Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Persimmons

Bring out the best in Brussels sprouts with one of the simplest preparations—pan-seared in butter and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Rich, buttery flavor complements the earthy sprouts, and they’re ready in less than 10 minutes.

Pomegranates and persimmons are wintertime favorites, and they can dress up a simple side dish with unexpected wow—visually and on the taste buds. Choose sweet fuyu persimmons that are firm to the touch and deep orange in color.

If you’re not too familiar with pomegranates, here's a little info (from Wild Rice with Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate):

Some grocery stores sell small containers of pomegranate seeds, but extracting your own from the actual fruit is worth a little effort (and a bit of splattering juice) to get the freshest pomegranate taste possible. One fruit will provide more seeds than you need for this dish, but the leftovers are great to add to garden or fruit salads, use as a crunchy topping for desserts, or even sprinkle on bowls of cereal.  

While there are various methods to pull those tasty, sweet-tart, red seeds from their pockets inside the fruit, I’ve found the easiest (and least messy) manner is simply to slice the fruit into about 2-inch chunks and gently roll out the seeds with your fingers. You may still have a red-speckled shirt and countertop, but keeping it gentle is key to less cleanup.

Halved Pomegranate 

Cut into Pieces 

Remove the Arils 

Pomegranate Arils

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 lb large Brussels sprouts, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 slices per sprout)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils

Pomegranate, Persimmons, and Brussels Sprouts

Sliced Brussels Sprouts 

Sliced Persimmon 

Prepared Ingredients

Preparation

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. When melted, add the Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook, stirring frequently (cover for 2-3 minutes to help quicken the cooking) until the sprouts are crisp-tender, 8-9 minutes. 

Sprouts Beginning to Sear

Seared Brussels Sprouts

Add the persimmons and pomegranate arils and toss lightly. Transfer to a bowl or platter and serve.

Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Persimmons

Easy Sausage Manicotti

Pasta. Meat. Cheese. Sometimes it’s all we need. Just not too often.

This dish celebrates all three—hearty manicotti shells, spicy Italian sausage (or mild, if you prefer), and a bounty of cheese: sweet, creamy mascarpone; fruity asiago; and the sharp, salty king of hard cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The blend of rich flavors and textures in this dish belies its true simplicity. Cook up the sausage, blend in some cheese, stuff the shells, and bake, that’s it—simple and easy.

Note: If you don’t have asiago, substitute shredded provolone.

Also check out Beef Manicotti with Fresh Mozzarella and Garlic Bechamel and Veal Manicotti and Fresh Ricotta.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 manicotti shells
• olive oil, for oiling dish, plus 1 tbsp
• 3/4 lb hot or mild Italian sausage (removed from casings, if in links)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz mascarpone
• 3-1/2 oz shredded asiago cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 cup canned tomato puree
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb mix (or dried oregano)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly oil a 13 X 9 baking dish.
2. Cook the manicotti in boiling, salted water 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Rinsed Noodles

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sausage, garlic, and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, crumbling the meat, until cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, 10-12 minutes.
2. Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone, 2 ounces of asiago, and parsley. (Tip: To help determine how much of the sausage mixture to stuff in each shell, divide the total mixture into fourths, then spoon half of each fourth into a shell.) 

Sausage Mixture Beginning to Cook

Cooked Sausage Mixture 

Ready to Mix 

Sausage-Cheese Mixture

Divide the Mixture into Fourths

1. Stuff the manicotti shells with 2-3 tablespoons of the sausage-cheese mixture. Lay the shells close together in the oiled baking dish.
2. Spoon the tomato puree on top of the stuffed shells and scatter the remaining 1-1/2 ounces asiago and the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Sprinkle with dried herb mix.
3. Bake uncovered until the top begins to brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Stuffed Shells 

Top with Tomato Puree

Ready to Bake

Divide the manicotti among 4 plates and garnish with parsley.

Easy Sausage Manicotti

Pan-Roasted Game Hens with Pearl Onions

Pan-roasting game hens is a simple way to bring both flavor and visual appeal to the dinner table. A fresh, floral herb rub and sweet, caramelized pearl onions are tasty complements to these little birds that cook up in about an hour. But, first, give them a couple hours to rest in the refrigerator before roasting—chilling helps dry and tighten the skin for a crispier finish.

