Braised Brussel Sprouts

During the week, when we are working we are always looking for quick dinners.  Something good, but that does not require a great deal of work.  I am sure you find the same to be true.  I have finally admitted that the most important thing is to have a plan.  It usually takes us much longer to decide what to fix for dinner than it does to fix it.  An added benefit is that we are saving a little money on the grocery shopping.  By knowing what we will be having for dinner each week we can shop smarter and we experience less waste.

Before our weekly trip to the grocery store (another benefit - we rarely have those extra trips during the week now) we do a quick inventory of what we have on hand and begin planning the menu.  We only plan our evening meal and we try to have a couple things during the week that are good reheated so I can take lunch to work.  We also try to incorporate at least one new dish each week.  We are both (hubby and I) always looking for new recipes or ideas for new recipes.

Last night we had a pan seared flat iron steak.  Flat iron steaks are easy to prepare and in our experience require little additional work.  We simply sprinkle with the Weber steak and chop seasoning blend about 30 minutes prior to cooking.  You can grill it, but for those nights when you don’t have time to fire the grill, pan searing works out wonderfully for a flat iron steak.

We had found some beautiful fresh brussel sprouts when we shopped and we thought they would be perfect with the flat iron.  This recipe is incredibly simple and the results are stellar...a great way to explore whether or not you like brussel sprouts.  

 The onion and sprouts will brown or caramelize making the dish almost sweet.

Prepare you brussel sprouts by trimming the end and cutting them in half. 

Place the brussel sprouts in a colander and rinse thoroughly. 

Cut the bacon into pieces about a half an inch wide and brown it in a skillet you can later transfer to the oven. 

While the bacon is browning dice the onion. 

 When the bacon is nice and browned add the onion and brussel sprouts to the skillet, sauté for about 5 minutes (longer if your brussel sprouts are large).  Add your salt and pepper at this stage.

 Place the skillet in the oven for approximately 10 minutes (it could take longer if your brussel sprouts are large).

ENJOY!

Pan seared flat iron steak, braised brussel sprouts and parmesan potatoes. 

Place the skillet in the oven for approximately 10 minutes (it could take longer if your brussel sprouts are large).

ENJOY!

Braised Brussel Sprouts

1lb fresh brussel sprouts

4 strips bacon

1 medium onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400. 

Prepare you brussel sprouts by trimming the end and cutting them in half. 

Place the brussel sprouts in a colander and rinse thoroughly. 

Cut the bacon into pieces about a half an inch wide and brown it in a skillet you can later transfer to the oven. 

While the bacon is browning dice the onion. 

When the bacon is nice and browned add the onion and brussel sprouts to the skillet, sauté for about 5 minutes (longer if your brussel sprouts are large).  Add your salt and pepper at this stage.

Place the skillet in the oven for approximately 10 minutes (it could take longer if your brussel sprouts are large).

ENJOY!

Pan Seared Halibut with Mango Salsa

So I know I should have taken advantage of being up early this morning and headed out to the farmers market.  I mean, it is September, how much longer will I have access to all the colorful fruits and veggies of summer?  Instead of heading down the road, I debated starting a blog and ultimately decided to go for it and set up this little gem. 

With the farmers market closed, hubby and I head to Raleigh for a little shopping excursion.  I had mentioned earlier today that I thought the menu for tonight said dine out, but hubby said he didn't recall us planning an evening out.  On the way to Raleigh, he begins talking about where we can eat...uh, no, it doesn't work that way.  We left the house to go shopping, not to go to dinner.  Why doesn't he understand that the jeans and t shirt I will wear to go shopping may not be what I would wear to dinner out?

Anyway, we decided go to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  We do hesitate to drive all the way to Raleigh just for groceries, I mean Raleigh is an hour away after all.  But options are sometimes a little limited here, so we make the drive to a neighboring metropolis on occasion.  We don't really have a meal plan for the week, so we are just looking to see what appeals to us. We got lucky and found some beautiful halibut on sale and decided we would pan sear it and serve it with a mango salsa.

Mango Salsa

2 cups chopped pitted peeled mango

1 cup chopped bell pepper I use red to add more color to the dish

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 fresh fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

4 teaspoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made a day ahead of time (gives flavors time to blend).  

Cut the fish into serving size portions and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a skillet until the oil is just below the smoke point and add the fish. Turn the fish after a few minutes. 

When the fish is done serve it topped with some of the Mango Salsa. 

Ok, so an introduction to Katrina's Korner. 

I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I stand back and look at something knowing I created it.  While this can happen everyday at dinner time, I don't really want to limit this space to food.  I can get the same feeling of satisfaction from a scrapbook page, an afghan I crocheted, or any number of other things.

That said, this blog will be mostly about food, but I will likely include other items from time to time.