Bready or Not: Maple Brussels Sprouts
I’m here to convert you to the goodness of Brussels sprouts. Also known as: maple syrup makes everything better.
If you’re like me and a lot of other folks, you have scarring childhood memories of Brussels sprouts (or as I remember them, nasty mini cabbage-like things). My mom, bless her heart, boiled them. The result was not delicious.
It was only last year I decided to make my own Brussels sprouts. For a few years, I had noticed recipes on Pinterest that made the roasted version look delicious. Then I ate some at a nice restaurant and realized, “I can do this myself for a whole lot cheaper.”
The maple syrup doesn’t make these sugary sweet, but the sweetness is definitely there. It makes these the perfect complement to all sorts of savory, salty meats. Leftovers are also fabulous cold out of the fridge or chopped into a sweet salad.
On that note, you can also use this maple vinaigrette as a salad dressing. Just increase the amounts in proportion (say, 1/2 cup each of olive oil and maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar) and store the leftovers in the fridge. Use it on mixed greens, slaws, etc.
Maple. Best stuff ever.
Bready or Not: Maple Brussels Sprouts with Maple Vinaigrette Dressing/Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tb olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 Tb pure maple syrup
- 1 Tb apple cider vinegar
- salt
- 2 - 3 slices bacon optional, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Remove any damaged leaves and trim the stem to remove any browning, then slice the sprouts into quarters or halves depending on their size. Place them in a gallon-sized Ziplock-type bag. (If you want to add bacon, add it to bag.)
- Add the oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar to the bag. Seal the bag and give everything a good jostle and shake. You can bake right away or set the bag in the fridge for several hours. If you let it marinate, turn the bag every so often.
- Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Set out a rimmed cookie sheet; for easy cleaning, line it with aluminum foil. Pour the Brussels sprouts onto the sheet and make them as even as possible. Add some salt.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn and stir sprouts, then roast for another 10 or 15 minutes until they are firm yet tender.
- OM NOM NOM!
Locus Poll Ends Tomorrow
One last reminder: voting for the Locus Awards ends tomorrow, on April 15th. The Clockwork Dagger is one of their recommended 1st novels for 2014 so it’s already listed on the ballot. (I also highly recommend you buy and read Corinne Duyvis’s book Otherbound–it’s awesome! It’s also listed in the 1st Novels category.)
One thing that sets these awards apart from the other major genre awards is that ANYONE can vote. This is especially noteworthy in light of the recent Hugo kerfuffle. All you need to do is fill in your name, email, and vote in whatever category you want. The ballot is huge and looks intimidating, but you don’t have to fill in everything.
Me! Baen! Hockey!
I’ve been in a lot of amazing anthologies and magazines, but I confess, this one just boggles my mind. My story “Minor Hockey Gods of Barstow Station” has been accepted to Galactic Games, an anthology to be published by Baen during the Rio Olympics next year. The table of contents includes people like George R. R. Martin, Seanan McGuire, and Mercedes Lackey. You can see the full holy-moley list over here.
This was an especially challenging story to write, too. Basically, it took me three months to psych myself up to start the first draft. The world-building was daunting–alien cultures, plus a far-future Earth with substantial changes–but there was also the matter of hockey. We’re a hockey family. We’ve been season ticket holders for the Arizona Coyotes for several years. I’m decently conversant in the sport and players, but not to the deep technical level that the story required. My husband was a huge help. He helped me hone my scenes and even sketched out a rink to illustrate who does what. He is awesome.
I’ll talk about this story more into next year as the release date nears. Yippee!
Read MoreSunday Quote has 2 months until book release
Read More“Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake.”
~John Cleese
Bready or Not: Dutch Baby Pancake
Need a small batch of pancakes? Or don’t want to stand there and flip individual pancakes?
Go big!
I had Dutch pancake baby recipes pinned for years. For some reason, they looked intimidating to me. Shows what I know. It turned out, these are much easier than standard pancakes. Mix, pour, bake.
The only tragedy here is that they look beautiful as soon as you pulled them from the oven, and as soon as you cut it, they deflate. The taste is fabulous, though–that doesn’t go flat!
I tried out a Snickerdoodle variation as well. Just add a little cinnamon to the batter and more on top. It’d be just as easy to add some chocolate chips or fresh or dried fruit. Mix it up!
Modified from Martha Stewart.
Bready or Not: Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk almondmilk works fine
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Snickerdoodle variation:
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in batter plus more sprinkled on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and stick it in oven as it warms up.
- In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. Pull skillet from oven--be careful, that handle is hot! Pour batter into skillet and bake for about 19 to 20 minutes. The pancake should be puffed and lightly browned.
- Slice into wedges--it will deflate and look a lot less pretty, but it's still delicious. Serve with butter and any other desired toppings (maple syrup, dulce de leche, powdered sugar, etc).
Serves one hungry person, or along with sides can feed several people.
OM NOM NOM!
