Brussels Sprouts, Red Cabbage & Sweet Peas Salad

Vegetables are fun to photograph! I had a pleasant time capturing the ingredients of my salad today. Dramatic, dark style is definitely my favorite and since there is no sun visiting our town, the rainy weather is a perfect setup. This post is not so much about the recipe as much about the beauty of simple vegetables becoming center of attention on the dinner table. I hope you like my creations and if you have any questions about styling or my photographing technique I will be glad to answer them all.

Have a creative weekend my dear readers!

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Italian Seasonings and Dried Cèpe Gravy

Note: Serve this sauce from Dried Cèpes using slices of roasted chicken arranged around the potatoes and brussels sprouts as a garnish and side dish. Dried cèpes usually come in 1/2 to 1-ounce packages, sliced. The much rarer Polish mushrooms can be found as whole caps. You must simmer the whole mushrooms longer than the sliced ones, and you'll have to slice them before use.

Note: Ariosto Italian seasoning chicken is a blend of classic Italian herbs. With Ariosto Italian seasoning you can quickly and easily seasoning many dishes. This seasoning contains the essential taste of Italy. If you don't have it you can mix together salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, juniper, laurel, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil.



Ingredients:

For pan-roasted chicken:

• 3 boneless, skin-off chicken breast halves, about 2 lb. total 
• 2 Tbsp. Ariosto seasoning for roasted meats grilled chicken
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil 
• potatoes and brussels sprouts for serving (optional)

For the Dried Cèpes sauce: Inspired by A Cook's Book of Mushrooms

• 1 oz Porcini mushrooms (Cèpes)
• 3 cups water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot mixed in 1/3 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with Ariosto seasoning. In a large ovenproof fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Place the chicken breasts, skin-off side down, in the pan and sear until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a pan, skin-off side up and transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast, registers 160ºF, 22 to 24 minutes.

Place the cèpes and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté the onion in the butter until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cèpes and their liquid, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. Reduce to 2 cups. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, then place in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the arrowroot mixture and stir until thickened. You may return the mushrooms to the sauce, but I did not, I like to have clear gravy this time with mushroom taste. Serve over roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and steamed brussels sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies

Adapted from Food & Wine

The key to Michael Symon's deeply savory side dish is a dressing that includes anchovies, capers, mustard, and a little honey.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise or quartered
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• One 2-ounce tin of anchovies, drained and minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the brussels sprouts on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and charred in spots. (Note: Mine were done after 20-25 minutes)



Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.



In the large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard and honey. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of oil until emulsified. Add the capers, garlic, shallots and anchovies; season with salt and pepper. Add the brussels sprouts and walnuts and toss well. Serve.