I’m married to a man who doesn’t much like Brussels sprouts. But I happen to love them, so I’m always looking for ways to convince him to eat them. One of my tricks is to roughly chop them. They no longer look like little cabbages and are somehow much more approachable when they are soft little pieces.  My other trick is to add flavor. There’s been a recent explosion of flavored oils in grocery stores and specialty shops. In this recipe, I used an olive oil infused with wild mushrooms and sage, but there are many options you could try. Lemon olive oil is an easy one. Almost any other herb infused oil will work as well.

1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, roughly chopped

2 Baby Bella or button mushrooms roughly chopped

1 tablespoon wild mushroom and sage infused olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of dried sage

That’s it! Place the ingredients on the parchment, toss with your hands or a spoon, and fold the packet (see Technique page on this blog) and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Did he eat them? Yep. And so did the kids!

I’m married to a man who doesn’t much like Brussels sprouts. But I happen to love them, so I’m always looking for ways to convince him to eat them. One of my tricks is to roughly chop them. They no longer look like little cabbages and are somehow much more approachable when they are soft … Read more →

This fall dish would be perfect for Thanksgiving if you’re still looking for a side dish! It’s got lovely flavor from the apple and orange juice and the cinnamon warms it up. This is adapted from a recent recipe in Everyday Food Magazine.

I large parsnip, peeled and sliced thinly

1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp orange juice

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

pinch of onion powder

Place the parsnips and apples on the parchment. Sprinkle oil, orange juice and spices on top. Toss with your hands to combine. Fold the paper (see Technique page) and bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

This fall dish would be perfect for Thanksgiving if you’re still looking for a side dish! It’s got lovely flavor from the apple and orange juice and the cinnamon warms it up. This is adapted from a recent recipe in Everyday Food Magazine. I large parsnip, peeled and sliced thinly 1 apple, peeled, cored and … Read more →

I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end.

I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4)

3 cups packed kale leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

2 ounces cooked chopped pancetta or bacon

I preheated the oven to 400, placed my ingredients in the bag and shook them up a bit. I placed it on a baking sheet and baked for 15 minutes. I lifted the bag, about to give it another little shake, and it ripped. It had soaked through (something that has never happened to me with parchment paper).

The kale, however, was delicious. I would make this again in a parchment paper packet (kale on the bottom, other ingredients on the top). The cheese gave it a nice bit of creaminess and the pancetta gave it a little smokiness. In the past I’ve been puzzled by kale – it wasn’t a veggie I ate as a kid and so I have been looking for ways to make it. This one is a winner.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the bags. It ripped immediately. I also felt it did not create as nice of a presentation. The bag was not flat on the bottom, so you would need to lay it on its side, put your food in from the side, fold it and then cut it open to have a dish you could take from bag to plate easily. With parchment you just unfold and there your dish is sitting.

Maybe if you double bagged the food it would work. I use Wilton parchment and I have never had it rip.

I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end. I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4) 3 cups packed kale leaves salt … Read more →

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. It serves 4 with leftovers.

1 parsnip, peeled, thinly sliced

1/8 large sweet onion thinly sliced

15 baby carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Thyme

Olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut a 24 inch piece of parchment. Make about a 9 inch circle with the parsnips, layering them over each other around the circle and in the middle. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle half the onions on top. Layer carrots on top of this and repeat salt, pepper, thyme, oil, onion. Then layer rutabaga, repeating seasonings and toppings. Layer potato slices on top, repeating toppings again. Pour cream over the entire thing. Fold the parchment (see Technique page on this blog) – for this one I used the folded ends instead of the twisted ends. Bake at 350 for an hour.

You could add chopped garlic to this, grated cheese (Parmesan would be my pick, included in the layers), or 1/4 cup milk to boost the creaminess. You could also drizzle with melted butter instead of olive oil for a deeper flavor. I liked it being pretty basic and was able to enjoy all the flavors of the vegetables.

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. … Read more →

Asparagus is one my favorite vegetables to cook in parchment. It’s just the right size and it cooks perfectly. I made this for dinner the other night. It’s got the right balance of creaminess and lemon and the garlic gives it some punch.

1 bunch asparagus

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dill

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place the asparagus on the parchment. Mix the other ingredients in a small bowl and spread over the asparagus. Fold the parchment (see the Technique page on this blog) and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, until the asparagus reaches your level of doneness. This is great with chicken or fish.

Asparagus is one my favorite vegetables to cook in parchment. It’s just the right size and it cooks perfectly. I made this for dinner the other night. It’s got the right balance of creaminess and lemon and the garlic gives it some punch. 1 bunch asparagus 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 3 garlic cloves, minced salt … Read more →

We’re hot and heavy into local corn season here in Western NY. I’ll hate to see it end because then it will really be fall. Until then though, I keep coming home with bagfuls of corn and then must think of ways to use them! I love corn on the cob, but sometimes I am so over boiling that big ole pot of water to cook it. Corn cooks beautifully in parchment, so that’s my go-to.

