Brussels Sprouts - with a twist!

Vegetables seduce me. And resistance is futile. Sometimes I want the simplicity of a simple steamed or raw vegetable. But I also love to try vegetables prepared with exotic spices or unexpected ingredients.

Last week I happened to stumble upon a cooking TV show I'd never seen before. A man and woman host it, but for the life of me I can't recall the name. They were preparing brussels sprouts three different ways.

Brussels sprouts! I love them! I love all the vegetables in the cabbage family. And my favorite way of preparing these tiny little cabbages has been to roast them in the oven. The leaves become papery and crispy on the outside, while the insides become tender and almost sweet.

The recipe given on the television show surprised me. After tossing the brussels sprouts lightly in olive oil and crushed garlic, sprinkling with salt and pepper, the sprouts were roasted until nicely browned. Before serving, they were tossed with a dressing consisting of a couple of teaspoonfuls of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of olive oil, and about a tablespoon of grated orange zest. It sounded odd to me, but I decided to try it. I went very light with the olive oil, and used canola spray for the roasting, but this was a DELICIOUS way to prepare brussels sprouts!

The orange gave the most wonderful sweetness and tang, complimenting the taste of the sprouts perfectly. The vinegar added a lot of flavor without tartness.

Most definitely, I will be making this again! Yummy!

Singing the praises of a meatless wonder....

Last year, Stephanie, who works at Whole Foods, showed up with something special for the holidays, a Tofurky roast for our Christmas eve meal. The Turtle Island Tofurky web site touts its organic vegetarian roast, saying... "Made from a revolutionary tofu-wheat protein blend, Tofurky is known for its incredible, turkey-like texture and flavor."

I'm a vegetarian, but tofu is not my preferred source of protein. It's OK, but I don't love it. So I was reluctant to jump for joy at the prospect of a tofu-based turkey substitute. Let me also add that I don't particularly care for meat substitutes, products that try to imitate meat in taste and texture. So I was skeptical. But we followed the instructions and prepared our Tofurky.

It was delicious!

They got it right... the texture is firm but not chewy or dry. The stuffing inside is perfectly seasoned. The flavor is very pleasing, certainly the right compliment to all the holiday favorites we all know and love. They also provide a "mushroom gravy" which is quite tasty as well.
This year we served Tofurky again, this time with a fabulous dried cherry balsamic glaze, and it was pure bliss. With it I served a wild rice casserole, sweet potatoes baked with apples, cauliflower, a tossed salad and rolls.

Leftover are gone and sadly, I contemplate the unfortunate fact that Tofurky won't be in the stores much longer, until the next holiday season rolls around. I may need to zip out to the store and pick up another roast while I can!

MMmmmmmmm.... Tofurky!