“Will you make something for {insert major family event here}?”
The above sentence is something I hear from my mom almost as much as, “Have you paid your bills?” To be fair, the day I pay my bills also happens to fall within the same 24 hour period which is known in my neck of the woods as Family Dinner. I hear in other parts of the country, they call it “Sunday.”
So a few months ago, my mom, still very confused about my newly enforced vegetarianism said what anyone would say in the same situation, “Well I’m going to have your brother grill chicken for Mother’s Day. What can you make for everyone that you can also eat?” Hmm. Thanks, Mom. This was Saturday night and I had to be at my parents’ house the next day at noon. Ooooookay…this needs a solid plan. My plan was to sleep and worry about it in the morning. It worked like a charm, too.
If there’s one thing that goes with grilled chicken, it’s vegetable skewers and grilled red potatoes. Simply, here’s what you do:
FIVE MINUTES TO VEGETABLE DELIGHT
2 red bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 green bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, cut into chunks and layers separated
2 bulbs of garlic, all cloves separated and peeled
8-16 ounces of baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed #screwbuttonmushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil (I like using basil infused oil for this)
2-3 tbsp pork or beef spice rub (say WHAAAAAAT? Yep, it’s not just for meat anymore, bitches!)
PREP: After chopping your vegetables, toss in a large mixing bowl with spices and oil and mix with your hands until thoroughly coated. GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY. It’s dirty with flavor, baby, yeah. Thread on to skewers (I love these flexible metal ones from Bed, Bath, and Beyond) and throw on the grill for about 10-15 minutes. Voila. It’s really that simple.
GRILLED RED POTATOES
6-8 red potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
2 tbsp kosher salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1/8 cup chopped fresh dill
1/8 cup chopped fresh thyme
PREP: After slicing your potatoes, spread them out on paper towels and sprinkle with salt (this will draw excess moisture out of the potato and, I’ve found, makes for a crispier grilled potato). Leave about 20-30 minutes. Wipe off excess moisture, dump the potatoes into a Ziploc bag, along with the olive oil, dill, and thyme. Shake vigorously like, I dunno, how your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard or something. Once this deliciousness is evenly distributed, place in a single layer directly on the grill, about 6-7 minutes per side (you want grill marks). Remove from grill and serve immediately. Or later. But they taste better hot.
So, after my vegetable grilling detour, let me get back to the matter at hand: Mother’s Day. Sunday morning. WTF was I going to make?
I opened my fridge and saw the most glorious sight I ever did see: a bag of badass brussel sprouts. Yeah, that’s right: BAD. ASS. These tiny little cabbage-y nuggets of glory are not just for torturing kids with anymore!
Now, in case you didn’t know, brussel sprouts actually grow on stalks that need to be harvested and actually do not come pre-packaged into frozen plastic bags like all of our mothers led us to believe. It was a shock to me too. The first time I actually came across these little guys ON THEIR STALK, I bought it for the sheer novelty factor. And to freak out my husband (it worked). The first time I cooked these up, I steamed them in a bamboo basket, then finished them off with season salt and shredded Irish cheese. OH HELL YES. But I didn’t have Irish cheese that day. Dammit.
But at least I had the brussel sprouts. And this harvest grain mixture from Trader Joe’s. Oooh, and marcona almond pesto. A frozen bag of pearl onions, huh. Diced red pepper? Sure. Vegetable broth. I can work with this.
I packed it all up and dashed off to the parental homestead, brimming with false bravado.
“Do you know what you’re going to make?”
“Pfft, of course I do! Do you really think I wouldn’t plan this, Mom?”
And then this happened:
You can’t handle all this deliciousness. Unless you want to. And believe me, you very much want to.
Not bad for pantry shopping, eh? Here’s how you can recreate all this awesome into your own impressive side dish:
WARM COUSCOUS & BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD
1 package of Israeli couscous – 16 ounces (see Harvest Blend link above for the mix I like that also includes orzo, red quinoa, and red lentils)
1 quart (32 ounces) vegetable stock (or broth)
1 pound fresh brussel sprouts, out leaves and stem removed, quartered
1 package frozen pearl onions (10 ounces)
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces prepared pesto
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil (again, I like to use my basil infused here) + 1 tbsp
salt and pepper to taste
ATTACK!!
1. Leave pearl onions out to thaw approximately 30 minutes before starting.
2. Remove the very outer leaves of your brussel sprouts and cut off the toughest end of the stem. Discard the refuse and quarter the brussel sprouts. If you insist on using frozen, you can (and it works; it’s just cheating), but make sure you leave them out to thaw, along with the onions. Dice red pepper.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a dutch over over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add your grain mixture and coat it in the oil, stirring constantly to toast it slightly (1-2 minutes). Add vegetable broth and stir to keep any couscous sticking to the bottom. Bring to a boil and REDUCE THE HEAT to medium for 10 minutes, covered. After you keep your damn hands off of it for that amount of time, lift the lid to check how much liquid has been absorbed and stir the grains. The liquid should be about 2/3 gone now (meaning it’s looking thick and poofy, but still more like a stew than finished grains). When you see that, TURN OFF THE HEAT and cover it up. It will retain the heat and continue to cook/absorb the liquid. LEAVE THE LID ON. <– Got that? ON.
4. While the grains are chilling out in their vegetable hot tub, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and salt, and leave it! LEAVE IT! I know letting things cook on their own is scary, but just do it. It will sizzle and smell delicious, and people will assume you are a culinary genius because it already smells so good. But it’s onions, olive oil, and salt. The fools. Let them go for about 4-5 minutes before stirring; they should be just starting to get brown. Add your red pepper and brussel sprouts, further salt and pepper to your taste (spoiler alert: you won’t need much more salt, if any). Cook, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water to the skillet and cover. Let steam over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes, depending on your preference of doneness. Hint, hint: IT SHOULDN’T BE MUSH. Vegetables should still taste a little melty on the outside and crispy on the inside. I know that’s counter intuitive, but this isn’t a french fry. Different kind of love needs to be shown.
5. Mix 4 to 3. Add pesto and balsamic vinegar. Stir until it’s evenly incorporated. Serve warm (can also be stored overnight and served cold the next day, and let me tell you – it’s still freaking great).
Just as a reminder, this will be the outcome of this work:
I’m happier, you’re happier. Your family/friends/pets are happier. This is the first step towards world peace, my friends.
To this day, my mom still doesn’t know that I threw this together on a wing and a prayer with ingredients I found ten minutes before driving to her house. Well, now she will. If she reads this. Dammit.
And I’d just like to note: the skewers, potatoes, and couscous salad? DEMOLISHED. The chicken? Not so much.
TAKE THAT BARBEQUE!
Great Cooking With Everyday Ingredients 