cheese
  • Avocado
  • Shaved raw beets or apples

Spring/Summer Salads

What We Eat: Three Pea SaladWhat We Eat: Pea and Bean PanzanellaGREEN BEAN AND PEA SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Mix or just one of the following – sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, freshly shucked peas (blanched, all kept whole or thinly sliced if you like)
  • Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds
  • Mint, basil and/or parsley
  • Shallot or scallions
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula or little gem or butter lettuce
  • Goat cheese, Parmesan, pecorino, or feta
  • Avocado
  • Radish

Processed with VSCO with f2 presetCORN ANY WHICH WAY SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Corn (grilled, boiled, roasted, raw) cut off the cob
  • Mint, cilantro, basil, scallions and/or parsley
  • Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
  • Lemon or lime zest
  • Lemon or lime juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula, butter lettuce, mizuna, or other greens
  • Grains of any kind
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Radish
  • Scallions
  • Dusting of chili powder

TOMATO AND STONE FRUIT SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Sliced tomato
  • Sliced stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricot, cherries, etc.)
  • Mint and/or basil
  • Shallot
  • Lemon zest
  • Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
  • Avocado
  • Goat cheese, burrata, mozzarella
  • Toasted almonds or pecans

What We Eat: Roasted Fig and Red Onion SaladDARK FRUIT AND GREENS

Set ingredients

  • Dark fruit – pitted cherries, figs, and/or plums (roasted or raw)
  • Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
  • Mint and/or basil
  • Toasted almonds
  • Lemon zest
  • Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Avocado
  • Goat cheese
  • Shallot

GRILLED OR ROASTED ZUCCHINI SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Grilled or roasted zucchini
  • Mint, basil and/or parsley
  • Red wine vinegar/olive oil/salt/pepper
  • Small amount of chopped garlic, red onion or shallots added to vinaigrette

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula
  • Toasted walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts
  • Goat cheese, mozzarella, burrata or Parmesan
  • Avocado

Fall/Winter Salads

What We Eat: Winter Squash SaladROASTED WINTER SQUASH SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Roasted winter squash like butternut, delicata or kabocha OR roasted sweet potato (cut into 1 inch cubes or into wedges, 425, olive oil, salt, pepper, 35-45 minutes until well caramelized, let them go longer than you think)
  • Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
  • Toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans
  • Mint, basil, cilantro (if doing tahini dressing option) or parsley
  • Shallot or scallions
  • Balsamic or white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper OR tahini/lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Avocado
  • Parmesan, pecorino, goat cheese, cheddar, or blue cheese
  • Dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate arils

What We Eat: Shaved Brussels Sprouts SaladBRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Raw shaved Brussels sprouts or roasted halved Brussels sprouts (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper, 25-30 minutes until golden brown with some crunch)
  • Thinly shaved shallot
  • Arugula
  • Mint, basil and/or parsley
  • Shaved parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended ingredients

  • Avocado
  • Shaved apple

What We Eat: Citrus SaladCITRUS SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Segmented or sliced oranges (blood, navel, a mix, etc.)
  • Thinly shaved shallot
  • Arugula, butter lettuce, endive, fennel or a mix
  • Mint
  • Orange zest
  • Orange juice/white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended ingredients

  • Avocado
  • Goat cheese

Year-Round Salads

What We Eat: Roasted Carrot and Avocado SaladROASTED CARROT AND AVOCADO SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Roasted carrots (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper/cumin/coriander/garlic powder, 30-40 minutes until well caramelized)
  • Thickly sliced avocado
  • Mint, cilantro, scallions and/or basil
  • Toasted walnuts or pepitas
  • Lemon, lime or orange zest
  • Lemon, lime or orange juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula
  • Sprouts or microgreens
  • Feta, goat cheese or dollops of full fat Greek yogurt

SHAVED FENNEL AND ARUGULA

Set ingredients

  • Arugula
  • Shaved fennel
  • Scallions or shallots
  • Mint, parsley, dill and/or basil
  • Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts or almonds
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Sliced radish
  • Sliced celery
  • Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
  • Avocado

What We Eat: Avocado, Cucumber and Mango SaladCUCUMBER AND AVOCADO

Set ingredients

  • Thickly chunked cucumber
  • Thickly chunked avocado
  • Thinly sliced scallions
  • Cilantro
  • Lime juice/a little mayo/olive oil/chili powder or sriracha/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Arugula or romaine
  • Thinly sliced mango
  • Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
  • Feta

