Two or Three Vegetables
I've been feeling the lack of vegetables the last little while, so I went a bit wild tonight. First, baked potatoes are easy. Wash 'em, stick 'em in the oven, and wait around an hour. I had cheap n' cheerful Safeway potatoes, and ended up washing them with a kitchen scrubber -- but they got clean.
Then, brussels sprouts. I peel off the outer leaves, trim a bit of the stem, and cut into halves or quarters to get pieces that are similar to one another in size.
Next, I peeled and sliced into thin coins a pound and change of carrots.
First the brussels sprouts: Into my largest frying pan, in one layer, with a couple tablespoons of butter. Cooked 'em for a few minutes on medium-high heat, adding some salt meanwhile. Then I threw in a cup or so of chicken stock, slammed on a lid, and set a timer for ten minutes.
Now the carrots: Into a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of butter, a sliced clove of garlic, and a hefty pinch of saffron. Some salt, a couple minutes of high heat and some shaking, and I added pepper, a half-lemon's worth of zest, and a cupful of water, then slammed the lid on. They steam/braised until they got tender, about six minutes. Then off with the lid, stir around, and boil off the remaining water.
And then the sprouts -- lid off, stir around, and boil off the remaining stock to a light sauce.
And there's dinner: potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. It's better than it sounds.
Then, brussels sprouts. I peel off the outer leaves, trim a bit of the stem, and cut into halves or quarters to get pieces that are similar to one another in size.
Next, I peeled and sliced into thin coins a pound and change of carrots.
First the brussels sprouts: Into my largest frying pan, in one layer, with a couple tablespoons of butter. Cooked 'em for a few minutes on medium-high heat, adding some salt meanwhile. Then I threw in a cup or so of chicken stock, slammed on a lid, and set a timer for ten minutes.
Now the carrots: Into a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of butter, a sliced clove of garlic, and a hefty pinch of saffron. Some salt, a couple minutes of high heat and some shaking, and I added pepper, a half-lemon's worth of zest, and a cupful of water, then slammed the lid on. They steam/braised until they got tender, about six minutes. Then off with the lid, stir around, and boil off the remaining water.
And then the sprouts -- lid off, stir around, and boil off the remaining stock to a light sauce.
And there's dinner: potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. It's better than it sounds.