Look Mom: Brussels Sprouts

I'm still fighting off the strep throat tonight and hoping to vanquish it with vegetables. It's such a shame that fruits and juices are verboten in the initial phases of Dr. Trowbridge's diet, especially those of the citrus persuasion. When you're sick, all you want to do is reach for some orange juice. Alas, since I couldn't do that tonight, I turned to Vitamin C-rich Brussels sprouts.

As a child, and for a good portion of my adult life, I was alarmingly veggie averse. I'd eat artichokes and green beans, but that was largely the extent of my repertoire. Cabbage-y vegetables like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower hovered at the furthest reaches of my vegetable willingness. As my mom can attest, it was unthinkable in my younger years that I'd actually grow to tolerate these cruciferous creatures, let alone like them.

This whole yeast-free eating experience has radically altered my vegetable eating ways. Today, I enjoy just about any (permissible) vegetable under the sun (except maybe peppers -- they make me burp pepper taste for hours afterwards ) and couldn't survive without copious amounts of veggies each day. Cooked the right way, Brussels sprouts are now like candy to me.

I can credit Chef Neal Fraser at BLD with opening the Brussels sprouts door for me. I order them with the "Self Constructive" dinner (you can design your own combination of protein and vegetables). Roasted and caramelized, they're a heavenly accompaniment to the grilled organic Rocky Jr. half chicken (insert mouth watering here).

Tonight, I opted to combine the mini-cabbages with some cauliflower for a potent (and delicious) cruciferous punch to my infection. The result:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower with Rosemary and Garlic

1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1/2 head of cauliflower
2 springs of rosemary
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Prepare the Brussels sprouts by removing the tough outer leaves (dark green) and slicing off the tough ends. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, and thinly slice each garlic clove. Run your fingers down the sprig of rosemary to separate the leaves from the stalk; chop well. Put the sprouts, cauliflower, rosemary, and garlic in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet. Roast 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until vegetables are nicely browned (be careful not to burn).

Leeks: Cold Weather Comfort

A frigid night, at least by L.A. standards, and I'm home sick with strep throat. My food cravings have been weird all day. In spurts I'll feel feverish and completely averse to food, but then all of a sudden a rumbling, near paralyzing hunger will grip me. I guess it's just my body trying to fight the infection, needing fuel for the fire at turns. When hunger hits, though, I'm craving comfort food -- mac 'n cheese, a bowl of rice with butter, English muffin with jam. Basically, carbs that go down easy. On this diet, of course, there's no such thing.

So, tonight, I opted for my best approximation of cold-weather, coated-throat comfort: a leek tart. Leeks are strange creatures. They sure look like green onions on steroids, but their flavor is much more subtle. Beyond potato-leek soup, I never knew quite what to do with them until Molly Wizenberg in Bon Appetit offered up a recipe for what she calls "leek confit," basically sliced leeks made soft by a lot of butter and a little slow cooking. The result is divine -- the leeks have an earthy, peppery flavor with the consistency of buttered noodles (who needs mac 'n cheese?). Here's the recipe:

Leek Confit
(from Bon Appetit)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 large leeks (white and pale green parts only) halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Stir in water and salt. Cover pot; reduce heat to low. Cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, 20-25 minutes. Uncover and cook to evaporate excess water, 2-3 minutes.

The confit would be great as a side dish (Molly recommends serving it alongside salmon or scrambled eggs), but I wanted it to be the main attraction, so I folded it into a tart of my own devising. It's sort-of a crustless quiche of eggs, yogurt, and vegetables. I've made this before with spinach, but the leek filling is now my favorite. If you can tolerate cow's milk cheese, sprinkle some shaved or grated parmesan on top for a golden, bubbly finish. It pairs well with some mild sausage (I like Shelton's Italian Turkey Sausage links, which are studded with fennel seeds). Voila! Comfort food sans yeast! Now if only my throat would cooperate...

Leek Tart
2 large eggs
1 7 oz. container Fage 2% (or other brand) Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Leek confit
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2.5 oz. grated parmesan (I like Trader Joe's Shaved Grana Padano Parmesan)

Preheat the oven to 375. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk. Add in the Greek yogurt and whisk until smooth. Add the sea salt and the leek confit and stir with a spoon until blended. Grease the bottom of a pie pan with the butter and pour in the leek/egg mixture. Top with the grated parmesan. Bake until the eggs are set and the top is golden, 25-30 minutes. Let cool a bit. Slice and enjoy.