Charred Brussels Sprouts + Pineapple

Last night, I spent a few minutes scrolling through some old blog posts from our first couple years in Tokyo. Brad and I started The Whites in Tokyo almost immediately after moving to Japan and I'm so grateful that we did. I remember sitting in our tiny business-hotel room with two twin beds complete with buckwheat filled pillows, trying to get rid of the sticky heat that hung over the city in late August. Brad wrote the first few posts while I worked on swimming out of a haze of culture shock. Finally, on August 20, 2008, I wrote my first post about venturing out on my own. Reading that was fascinating to me because it is not unlike how I feel living in Denver.

Reliving those early days of life in a new place helped remind me that I've come a long way since then. I owe a lot of my culinary knowledge to my time abroad because that was how I chose to get to know the culture. Prior to life in Tokyo, I never would have thought to put pineapple with brussels sprouts. But that's the beauty of experiencing new places domestic and abroad: the lessons we learn about food can follow us anywhere. While in Japan, I was able to travel to Thailand a couple of times and this recipe reminds me a little of the food I ate there. More because of the depth of flavor from the soy sauce, lemon and honey on the charred sprouts paired with the freshness of pineapple. That and the contrasting textures. All of these things remind me why I love Asian food. It is always so purposeful and never fails to unveil flavor combinations that linger in your mind long after you have swallowed each delicious bite.

Are you a brussels sprout hater? Get over it. You'll be glad you did. The sweet-salty sauce with the juicy, tart pineapple and crunchy almonds help take brussels sprouts to a new, exciting place far removed from the mushy, boring, flavorless land where they used to live. These would be great as a side dish to just about anything, but particularly dishes like grilled salmon or even with a burger as a healthier replacement for fries.

Who knows? At this time next year I may be posting a brussels sprout recipe inspired by life in the Wild West! Life has thrown crazier curve balls my way...

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pineapple & Almonds

Makes 4 servings

• 3 1/2 cups or about 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Heat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

Next, pull off any unattractive leaves from the brussels sprouts, then trim the ends and cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Place in a large bowl with the pineapple. Drizzle it all with peanut oil (olive oil also works) and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and honey. Set aside.

Spread the brussels sprouts and pineapple on your parchment lined sheet pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the outer leaves and cut side are nicely charred and the centers are tender. Flip the brussels sprouts half way through cooking time to ensure even doneness.

When the sprouts are done and still hot on the baking sheet, drizzle with the soy sauce and honey mixture. Toss gently to coat, and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve immediately.

Variations:

• Add crumbled bacon before serving
• Add red pepper flakes to the soy sauce and honey mixture before coating the brussels sprouts
• Use canned pineapple and add a bit of the juice after the brussels sprouts are done cooking
• Use mandarin oranges in place of pineapple. Don't roast them with the brussels sprouts. Add them at the end.

Cocktail Friday: Lavender Honey Sidecar

I started working in restaurants when I was in college. The first was a café on campus. I made milkshakes, pizzas, burgers, and lattés for masses of sleep-deprived, starving college students. I like to think that I did my part to nurse hangovers and fuel all night study sessions. The next place of employment was at a classy restaurant off campus where they graciously trusted me to work behind the bar. I had had exactly zero experience mixing drinks, but they were very patient with me and helped me to learn the basics of cocktail mixing, stirring, shaking, and everything in between. They never said I did a bad job, which is either because they wanted to spare my young college-girl feelings, or because I wasn't terrible. After a while, I moved on to waiting tables at the same restaurant, which I much preferred. Still, I attribute much of my initial interest in cocktails to La Rana Bistro in Decorah, IA. If you ever find yourself in that area of the U.S., I highly recommend stopping in Decorah. It's a sweet little place and much more beautiful than most people expect for that part of the Midwest. 

Lavender-Honey Simple Syrup

Lavender-Honey Sidecar Cocktail

I didn't learn to make this particular cocktail while working at the bistro, but I did think about my time in Iowa the first time I made it. Something about the honey-lavender syrup made me think of, as the sign says when you enter the state of Iowa, "Fields of Opportunities". It's funny how a scent can bring you somewhere totally unexpected. As far as I know, there aren't lavender fields anywhere near Decorah, IA, but with the first whiff of the dried flower I was transported there anyway. That's the thing about food. Or drinks, in this case. Sometimes the smell or taste brings you someplace you didn't know you needed to go. I haven't physically been to Decorah in quite some time, but I welcomed the brief reminder of a place so dear to my heart.

