green dinner

We had a green dinner in celebration of St. Patrick's day.  I made roasted asparagus and broccoli in garlic infused oil, roasted Brussels sprouts with smoked turkey sausage and shallots, of course pesto with pasta, and my winner of the evening, green bread.  I just made our usual bread with green water I made by pureeing spinach and parsley and soaking it in water and straining the solids.  I ended up putting some of the solids in the dough because I thought it would add to the color, and I'm glad I did.  It had really little spinach flavor, if any, and was a fun naturally colored addition to the meal.

Did YOU make anything fun for your St. Patrick's day celebration?

 2 C Brussels sprouts, cleaned, stems removed, and cut in half

1 smoked turkey sausage, cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 shallot, sliced medium

salt and pepper to taste (go light on the salt, the sausage has plenty)

2 T softened butter

1/2 T canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Toss all the ingredients in a 9 x 13 pan.  Make sure the vegetables are evenly coated in the butter.  Roast in the oven for 20~25 minutes, until caramelized and slightly crispy in some party.  Let cool slightly, serve warm.

Roasted Broccoli & Asparagus:

1 head of broccoli

1 lb asparagus

2 T olive oil

2 T canola oil

4~5 garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Cut florets off of the broccoli, leaving about an inch to two of stem.  Cut them into pieces small enough to eat easily, but big enough that they don't char in the oven.  Trim the bottom of the asparagus about an inch or two.
3. In a small sauce pan, heat the oil and smashed garlic cloves over medium-low heat.  Once the garlic starts to sizzle a little and turn a golden-brown color, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Place the vegetables on a large sheet pan in a single layer, and pour over the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.
5. Place in the oven and roast for 7~10 minutes, until tips are crispy and browned.

Basil & Hazelnut pesto:

(makes enough for 1 lb of pasta, with some leftover for toast!)

1/2 C basil leaves, removed from the stem

3 T parsley

1/3 C whole toasted (and peeled) hazelnuts

2 small or 1 large garlic clove

1 large shallot, cut into medium pieces

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

3~4 T finely grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese

1. In the bowl of the food processor, pulse together the basil, parsley, nuts, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper until chopped fine.
2. With the spout open and the food processor turned to the on position, slowly pour in the olive oil until smooth.  If you need to, stop and scrape down the sides.  Add the cheese and stir to combine.  Serve with hot pasta.

Dessert.  I was too lazy to make anything, and this was really enticing for some reason.  And green:)