forgotten dinner turned lunch

Do you ever buy too much food during the week? I always start off the week with the best intentions. I'll cook mains and sides from scratch and enjoy the best food ever.

This is what happens in reality:

Monday: extreme enthusiasm
Tuesday: dinner without Phil (he has class) means I eat a piece of toast and a reheated Costco sausage.

And thusly are all my plans killed. I cook Saturday-Monday really and then just hope for the best the rest of the week. Maybe the food fairy will come and visit me.

One of the recipes I had planned to make this week was Roasted Sprouts with Mushrooms. I love Brussels Sprouts - as long as they aren't boiled. Roasting is a great way to show off their flavour.

The sprouts sat in the fridge all week. By Saturday, I could feel them glaring at me. So instead of having a sandwich, Saturday lunch consisted of spouts, mushrooms, cream and wine. After all, Phil and I were all gussied up and ready to go for dinner at the Beerbistro with his parents.

We solve mysteries in our spare time - you know, Castle style.

Let's just get back to the sprouts, shall we?

I'm not going to mince words. It was pretty fabulous. I can see why Nigel Slater often just has a dish of vegetables for a meal. This is a totally luxurious treatment of the humble sprout... and definitely worth opening a bottle of wine for!

Perhaps a trifle over roasted...

For all you Canadians: I highly recommend this recipe for Thanksgiving next weekend. It`s about time you upgraded from boiled sprouts!

Recipe can be found here or after the jump!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream

1-1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise (5 cups)
5 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 lb. wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles or hedgehogs, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges (about 4-1/2 cups)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper

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Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil; toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.

Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the Brussels sprouts and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

For what it's worth, I used ½ the amount of cream called for, and it was still delicious!