Thanksgiving side dishes | Ski Boots in the Kitchen

I’ve come to the conclusion lately that cauliflower is an underrated vegetable. Mostly, I used to think it was just plain boring- and yes, when you steam it and serve it plain, I think there is nothing worse.

Its lack of color is another one of its pitfalls- a white veggie on a white plate – need I say again… boring! But its all about how you cook it and fix it up that makes you realize, cauliflower is far from boring. This cauliflower recipe would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Holiday meal- the brightness of the apple is pleasing to the eye and gives the dish a hint of sweetness. The nutty taste from the browned butter and toasted pecans give it that holiday essence and amazing flavor that is sure to please even the picky eaters!

Sauteed Cauliflower and Apples with Toasted Pecans (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into florets (about 5 cups)
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 red apple (such as Fuji or Gala), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup pecans

Directions

Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the thyme and ½ cup water. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add the apple, cover and continue cooking until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
In a small sauce pan melt butter on low heat until its completely melted. Once it is fully melted raise the heat to medium-high stirring constantly. The butter will begin to foam and brown. Once the butter has reached a medium caramel brown color remove from heat. Pour browned butter over Cauliflower and toss and sprinkle with the pecans.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple October 2013

We had another day of weird snow/rain/sleet- it was cool and crisp and all the tops of the mountains were dusted white. It makes for beautiful views and photos- but not so great when you’re leaving the store in the middle of a freak rain/snow downpour. Hopefully everyone enjoyed their Columbus Day- the state of Utah apparently doesn’t recognize this holiday, kids were in school and most businesses where open – unless of course you’re the state liquor store which uses any excuse to close. As I posted a few weeks ago, I’ve decided to post some great Thanksgiving recipes in the month of October! Over the weekend I asked people to post to Facebook what their favorite side veggie is and I got an overwhelming response for BRUSSELS SPROUTS – which are also one of my all-time favorites! If you haven’t seen my recipe for Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Rutabaga and Toasted Hazelnuts its also a winner! As promised here is an amazing recipe for Brussels Sprouts and thank you to everyone that gave their input for their favorite veggie! These Brussels sprouts are so delicious, the Beurre Noisette (which is just fancy French for browned butter- but sounds so much better) gives the recipe a wonderful nutty flavor that is balanced by the apple cider and nutmeg. The best part about cooking with fresh apple cider? Cocktails! I know you can see that little bottle of Myers’s Rum peeking out from behind the jug of cider. It always seems to find its way out of the liquor cabinet when there’s cider around, plus cooking is always better when you’re sipping on wine or my favorite fall cocktail, Rum & Cider. Thanks to the unwavering recipes from Food52 this rich, creamy and delicious dish is one of the better Brussels Sprouts recipes I’ve tried! Enjoy!

Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Apples in Browned Butter and Cream (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 ounces heavy cream
2 pieces bacon, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
4 teaspoons apple cider
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg; more to sprinkle at the end

Directions:

Wash and trim the stems from the brussels sprouts. Cut in half, discarding any discolored leaves. Steam brussels sprouts over salted water until fork tender (7-10minutes). Drain and lightly sprinkle and toss with celery salt. Set aside.
In a separate pan, cook bacon until crisp- transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.
Over low heat, melt butter in a heavy pot. Once the butter is completely melted, turn heat to medium high. It will quickly begin to foam. Keep stirring the butter and moving around the pan. Once it hits the color and flavor you want (don’t let it turn black and burn- medium to dark brown is good), immediate reduce the heat to low and add the cream. Stir to completely incorporate the cream. Immediately add the apple pieces, bacon and brussels sprouts. Don’t worry if the sauce looks like its starting to separate- continue stirring!
With a large spoon, keep turning the brussels sprouts mixture in the cream/noisette sauce while the sauce thickens and the brussels sprouts mixture becomes glazed with the sauce (5-10 minutes). The apple pieces should be just cooked, not mushy. Add the apple cider and nutmeg. Continue to carefully turn the mixture in the glaze for another 2-3 minutes.
Turn out in a serving dish or the individual plates and add a pinch of nutmeg over the dish.

Recipe from Food52