A Very Merry Cruciferous Christmas

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

• 3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• 1 and ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Roasted Brussels sprouts:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

Roasted butternut squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
3. Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
4. _Note:_You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.

Assembly:

1. In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower “Potatoes”

From https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/creamy-mashed-cauliflower-potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup (or more) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
• Chopped chives (for serving; optional)

1. Pour water into a medium pot to a depth of 1/4″. Add cauliflower and garlic and cover pot. Bring to a boil and cook until florets are easily pierced with a paring knife, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Add milk, butter, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Purée until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with chives, if using.

A Bright, Simple Broccoli Side Dish You Can Make in 15 Minutes

From https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/a-bright-simple-broccoli-side-dish-you-can-make-in-15-minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head of Broccoli, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, sliced thinly
• 2 Tbs Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Pine Nuts
• 1tsp Chili Flakes
• ½ of a Lemon, squeezed for juice
• ½ tsp Salt

1. Place a pan over high heat and allow to heat up. Add olive oil to the pan, then add pine nuts and garlic toasting until light brown. Toss in chili flakes.
2. Add the broccoli all at once, and continue to sauté on high heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green and just barely softened.
3. Transfer broccoli to a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and salt. Stir and serve immediately.

Pomegranate Molasses Salmon

From https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/pomegranate-glazed-salmon/

Salmon Ingredients

• 4 boneless salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cornstarch or potato starch (for Passover use potato starch)
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses (see recipe below) room temperature
• Nonstick cooking oil spray
• Fresh pomegranate seeds and mint for garnish (optional)

Pomegranate Molasses Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups pure 100% pomegranate juice (bottled or fresh)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Pour pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
2. Heat up over medium until the sauce begins to simmer lightly. Stir to dissolve sugar. Allow the liquid to simmer very lightly for 60-80 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, till the liquid reduces by 75% to about 1 cup of molasses.
3. The liquid is ready when it has a light syrupy consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Don’t let it thicken too much, or it will harden when it cools.
4. Remove from heat. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools. If you’re unsure about the consistency, measure the reduce liquid– it should be between 1 and 1 1/4 cups of syrup. If it’s a lot more liquid than that, continue reducing.
5. After the syrup cools completely, store it in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Salmon Recipe

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Rinse the fish fillets in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, and corn or potato starch. Rub the flesh side of the fillets evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the fillets lightly with black pepper.
2. Spray nonstick skillet generously with cooking oil and heat on medium high till very hot. Place the fillets skin side up, flesh side down into the skillet and allow to sear for 1-2 minutes till a dark crust forms. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan– this will make the fillets difficult to turn. If the pan seems too crowded, work in batches.
3. When a dark crust has formed (it should be crispy and even a little black in places), use a pair of tongs to gently turn the salmon and let the skin side sear for another minute.
4. Remove skillet from heat. At this point, you can transfer the fillets onto a lightly greased baking sheet. If your skillet is oven safe – no plastic handle, heat resistant – you can finish the fillets directly in the pan. Brush each fillet with 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses.
5. Transfer fillets to the preheated oven and let them cook for 8-12 minutes longer, till internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F or until desired doneness. Serve fillets fresh from the oven garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds and fresh mint, if desired.

Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Spritzer

From http://www.frugalmomeh.com/2015/11/cranberry-spritzer.html