Roasted Balsamic Brussels sprouts

Oven roasted brussel sprouts in balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. 

Here is a dish that I make quite often to accompany fish, chicken pork or meat.  Sometimes I will sprinkle the brussel sprouts with walnut halves or quarters and let them caramelize in the oven along with the brussel sprouts.  Other times I will substitute the balsamic vinegar with lemon juice and olive oil.  It tastes equally good.  Or I will add some broccoli to the mix.  

You can substitute frozen brussel sprouts instead of fresh, but you will have the thaw them out before putting them in the oven, as with any other frozen vegetable.  They will caramelize better when they are thawed out.  Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings approximately 6 oz.

2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and wash the fresh Brussel sprouts. Toss them in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Coat them well. Place them in a cookie sheet in one layer and bake them in a 450° oven for about half hour, till caramelized.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 6.004 oz (170.2g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 139
Calories from Fat 80
Total Fat 8.9g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 38mg
Potassium 595mg
Total Carbohydrates 13.9g
Dietary Fiber 5.7g
Sugars 3.3g
Protein 5.2g

Koulourkakia Portokaliou-Greek Easter Cookies

Koulourakia Portokaliou - Greek Easter cookies

These cookies are a very traditional treat for Greek Easter. But they are also good for any other occasion or even year round. In Greece while I was growing up, these cookies were only made during Easter to be eaten on Greek Easter Sunday and for the next 50 days until Holy Pentecost. Nowadays, the bakeries in Greece, sell these cookies year round and the locals buy them to offer them to company with an afternoon coffee.

I used to have these cookies for breakfast, dipping them in my milk, while I was growing up in Greece. They usually went quite fast. All of us in my family loved these cookies, and on occasion, my mother would have to bake another batch to offer to visitors while they came over for coffee.

I continue this tradition in my family as much as I can, making them during Greek Easter. They last for about 3 months, but in most cases, they are gone before the time is up. They are called Koulourakia portokaliou (pronounced = koo-loo-rάhk-yah por-toh-kahl-yoo) =  cookies with orange.

Enjoy!

Makes 82 servings (approximately 0.5oz each)

½ lbs. butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
¼.cup orange juice
1 tbsp. baking powder
4 ¼ cups flour (keep the ¼ cup for kneading)
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. water
¼ cup slivered, raw almonds chopped

Bring the butter at room temperature. Don't melt it in the microwave or over the stove. For the cookies to come out well and be pliable, the butter needs to be at room temperature.

Save ¼ cup of the flour for kneading the dough later. Sift the rest of the flour with the baking powder.

In a stand-alone mixer, beat together the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well together. Add the orange rind and the orange juice. Beat well together. Add the flour and beat well. The dough will be a bit sticky. Remove it from the bowl and flour a clean surface with a little bit of the ¼ cup flour. Knead the dough with the remaining flour until the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Place the dough in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Butter the cookie sheets with the 2 tbsp. butter. When the dough is cool, take about 1 inch balls with your fingers, and roll it out into a strand, fold it in half and twist it. Continue until all the dough is done. Mix together the egg yolk and water and brush the cookies. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds. Bake at 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container. They can last up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (16.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 63
Calories from Fat 27
Total Fat 3.0g
Saturated Fat 1.7g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 15mg
Sodium 21mg
Potassium 32mg
Total Carbohydrates 8.3g
Dietary Fiber 0.2g
Sugars 3.2g
Protein 1.0g