Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies

Roasted Brussels sprouts are delicious on their own, but when we saw this recipe on the Food & Wine website (contributed by Michael Symon) we had to try it.  The sauce that is mixed into the roasted Brussels sprouts is sweet, salty, and tangy and adds amazing flavor to the vegetables.  It was so good we made it twice in one week!  You can adjust the amount of sauce you use on depending on how strong you want them to be flavored.  Any leftover sauce would also be great with cooked broccoli. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved or quartered
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• One ounce of anchovies (I used about 6 out of an oil-packed jar of anchovies)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with 3 tablespoons  olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the Brussels sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and charred in spots.

 

Toast the walnuts in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside when done.  To make the sauce, combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined and emulsified.  

Mix the sauce in with the cooked Brussels sprouts and add the toasted walnuts.  Don't add all of the sauce at once- you may not need it all. 

Cherry Chile Salsa with Pork Tenderloin

I love it when cherries are in season- they are one of my favorite fruits!  I load up on them when they are on sale because they are so expensive normally.  I bookmarked this recipe from Serious Eats and I'm glad I remembered to make it this summer before cherries go out of season!  The cherries are combined with hot chile peppers, lime juice, and cilantro to make a delicious sweet and spicy salsa to go along with some roasted pork tenderloin.  The salsa was the perfect complement to the juicy pork, and probably the first time I've used fresh cherries in a savory dish.  The salsa would also be great with sturdy tortilla chips if you cut the cherries into smaller pieces.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin (preferably two smaller ones, but we ended up with one huge tenderloin cut in half)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 lb fresh cherries, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 large or two small jalapeno peppers thinly sliced, with option to omit seeds to keep heat level down
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large zip lock bag, combine the pork with the vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons of lime juice and half of the cilantro and shallots.  Marinate at room temp for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine cherries with jalapenos, sugar, olive oil, and the remaining cilantro, shallots, and lime juice. (You could omit sugar if your cherries are super sweet). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Stir occasionally to mix the flavors.

To cook the pork, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or preheat a grill to medium-high).  Remove from marinade and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and brown your tenderloin on each side.  Place into a large baking dish and cook for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your steak and actual oven temp the time will vary).  Check with a thermometer to ensure pork is at least 145 degrees F in the center before removing from the oven.  Let it rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with the delicious cherry salsa piled on top.

 

Lemon Goat Cheese Balls

These little cheese balls are the perfect appetizer or party food.  And they are super easy to make, look fancy, and taste amazing!  I made these in less than 15 minutes, and it took even less time for our us and our two friends to wolf them down before dinner.  The creamy cheese with the tangy lemon and salty pistachio coating is close to perfect.  We had them alone with a drizzle of honey which I definitely recommend, but they would also go great paired with bread or crackers.  

Ingredients:

4 oz. low-fat cream cheese

4 oz creamy goat cheese

1 1/2 T lemon juice

1 t lemon zest (from about half a lemon)

2 T minced shallot

dash of salt

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

Directions:

In a food processor (or nut chopper) blend the pistachio nuts until they are coarsely ground.  Put the nuts into a shallow bowl or dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl until well combined.

With your hands, form little balls out of the cheese mixture and roll them in the pistachio crumbs until they are covered on all sides.  Set them on a plate or platter.  Refrigerate until 30 minutes before you are ready to eat them, to let them come closer to room temperature before serving.