Picky Picky

Boy, it's been awhile. Guess the good news is it's been relatively quiet at work. No need for intense therapy...tho I'm still mixing it up in the kitchen!

This week I was reminded what picky eaters kids can be. And also how much they hate their veggies. I've been helping out with Student Council this year, and we've introduced Wednesday Chinese Lunch to the Middle School. To raise money for an 8th grade class gift, the Student Council is selling Chinese food at lunch on Wednesdays. We've partnered with a local Chinese restaurant to make the food, and one of our generous parents runs out to pick up the food and bring to school each week. Students sign up for four weeks a time, pick their poison from a list of six options chosen by the Student Council, pay a bargain $27 for all four meals, and receive their lunch on Wednesdays. The Student Council members are responsible for doling out the meals and keeping track of which students have picked up their food. It's been a huge hit, and we're raising over $1,000 a month!

Handing out Chinese meals to kids, however, I have to chuckle at the restrictions they place on their diets. "Can I have that other General Tso's?" one girl asks, "it has a lot less broccoli in it." I see: you just want the deep fried, thickly breaded, soaked in sauce chicken bits with your pork fried rice (yes, the fried rice option is pork fried rice, why I can't figure). Gotcha. "Don't you want the sauce that goes with your Sweet & Sour chicken?" I inquire of roughly half the kids picking up this dish. "No," they reply flatly. I see: you just want the deep fried, thickly breaded, dry-as-a-bone chicken bits and plain white rice. Gotcha. When I see a boy tossing his Beef with Mixed Veggies, I ask if he had enough to eat -- looks like two-thirds of it is going in the trash. "Yeah," he says, "I ate all the rice and beef." Iiiii seeeee.....

I'd like to think I wasn't quite that picky an eater as a child. But I do distinctly remember my extreme distaste for Brussels sprouts. I sat, horrified, as my mom and dad ate every last one off their plates. How could they eat that junk? They tasted like bitter, burnt match ends. They were mushy. I had to chew, and chew, and chew for what felt like ten minutes before one Brussels sprout was reduced enough to swallow. Just awful.

As an adult, I've recently "rediscovered" the true joy of Brussels sprouts. And I've realized that -- sorry, mom... -- the reason I hated them as a kid was that they weren't prepared in a way that really showcased their full glory. Steaming/boiling Brussels sprouts is definitely not the way to go. They almost always end up overcooked, which brings out the bitter, sulfuric flavor in them. I never use any form of water in prepping my Brussels sprouts. Roasting and sauteeing seem to me the most successful way of doing them. Boyfriend and several dinner guests seem to agree. Below are a couple of my favorite, go-to ways of preparing these delightful little veggies:

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS (credit to Ina Garten)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp olive oil (or enough to coat)
3/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any ragged or yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Pour sprouts on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (Ina likes these salty like French fries, naturally), and serve immediately. I do have to say, you'll think you're oversalting, but you're not and they taste great.

HASHED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON (credit to Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes, although I have slightly altered her recipe)

Ingredients
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh grated lemon zest
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp sherry/cooking sherry

1. Cut bottoms off sprouts, remove ragged or yellowing outer leaves, and discard. Halve sprouts lengthwise. (If you are really ambitions, carefully cut out and discard the firm core of each sprout half. I find if I have the time this is worth it, tho lately I have been skipping this step and, of course, the dish is just as tasty. It does slightly alter the texture, however.) Thinly slice the sprouts crosswise, roughly 1/8 inch ribbons. When all sprouts are sliced toss them in a bowl with lemon juice and separate leaves. (Recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 hours.)

2. Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. When very hot (almost to smoking point) add sprouts, garlic and poppy seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are wilted and lightly cooked, but still green and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Some leaves might brown slightly -- this is a good thing.

3. Add sherry (which I prefer over the white wine Simply Recipes suggests, and discovered by accident when we were out of cooking wine so I subbed the sherry), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more until alcohol has evaporated. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the lemon zest.

CARAMELIZED TOFU WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS (credit to Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks, but I have altered the recipe considerably)

Ingredients
16 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch strips
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
1 Tbsp olive or peanut oil
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/2 c vegetable stock or broth
1 lb Brussels sprouts

1. Cut ends off sprouts, remove ragged or yellow outer leaves and discard. Slice sprouts in half lengthwise, then cut 1/8 inch ribbons crosswise.

2. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Cook tofu with dash of salt until slightly golden, about 6 minutes. Toss the tofu to brown all sides, 4-5 minutes more. Pieces will stick to the bottom of the pan. Leave them, ensuring they don't burn.

3. Add the garlic and pecans, and saute for 3-4 minutes until garlic is soft and slightly browned. Combine sugar with vegetable stock and add to pan, scraping the golden bits of tofu from the bottom. Simmer until the liquid has mostly reduced. Remove mixture to a dish and set aside while you cook the Brussels sprouts.

4. In the same pan (no need to wash), add remaining oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded Brussels sprouts. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious. Add the tofu mixture back to the pan and heat through. Serve immediately.