Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Chorizo and Caramelized Onions

Lately I have been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I suspect that my methods may be considered a bit, well, unorthodox by some. I have been sneaking produce into my meals...a big bowl of pasta+some frozen spinach or diced zucchini...ice cream sundae+a handful of berries, well, you get the idea. Brussels sprouts. I imagine that many of you shudder reading those two words. Parents force their children to eat vegetables and children rebel, it's only natural. But once you try them again, you may discover that brussels sprouts are not the evil green monster you had previously imagine. In fact, they are pretty damn good. In this recipe, I use chorizo (drool) to compliment caramelized onions and brussels sprouts. 2 vegetables, not too shabby...at least, I think an onion counts as a vegetable, right?

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra-just in case!
6 ounces cured spicy Spanish chorizo, quartered lengthwise & sliced crosswise into 1/3'' long pieces
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced into long, thin pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 6 minutes. Remove brussels sprouts and place in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes (this stops the cooking process). Drain Brussels sprouts and dry with a paper towel.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and turn heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally to prevent pieces from burning/sticking. Cook about 20 minutes, until onions caramelize-they should be golden but not brown. Remove onions from pan, reserving them in bowl.

Add chorizo to pan and turn heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn to medium, adding more olive oil if necessary, and add the garlic, stirring for 2 minutes as it cooks.

Transfer chorizo mixture to a bowl. Increase heat to high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brussels sprouts. Cook until the sprouts are brown and tender, about 8 minutes, flipping once or twice to ensure even browning. Add reserved onions and chorizo mixture.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Caramelized Onions with Goat Cheese

While working at Dali Restaurant, I discovered my love for Spanish food. (Let's be honest-I pretty much love all food...I just learned what Spanish food actually was while at Dali). Many of my recipes draw inspiration from or are my interpretation of their tapas.

One favorite tapa was "queso rebozado con miel," caramelized honey-onions with lightly fried goat cheese balls. The sweetness of the onions complimented the bitterness of the goat cheese. A glass of sangria or dry red wine is the perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients:
2 large onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

Wash and peel onions, cutting away the top/root sections. Slice in half (top to bottom) and slice onion halves into long, thin strips.

Melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5-10 minutes, or until onions are soft. Turn heat to medium low, stirring occasionally, cook 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Check every 5 minutes of so to stir, and to make sure onions are not cooking too fast (you want them to slowly caramelize-not burn!).

Remove saute pan from heat.

Form small goat cheese balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Press in Panko bread crumbs and flatten slightly.

Heat up olive oil in clean saute pan over medium heat. Add goat cheese patties, cooking about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden (if they start to brown, take pan off heat and cool down a bit to medium low).

Cover small plate with caramelized onions. Top with 2 or 3 goat cheese patties. Enjoy!


(I ate my perfect Panko-covered patties...these are sans bread crumbs)