Today’s recipe includes a fun little ingredient I’ve fallen in love with called Chutter. I bought it in the cheese section of my grocery store and it says it is Herkimer Chutter and is a cross between cheese and butter. To me it takes like a smooth, mild cheese spread. I’m putting it on everything, so of course I had to try it on corn. Enjoy!

2 ears of corn on the cob

3.5 ounces Chutter

1/8 cup fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon melted butter

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Place chutter, chives, salt, pepper, and butter in a food processor and pulse until smooth and the chives are chopped. Place corn on parchment and smear with chutter mixture. Drop tomatoes over and around it. Fold parchment (see Technique page) and bake at 400 for 22 minutes, flipping the package over halfway through.

The corn is rich and delicious with this spread on it and the tomatoes not only add some color but are a yummy accompaniment.

We’re hot and heavy into local corn season here in Western NY. I’ll hate to see it end because then it will really be fall. Until then though, I keep coming home with bagfuls of corn and then must think of ways to use them! I love corn on the cob, but sometimes I am … Read more →

As you may have noticed, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling lately. It gets so hot in my kitchen, and if I turn on the ceiling fan, it affects the gas burners on my stove, making things cook slower. Turning the oven on is just not appealing in this weather, so the grill is my pal. My latest experiment was to see if I could cook gnocchi on the grill. Guess what? It worked! It has this great smoky flavor and a terrific crunchiness. Everyone loved it!

1 lb bag of gnocchi, defrosted

2 green onions, ends cut off

olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Turn the grill onto high. Place a disposable metal pan (like a pie pan) on half and fill with 2 cups water. Let that get hot. Spray a grill tray or grill basket with cooking spray. Toss the gnocchi with olive oil (a couple tablespoons) and place it on the tray in on layer. Place that on the other half of the grill. Rub the green onions with olive oil and lay on the grill. Turn the gnocchi side down to medium high. Close the grill. Check it about every 4-5 minutes, turning the gnocchi over and turning the onions. It takes about 10-12 minutes total, until some of the gnocchi is browned and the green onions are slightly charred. Place the gnocchi in a bowl. Cut up the green onions into small pieces. Drizzle olive oil over the gnocchi, add onions, season with salt and pepper and add about 1/2 cup (or more, to your taste) grated Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve.

As you may have noticed, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling lately. It gets so hot in my kitchen, and if I turn on the ceiling fan, it affects the gas burners on my stove, making things cook slower. Turning the oven on is just not appealing in this weather, so the grill is … Read more →

I had a lovely bag of multicolored fingerling potatoes and needed a way to cook them. I also had some vinaigrette leftover. Why not use them together? This one was a big winner in my house, with people fighting over the cheese!

1 lb fingerling potatoes, pricked with a fork

Make this vinaigrette:
4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Italian herb mix

1/8 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp Worchestershire

Shake this up in a jar and let it sit for about 10 minutes so the herbs soften.

Place the potatoes on the parchment. Pour half the vinaigrette over them (save the rest for a salad the next night). Fold the parchment and bake at 400 for 1 hour. About halfway through, take it out of the oven, grab the bag with potholders and give it a shake to distribute the oil. Put it back in for the rest of the hour. After one hour, remove from the oven, open the parchment and shave several tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over it (don’t grate it, use a cheese slicer to shave it). Leave the packet open and return to the oven until the cheese melts.

OMG. It was soooo good.

I had a lovely bag of multicolored fingerling potatoes and needed a way to cook them. I also had some vinaigrette leftover. Why not use them together? This one was a big winner in my house, with people fighting over the cheese! 1 lb fingerling potatoes, pricked with a fork Make this vinaigrette: 4 tbsp … Read more →

We eat a lot of asparagus here since my dad has an asparagus bed. Soon there will bags of it being sent over here. While I love it, I’m always looking for new ways to make it. This recipe is so easy and really tasty:

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1/4 cup light bleu cheese dressing

salt and pepper

That’s it. Place the asparagus on the parchment, drizzle the dressing over it and season it with salt and pepper. Fold up the parchment and bake for 20 minutes at 400.

We eat a lot of asparagus here since my dad has an asparagus bed. Soon there will bags of it being sent over here. While I love it, I’m always looking for new ways to make it. This recipe is so easy and really tasty: 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 1/4 cup light bleu cheese dressing … Read more →

I’m always looking for ways to make vegetables more exciting, hoping to entice my kids and husband into not only eating them, but enjoying them. My latest attempt was to dress up asparagus and it was quite successful.

1 bunch asparagus

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 1/2 tsp mustard (I used a ground mustard, but a Dijon would also work)

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Place asparagus on parchment (see Technique page for instructions). Mix other ingredients in a small bowl or custard cup and spread over asparagus. Fold the parchment and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I really liked this. It was light but had lots of flavor and made the asparagus taste like something new and exciting!

I’m always looking for ways to make vegetables more exciting, hoping to entice my kids and husband into not only eating them, but enjoying them. My latest attempt was to dress up asparagus and it was quite successful. 1 bunch asparagus 1/4 cup light sour cream 1 1/2 tsp mustard (I used a ground mustard, … Read more →