Purple Taters, Sprouts and Garlic. Booya!

God I love brussel sprouts.  They represent all that I find holy.  Their green, layered goodness absorbs flavor and caramelization like a heavenly spoon.  I love them.  I want to marry the shit out of them.  Here is a picture of my vegetable porn.  heavenly...

Is it weird to think a vegetable is sexy?  I mean, come on?

So, I can't imagine a better way to serve up these sexy beasts, then with my favorite of all potatoes...the purple potato.  So pretty!!!  

So here goes..

Fall threesome:  Purple taters, sprouts and garlic.  booya!!!

Ingredients:

1 sac purple taters..whole foods has just purple and trader joes carries a variety bag. Cut into quarters

1 lb brussel sprouts.  Cut in half

2 tbsp rosemary, cut up and ready for aromatic loveliness

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil or 2 tbsp veggie broth

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.  Take all of the amazing lovely ingredients and throw those bitches in a bowl.  

3.  Toss about (just get in there and get down and dirty).

4.  Add parchment paper to a cookie sheet/baking sheet

5.  Pour that mixture of love on there and bake for 20 minutes.

6.  mix up and bake for about 20 more minutes or until sprouts are browned and taters are tender as a babies bottom...if you could stab a babies bottom with a salad fork.

7.  Add a little more salt and serve up this delish mixture.  Enjoy!!

Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Portabellos

Ok folks,  here we go.  These darned mushrooms are mighty tasty and the perfect accompaniment to a nice glass of wine.  I say that because clearly, I have priorities.  I came up with this little gem years ago and due to my crazy party days in college, its pretty much the only recipe I make that I have memorized.  Probably because it is 100% mine;  it's special.

So here goes.  Oh, and I just got my very first smart phone.  I am super excited about using my new piece of technology to share my experiences with the most basic and primal human experience...which of course is sex...oops...food.  Gotta crawl before you walk people.

So here it is:

Stuffed Like a Pig; Artichoke and Sundried Tomato Portabellos!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 large portabello caps
1 cup chopped red onions
1 can artichoke hearts (drained, squeezed within and inch of their lives and chopped)
1 cup sundried tomatoes (if using dry, soak in water for at least 30 min, before use so your food processor doesn't explode in your face)...I put these in a food processor and pulse several times to chop up.  You can also do this by hand, with a little determination and precious, precious time....(aka...buy an fing-food processor).
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp parsley (dried)
1/2 cup white wine
1-2 tbsp vegan butter
1/4 cup vegan parmesan and 1/4 cup almond meal...let's face it...a little bit more of each

***Note:  So my husband cringes and cries about all of the dishes I use.  He complains that in my pretending I am a food network star I use a separate bowl for each ingredient.   I call shenanigans on that.  Mostly because I cook, he cleans.  Only fair I should get to play out my professional chef fantasies without being nagged about it.  So, if you are doing the dishes...prep. conservatively.  If your ungrateful husband (whom you love very much) is, go crazy kids.


Directions:
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1.   In a saute pan over medium heat, add a tiny bit of veggie broth to wet the pan.
2.  Add the onions and sauté until translucent...about 3-5 minutes
3.  Stir in the artichokes and the sundried tomatoes and toss those bitches around for about 3-4 minutes.
4.  Add the salt, pepper and garlic.  An obscene amount of garlic is always welcome in all of my recipes.
5.  Once the garlic browns a little, deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup of white wine as you enjoy the rest of the bottle.

6.  Stir in the butter and after it melts add the almond meal, vegan parmesan and the parsley.
7.  Take the mushrooms and spoon out the gills so there is more room to stuff them silly.
8.  Place in a glass baking dish to prepare for the mixture.

9. Remove from the heat and stir fill each of the mushrooms with spoons of the mixture.

10. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes.
11.Enjoy the shit out of while your husband/wife/roommate slaves over piles of dishes.