Note: Pearl onions are deliciously sweet and tender, but they can be a pain to peel. To remedy that, simply blanch them in boiling water about two minutes, then slip off the skins when they’re cool enough to handle.

Gold Pearl Onions 

Blanch the Onions before Peeling

Blanched Pearl Onions

Peeled Pearl Onions

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 game hens, giblets removed
• 16 gold or white pearl onions, blanched in boiling water and peeled

Herbs and Garlic

Preparation

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary, and chives in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Rinse the hens thoroughly and pat dry. Using kitchen shears, remove the tail and any excess skin and fat.
3. Lay the hens breast-side down on a work surface. Cut along each side of the backbones and remove them. Cut through the center of the breastbones to divide each hen in half.
4. Place a wire rack in a large, rimmed baking sheet and place the hen halves on it. Loosen the skin on the hens and rub the herb mixture over the meat. Use any leftover to rub on the outside. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

Trimmed Hen 

Cut Along the Backbone 

Cut Through the Breastbone

Ready to Marinate

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Heat a large (at least 15-inch) ovenproof skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Season the hens with salt and pepper and place skin-side down in the skillet. Cook, without turning, until the skin begins to brown, 5 minutes.
4. Place the skillet in the oven and roast the hens 20 minutes.
5. Turn the hens skin-side up and scatter the pearl onions around them. Roast until the skin is golden brown and the hens are cooked through, 20-25 minutes longer. 

Hens Beginning to Sear

Pearl Onions Added

Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Pan-Roasted Game Hens with Pearl Onions

Chicken BLTs with Honey Mustard

If you love a good BLT, turn the sandwich into dinner with lean grilled chicken breast and a sweet and tangy honey-mustard sauce. Smoky bacon, slightly charred chicken, fresh tomatoes, and a simple, great-tasting dressing give this casual dinner a tasty balance of flavors.

Note: I cooked the bacon in a grill pan not only for the ease of using only one pan for both meats, but also because grilled bacon takes on extra smoky flavor without “frying.” If you don’t have a grill pan, use a heavy skillet, but be sure to pour out most of the fat before adding the chicken to the pan.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices of bacon, cut crosswise in half
• 2 chicken breast cutlets, 3-4 oz each
• 4 slices Texas toast, lightly toasted
• 2 large red or green leaf lettuce leaves
• 1 small cluster tomato, cut into 6 thin slices
• dill pickle spears, for serving (optional)

Sandwich Ingredients

Preparation

1. Combine the honey and mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Honey Mustard Mixture

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the bacon slices until cooked through, but not crisp, about 7 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove and drain on paper towels. (Do not wipe the grill pan.)

Bacon Begnning to Grill 

Grilled Bacon

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Grill until golden brown and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove and let rest 3 minutes.
2. Divide the honey-mustard sauce and spread on all 4 slices of bread. Lay a chicken breast on each of 2 slices and top with bacon strips, lettuce, and tomatoes. Close the sandwiches.

Chicken Beginning to Grill

Chicken after Turning

Spread the Honey Mustard on the Bread 

Chicken and Bacon Layer

Lettuce and Tomato Added

Slice each sandwich diagonally in half and serve with dill pickle spears on the side, if desired.

Chicken BLTs with Honey-Mustard

Turkish Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasting sweet potatoes brings out their natural sweetness, and a little salt and pepper are all you need to make a flavorful, no-fuss side dish. This recipe adds extra layers of flavor—without extra layers of fuss. Combine the dressing ingredients, toss the potatoes in it, and roast.

See more about Turkish hot pepper paste here. It’s worth finding.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Turkish hot pepper paste
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small wedges
• chopped chives, for garnish

Potato Wedges and Turkish Pepper Paste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the hot pepper paste, water, olive oil, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the sweet potato wedges and toss to combine.
3. Spread the potato wedges on the prepared baking pan and roast until tender and browned, turning once halfway through, 20-25 minutes.

Red Pepper Paste Mixture

Coated Potatoes

Ready to Roast

Roasted Potatoes

Transfer the roasted potatoes to a serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped chives, and sea salt. Serve hot.

Turkish Roasted Sweet Potatoes