Cooking the Books: Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Vinaigrette

Lately I've been in a cooking funk. I love trying new recipes, but not when I get home during the week at 7 pm. It's really hard to get motivated in the kitchen after a long day in the office and a tough workout in the gym. When I get home all I want to do is eat everything in sight. My husband and I decided to take advantage of the past two Sunday afternoons we've had at home and spend our time meal planning for the week. I will admit, a good chunk of time was spent in the kitchen, but it was well worth it to already have dinner prepared for the week. For those of you that don't like leftovers, this may sound like a terrible plan. We don't mind them, so this was a great solution to my cooking dilemma.  

I don't mean to sound negative because I actually do enjoy spending time cooking, when I'm not in a rush or starving. As we were planning our meals for the week, I decided to reach for a cookbook instead of my computer. I have so many books that not only look great on my shelves, but are also full of delicious recipes. I sometimes forget that my decor is also a wonderful resource. The other week I decided to use a recipe out of Hugh Acheson's book, A New Turn in The South. I love this cookbook for many reasons. The recipes all sound delicious, the quirky writing keeps it interesting, and the southern influence provides a sense of comfort. With so many recipes to choose from, I decided to go with something quick, light and easy — brussels sprouts with dijon vinaigrette. 

With that being said, I've decided to start a new monthly series called "cooking the books." hence the title of this post. I will be sharing a different recipe each month adapted from various cookbooks I have at home. I highly recommend that you give this one a try. 

Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients (serves 4)

Recipe adapted from A New Turn in the South

1 ½ cups thinly shaved brussels sprouts

1 cup roasted pecans, slightly broken up

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Sea Salt

Pepper

Instructions

1.     Pre heat oven to 350. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly toasted.

2.      Once the pecans are toasted, crush them up into smaller pieces.

3.     In a medium salad bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, pecans, cheese, salt and pepper. I used brussels sprouts already shredded in a bag. I put them in the microwave to soften them a bit and I wanted them to be a little warm.

4.     Toss with Dijon vinaigrette. (Recipe below)

Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients (makes ½ cup)

Recipe adapted from A New Turn in the South

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Instructions

1.     Add mustard to a small mixing bowl.

2.     Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify.

3.     Once mixed well, add lemon juice, vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*I made my dressing in a small one cup blender. If you have one on hand, I recommend for ease of mixing everything together well.