So, a little about this Lavender-Honey Sidecar. The recipe for this lovely cocktail has been calling my name for a couple years. I only just got around to trying it out a little while ago and immediately smacked myself in the forehead for not doing it sooner. The original recipe calls for brandy, but I didn't have any on hand. Then I remembered a whiskey sidecar that I had on a visit to the Brown Palace in Denver a while back and decided it might work well here. Fortunately, I was right. I'm pretty picky about my whiskey cocktails but this one was right up my alley. Softly floral from the whiskey and the lavender, with the gentle sweetness of honey which was cut by fresh lemon juice and a splash of Cointreau. I am sometimes wary of cocktail recipes that incorporate ingredients easily mistaken for a cold remedy, but this was perfectly balanced and clean on the palate. Even my whiskey-loving husband enjoyed it!

My recommendation for this weekend? Sit back, enjoy the smells, sounds, and sights around you, and see where your mind wanders.

Lavender-Honey Sidecar

Adapted from a recipe in The Art of the Bar

Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 ounces whiskey (or brandy, as called for in the original recipe)

3/4 of an ounce Lavender-Honey Simple Syrup (recipe follows)

1/2 ounce Cointreau

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

A dash of orange bitters

Fine white sugar or granulated sugar for the rim of the glass.

Put your sugar in an even layer on a small plate. Use enough so that when you dip the glass in the sugar, enough will collect on the rim to be visually appealing. I usually use about 1/3 cup, even though not nearly that much ends up on the glass. Using your clean finger, put a dab of honey on the tip and trace the edge of your cocktail glass, making sure the honey is in an even, consistent layer but without clumps. Turn the glass upside down in the sugar to coat the honey and gently turn right side up. Set aside while you make the cocktail.

In a shaker, add the whiskey or brandy, simple syrup, cointreau, lemon juice and bitters. Fill the shaker to the top with ice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Pour through the strainer of the shaker into your cocktail glass and serve immediately.

Lavender-Honey Simple Syrup

1/3 cup Wildflower honey

1/4 cup dried lavender

1/4 cup hot water

Combine the honey, lavender, and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Let steep for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls

Living in Minnesota, I got pretty used to weather extremes. But living in Denver is a completely different ballgame. We had 60+ degree weather a few days ago and then suddenly, just after the first official day of spring, winter decided to revisit us. We got an insane amount of snow over the weekend that started late Friday night and by 1am we had about 3 inches. In the morning, I woke up to at least 8 inches and it was still snowing. And it didn't stop until about 6pm that evening. I haven't experienced a snowfall like this in at least 4 years. It would snow in Tokyo, which was wonderful and beautiful, but a true snow is something I've been longing for for quite some time. I didn't even care that this particular snowfall happened at the end of March. There is something so romantic about a fresh snow, no matter when it happens.

No Rise Cinnamon Rolls

While the snow piled up outside, Brad, Riley and I enjoyed a lovely, relaxed day together. Something that hasn't happened for us in quite a while. The smell of these cinnamon rolls baking in the oven certainly helped make our morning even more enjoyable. Brad and Riley played outside in the snow while I whipped these rolls up using my favorite baking cookbook from Cook's Illustrated. Honestly, every recipe I've made out of that book has been a success and these cinnamon rolls were no exception. The ingredients are simple and few- you likely have them in your pantry already. Since planning far enough in advance to make traditional cinnamon rolls with yeast isn't often in the cards for me, this was the perfect solution to get us on the fast track to gooey, cinnamony deliciousness. Thanks to this easy recipe, I was able to bring a warm, comforting treat to the table quickly.

And for somebody, mommy's picture taking was creating too much of a delay...

Impatiently Waiting...

I've realized since we became a family of three that peaceful, happy moments like the ones we enjoyed this weekend, are increasingly important. Not just for my own spirit, but for the memories that will remain in Riley's mind. He is still very young, but making healthy habits out of play and family time will stay with him as he grows up. I know memories like these have stayed with me over the years.

So, whether you are looking for the perfect last-minute contribution to Easter Brunch or a special anytime breakfast for your family, you'll be glad to have this recipe for super easy, fast cinnamon rolls.

No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated: Baking

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for greasing the pan

Cinnamon-sugar filling

• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Biscuit Dough

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (Cook's Illustrated recommends King Arthur flour)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

Place an oven rack in the upper-middle position. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Take 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and pour it in a 9-inch nonstick cake pan. Brush the butter in the pan to coat. Set aside. Take a cooling rack and spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.

