Another Original Single Sista Dish - The RRVP (Roasted Root Veggie Pot)

I have to admit, I am VERY proud of this dish. It's very hearty, healthy and super easy to make. I got the inspiration because I had some celery and onions leftover from my post-Thanksgiving meal and I randomly decided to pick up some turnips from the grocery store. Turnips are very inexpensive by the way. I immediately knew I wanted to roast the turnip and something said, throw some other root veggies in there and see what happens.

I actually made this dish twice in one week. The first time I use turnips, potatoes, celery, garlic and shallots. Preheated the oven to 400 degrees. I cut up all the ingredients into large chunks, put everything in a dutch oven, and covered it all generously with extra virgin olive oil (roughly 1/4 - 1/3 cup). I honestly did not measure out set amounts of each ingredient, but I cut up 3 small/medium turnips, 2 celery stalks, 1 whole large shallot, 1/2 one small bag of multicolored potatoes (I cut up the potatoes into halves and thirds), and about 2 tablespoons of garlic. I didn't add a lot of potatoes to minimize the starch. I also did not put any stock or water in the pot. I made sure all the ingredients were covered in the extra virgin olive oil by stirring things around in the pot. Lastly, I added some fresh ground pepper, roughly 1 tablespoon of salt, roughly 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, and 1.5 tablespoons of Earth Balance (I use Earth Balance in place of butter in almost all of my recipes).

Since that turned out WONDERFULLY, I decided to kick things up and add Brussels sprouts and carrots to mix the second time. I added 3 small/medium turnips, half a bag of fingerling potatoes, half a bag of baby carrots, 2 tablespoons of garlic, 1/3 of an onion (or 1 whole large shallot), one bag of Brussels sprouts (wash, remove outer layer, cut off the stem, and cut into thirds), 1 tablespoon of salt, fresh ground pepper, and 2 tablespoons of thyme (you can also just add the thyme to the pot without pulling off the thyme leaves).

I had to roast things a little longer this time to make sure the carrots cooked all the way through (total cooking time was 1 hour) but it was even better than the first time.

Last night for dinner, I cut up and browned some sausage, and added that on top of the veggies. INCREDIBLE!!! A few people have asked if you can add meat while cooking it, OF COURSE. I recommend browning the meat first a little in the pot and adding a little stock or water before you add the veggies. You will also have to cut down on the amount of veggies you can add obviously. But I am still calling this my RRVP and I will continue to make it meatless :) I will probably make this at least two more times before the end of the year because it is that good and easy to make. It's also very affordable. For roughly $15 for all the ingredients, I made 6 meals. Well if you make this please let me know how you like it since it is one of my creations. Hope you enjoy!

Seasons Greetings and Salud!!!

Thank you Mandiba!!

Last week, one of the world's most renowned leaders drew his last breath at the age of 95. Nelson Mandela was a phenomenal leader in so many ways, and to so many people. I greatly admire him for everything he did during his life. But the MAIN thing I admire him for the most is not retreating and hiding after he was in prison for 27 years. He continued to fight for his people and advocate for several causes.

We all have been through storms and trials, and these experiences often impact our daily steps. If Mandiba continued fighting and rising after enduring 27 years of prison, I will not let anything limit me. I leave you all with that thought and my favorite quote by this great leader below. Do not limit yourself because something seems impossible. This may not be food/cooking specific advice, but this is advice that can go a long way. Take care!

Tis the Season for............................................Brussels Sprouts!!!!

I was talking to my mom a few nights ago and I told her that one of the BEST things that I made for my post-Thanksgiving meal was some roasted Brussels sprouts. She reminded me that she was not a fan, but I assured her that I would dazzle her taste buds with these when I got home for the holidays.

My preferred method for cooking those lovely spouts: roast them!! I have to catch myself sometimes because I will stand over the pan and eat all the Brussels spouts before I get them on my plate. I guess there are worse things to get caught eating right off the pan :)

So let me start with a basic roasting recipe and then share with you what you can with them after that. Shall we? Let's!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound (or two bags) or Brussels spouts
1/4 cup diced shallot (should be roughly one small shallot)
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (if you're cutting back on salt leave this out)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (optional, but recommended)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash Brussels sprouts thoroughly. Cut off the end of the sprouts and pull off one layer the outer leaves. Cut each sprout into thirds. Wash again. Place in a bowl. Add the diced shallot and garlic, and mix. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix again. Spread the spouts evenly on a baking sheet (you may want to use some non-stick foil if you have some to save on the clean up time). Roast for 35-40 minutes. While roasting, you may want to move some of them around to make sure they are cooking evenly.

Right after they are done, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. And ENJOY!!

So now what? Well, I've had sprouts with breakfast, lunch and dinner!! Yes, breakfast!!!

Let me show you!!

I made a Brussels sprouts and sweet potato hash! I actually used turkey bacon :) AND I made it with some Brussels sprouts that I had already prepared. I also added a few red pepper flakes for a little heat.

This was my breakfast for three mornings :)

While in New Orleans for a conference, I had this tasty meal.

Ingredients include: fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, banana peppers, alligator sausage, corned beef and scrambled eggs. I had this two mornings in a row for breakfast. Yea, it was that good. When I got home I had to recreate it some kind of way. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Instead of the alligator sausage and corned beef, I used some dark meat turkey and I had a little Sriracha so I put that on top. If you have any left over turkey (or other meats) during this holiday season you should DEFINITELY give this a try. Just take some leftover potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and meat, and saute that with a little onion/shallot and garlic in olive oil. Then prepare some eggs to your liking and put that on top and voila!

And that my dear readers is a showcase of Brussels sprouts season. Add some to your next meal :)

SALUD!