ROASTED MUSHROOM SALAD

Set ingredients

  • Roasted or grilled mushrooms, usually shiitake (if roasted, torn into bite size pieces by hand, 425F, olive oil, salt, pepper, 25-30 minutes tossed halfway through until almost crunchy)
  • Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
  • Scallions or shallot or red onion
  • Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
  • Parmesan or pecorino
  • Mint, basil and or parsley
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

  • Radish
  • Avocado
  • Chickpeas (can roast at 425F with olive oil/salt/pepper for 40 minutes until crunchy if you like)
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Hard-boiled eggs

 

Copper Beech and Quinoa and Freshly Shucked Corn Salad with Fried Halloumi

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This summer we had the incredible fortune to work with genius designers and husbands Dan Fink and Thomas O’Brien on their newest joint venture, Copper Beech in Bellport, New York. The store, which operated as a pop-up for the past two months but is planned to be open in earnest in 2017, offered a well-curated selection of home furnishings and accessories, and prepared foods by the What We Eat team (aka Kristina, Rian and me). Even in its “temporary format” (I use quotations because nothing about it appeared temporary), Copper Beech was truly special. That comes as no surprise to anyone who knows Dan and Thomas’s work. Dan and Thomas also happen to be two of the nicest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet, so again, we are counting our blessings.

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As private chefs, the learning curve was steep getting into the prepared foods/market business. The takeaways were many. For instance, we now know how to operate in a commercial kitchen, work with suppliers, package our items beautifully but practically, and transport our food safely and efficiently (aka navigate New York streets in massive refrigerated trucks).  But perhaps the most eye opening lesson for me came from our Copper Beech customers: while our private clients enjoy week-to-week variety, our market customers preferred to have the same (or very similar) items from one week to the next. In hindsight this makes total sense. I am always bummed when my go-to’s are all of a sudden off the menu at my local haunts.

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The clearest example of this came in the form of a quinoa and grilled corn salad with fried halloumi. We prepared it our opening week and it sold out within a few hours. I was sure there would be the same enthusiasm about our super green quinoa on week two. Instead? “Where’s the quinoa and corn salad?” “Will you be making the quinoa and corn salad again?” “What happened to the quinoa and corn salad?” Our poor super green quinoa, which for the record was a freaking delicious riff on Ottolenghi’s green couscous, got no love at all. We listened. The quinoa and corn salad was on the menu every week thereafter and continued to be a top seller.

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So, without further ado, here’s the recipe. It highlights one of the hallmarks of our cooking – a balance between healthy and delicious. We use indulgent ingredients like cheese and nuts to enhance the flavor of things we know we should be eating more of like seasonal vegetables and whole grains. It’s a perfect recipe for the Labor Day weekend because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature, and is a perfect accompaniment to anything grilled – burgers, fish, chicken, you name it. Let us know how you like it!

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Quinoa and Freshly Shucked Corn with Fried Halloumi

(served 4-6)

1 cup quinoa

4 ears of corn, shucked

¼ cup mint, roughly chopped (plus some whole leaves to scatter atop the finished dish)

¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped (plus some whole leaves to scatter atop the finished dish)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 teaspoons chili powder, divided

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 package halloumi (a wonderfully salty cheese that can withstand high temperatures, allowing it to maintain its when cooked)

3 limes, juiced

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

  1. Make quinoa: Measure 1 cup quinoa and 1 ¾ cups water into saucepan with a three-finger pinch of salt. Bring water to boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, and fluff fork.
  2. Grill corn: Drizzle corn with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons chili powder and a generous pinch of salt. Grill corn on high heat until it begins to develop char marks. Allow corn to cool and then cut the kernals off the cob and into a bowl.
  3. Toast pepitas: Lightly toast pepitas in a skillet on medium heat with a small drizzle of olive oil, just enough to coat the seeds. Stir frequently and remove the seeds from heat once they have become crunchy and slightly browned.
  4. Make halloumi croutons: Slice halloumi cheese into ½ inch cubes. Heat a skillet on high with a glug of olive oil. Fry cheese until golden brown on all sides, flipping with spatula throughout the cooking process. Drain excess oil off croutons by resting on a paper towel lined plate.
  5. Assemble salad: Combine cooled quinoa, corn, sliced tomatoes, chopped herbs, lime juice, olive oil, remaining two teaspoons of chili powder and half of the halloumi cheese and pepitas. Toss to combine and adjust seasoning as needed. Pile the salad into a bowl and top with the rest of the cheese, peptias and extra herbs.