Make the cinnamon-sugar filling next by combining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon, ground cloves, salt and 1 tablespoon melted butter. The mixture should look like wet sand. Set aside.

Next, make the dough. Whisk the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter together. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the liquid is absorbed. The dough will look shaggy but that's a good thing. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until it just becomes smooth.

Use your hands to pat the dough into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle and brush it with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the melted butter that you just brushed on the dough in an even layer. Press the filling firmly onto the dough. Then, use a spatula or pastry scraper to loosen the dough from the work surface. Beginning on one of the 12-inch sides, roll the dough into a log and press it down lightly. Pinch the seam to seal it, then place the log seam side down. Cut the log into 8 pieces and lightly flatten each roll. This will help seal the edges and keep the filling where it's supposed to be.

Begin by placing one roll in the center of your pan, then place the remaining 7 rolls around it. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 23-25 minutes. Loosen the rolls from the pan with an offset spatula or a butter knife. Put on some oven mitts and place a large plate over the pan. Invert the rolls onto the plate and then invert them again onto the cooling rack. Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with the icing.

Serve warm topped with the glaze.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Cocktail Friday: Basil Gin Fizz

I feel it is important that you all know something about me: I drive a minivan. Really, it's true. This time last year, it was all Tokyo trains and taxis and bicycles and walking. Now it's a minivan. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have a vehicle to drive since public transportation is not really a thing 'round these parts. But a minivan? Yep.

I drove my minivan from Denver to Boulder on Wednesday and met Jen from Use Real Butter for lunch. It was great to sit and chat about blogs, food, black labs, and life in general. We ate at a great restaurant called The Kitchen, which I'm pretty much in love with after just one visit. The food was delicious (I had a Colorado lamb burger that was perfectly cooked) and the atmosphere is pretty much exactly what I would want my own restaurant to look like. Rustic sophistication might be the best way to describe it. When we were done with our lunch, I was planning to head to a coffee shop somewhere to do some blog work, since the rug rat was spending the day with Grandpa. So, I walked to my mini-van, hopped in to get some of my things together, and decided it would be easiest to take it all out from the passenger side of the car. I jumped out of the van, closed my door, went to the other side and...

Oh no...

Locked.

Please tell me I didn't just lock all the doors.

Yep. The driver's side was also locked. I could see my keys perfectly on the other side of the glass, sitting next to my laptop and purse on the passenger seat.

It's official. I'm locked out. Or my keys are locked in. Or whatever.

I called Brad and he, by some miracle, was able to make the 45 minute drive from Denver to Boulder to let me in so we didn't have to spend a bazillion dollars on a locksmith. Hallelujah!

But wait...there's more.  As I sat waiting for Brad to unlock the minivan, a guy walked up to the front of my car and stands there for a moment.

What is that guy doing standing in front of my minivan, you might ask? Um, he's giving me a parking ticket because my receipt is expired. I explained that my keys are locked in the car along with my purse and if I had my wallet I would happily buy another 2 hours of parking time. I'm not sure that he cared.

I'll be checking the mail obsessively for a parking ticket over the next few weeks.

But I guess that's cheaper than a locksmith, right? Hopefully...

Needless to say, the rest of my day did not go as planned. By the time Brad got to Boulder, it was time for me to head to another meeting, so I was able to blog for exactly zero minutes when I had anticipated almost 2 hours of free work time.

I'm going to go ahead and say that if I had this cocktail with me while I stood outside under a strangely cloudy Colorado sky, shivering and trying to look on the bright side of this situation, my wait would have been much more pleasant. I could have imagined that it was summer and I was spending all this time outdoors for a good reason. Not because I did something super flaky.

Did you have a rough week? Or perhaps you just want to welcome Friday evening with something sparkly and vaguely reminiscent of summer. Maybe Spring is making itself sparse even though it claims to have begun already? Regardless of where you find yourself this weekend, this fast, easy cocktail is sure to please. The bright basil with the piney gin and sparkling soda water is a match made in heaven. Just a little step up from the traditional gin fizz and perfectly appropriate for this time of year.

You can use almost any herb for this- mint, thyme, rosemary...I wouldn't even rule out cilantro. A Gin Fizz is like a blank pallet of sorts, so if you're looking to experiment with your own cocktail inventions, this is a great place to start.

So cheers to minivans, husbands who save the day, and the weekend.

