Roasted Brussels Sprouts...give them another shot!

So neither the husband nor I were ever fans of brussels sprouts. They seemed like something you just shouldn't like.  But then, a couple weeks ago, he happened to order a dish that came with brussels sprouts. He seemed thrilled, and, having been provoked by his delighted facial expression, I tried them and was similarly impressed. These were NOT the vegetable I'd been avoiding for decades...these were tasty, salty and luscious and I vowed to recreate them at home.

First you want to blanch the brussels sprouts in a large pot of lightly salted water; should take approximately 3-4 minutes and they should turn a brighter green than before. Next you want to drain them, pat them dry and then cut each of them in half. Then place them into a mixing bowl and toss with a liberal dose of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground peppercorns and fresh sea salt. Once they are entirely coated, lie them cut-side down on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

When they are looking sufficiently tender and browned, remove them from the oven. You can now either serve them as is (which I did the first time out) or you can kick it up another notch and toss them with a little balsamic vinegar, thyme and sliced avocado for a great salad option (which I did the second time around).

Served with brown jasmine rice and grilled mahimahi.

- Melissa

Wasabi Dipping Sauce & Fries

Not everything has to be complicated - or fattening. Sometimes you just want to enjoy some fish, a few fries and a kick in the tastebuds. Rather than just do ketchup (come on, we can do better!) or ranch (dear god, I'm sorry, that's disgusting!) I decided to try out an Asian dipping sauce to accompany said fries, which were deliciously handcut from sweet potatoes.

Anyway, I combined 1 serving of plain greek yogurt, a few splashes of lime juice, two tbsp of light sour cream, 1 tbsp of wasabi paste and zest from a piece of fresh ginger, already peeled. Simply stir this all tougher for a few seconds and then taste and adjust accordingly - personally, we added more wasabi. You can make this ahead of time and then place it in the fridge so that it will retain its consistency until dinner is ready. 

To make these (healthier) fries, I julienned two large sweet potatoes and drizzled both sides with olive oil and a little salt. Then I baked them at 350 degrees on a lightly greased cookie sheet for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them once. I then turned the broiler on low and let them cook for another 15-20 minutes to get them crisp, again, flipping them once.

Served with a sesame-seed and soy albacore tuna steak and a side of edamame.

- Melissa