Basil Gin Fizz

Adapted from Cookie + Kate's Rosemary Gin Fizz recipe

Makes 1 cocktail

3 or 4 basil leaves, torn

Juice from 1/2 a small lemon

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 oz gin

3 oz club soda

In the bottom of a Collins glass, muddle the basil with the honey and lemon juice. Fill the glass to the top with ice, then add the gin. Stir with a stir stick to fully incorporate the honey into the gin. Top with the club soda. Serve with a stir stick and garnish with basil leaves and/or lemon wedge.

Roasted Broccoli Salad

Well, I have a basket full of laundry sitting on the sofa that needs to be folded. There are clean dishes on the counter that need to be put away. Taxes are due soon. And I could probably be checking several other items off of my to-do list. But here's the rub: the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and it is warm outside. My to-do list just can't compete with that. And besides, it will all still be there in an hour or two, right?

As a good Minnesota girl, I am a fan of snow (yes, even in March) but I'm not sure anyone can complain about t-shirt and sandals weather in early Spring. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of vitamin D rejuvenating your entire body. Just as warmth in the beginning of Spring awakens the soul, a change in food can do the same. After a winter full of heavy food like stews, roasts, and countless baked goods, it feels nice to enjoy fresh, light food. Now, please understand that when I say "light" I don't mean so light that you're hungrier after you finish your meal than you were before it started. No. I'm not that kind of girl.

I need to feel satisfied, otherwise I start giving into things like handfuls of chocolate chips and scoops of peanut butter. Together. On a spoon. Ohmygosh.

Sorry- I got distracted.

This roasted broccoli salad is absolutely perfect for a light but fulfilling lunch. It has tons of flavor, great textures, and it is pretty hands-off which makes it great for busy moms like me or even for working folks looking for an easy lunches to make ahead for the week.

If you're vegetarian, or even vegan if you remove or replace the mozzarella , this is a great meal option as well. The broccoli gives a nice meatiness and with some pine nuts or walnuts sprinkled on top, you've got a perfect entrée!

Roasted Broccoli & Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

Fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the olive oil and salt. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast the broccoli for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy in spots.

Put the broccoli in a serving bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice. Then top the salad with the mozzarella cubes and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve immediately.

* If you would like to make this ahead, allow the broccoli to cool before adding the cheese. Then, store the salad in the refrigerator and eat cold- it's just as delicious!

Cocktail Friday: Spring Fling

This time last year, I was organizing all of our things so that they could be packed and shipped from our Tokyo apartment to our new home in Denver. Riley was only 3 months old and I was still trying to figure out what it meant to be a mother (still working on that one), let alone what it meant to move my family back to the United States. Needless to say, life was a bit crazy. The only respite from it all was walking at Kinuta Park, which was within walking distance of our apartment. The trees lining the path had to have been hundreds  of years old and there was always this kind of mist over everything.

Kind of like in the computer game Mist.

Did you ever play that? I always got stuck. Somewhere misty.

Anyway, I remember the serenity of being amidst ancient nature in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. There was something about that feeling that I haven't been able to capture yet here in Colorado. It took me 3 years to find it in Tokyo, so I guess I still have time.

There is a path near our house that I am getting acquainted with. It runs parallel to a stream and through the branches, at least now when there are no leaves, I get the occasional glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. An added bonus is that there is a park just off the path where Riley loves to swing and take hand fulls of wood chips and drop them over his head. Someday soon I hope that I'll be walking down that path feeling the same peace that I did at my park in Japan.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to warm days with bright sunshine, green grass, colorful flowers and nights with friends spent watching the sky turn from blue, to orange and pink, to starry and black. When I think of days like that, I also think of bubbly, citrusy drinks. Typically I reach for a gin and tonic when the temperatures rise, but it's fun to mix things up a bit. This cocktail, made with a floral-flavored whiskey, sparkling raspberry juice, and fresh lemon and lime juice, is the perfect way to introduce something new into the mix. It isn't super sugary like a Margarita or Piña Colada, but still has the appeal of drinks we dream of sipping in the summer sun all winter long.

So, no matter where you find yourself this weekend, take a moment to sit back and think about what gives you a sense of peace and serenity in the midst of a very busy time of year.

Sometimes peace can be found in the most unexpected and obvious places.

Spring Fling

Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz whiskey (Stranahan's and 2 Gingers work well)

Sparkling raspberry juice

Fresh lemon and lime juices

ice

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour the whiskey over the ice. Fill the rest of the glass with the sparkling raspberry juice and top with fresh lemon and lime juices. Stir lightly and serve.