Brussels Sprouts Tacos

Inspired by a visit to PEI's "Hopyard" restaurant. If you're ever in Charlottetown, you need to visit.

Ingredients:

(For 16 tacos)

Filling:

10 Brussels Sprouts, shredded.

1 can of pinto beans, drained, rinsed.

1 Red Pepper, diced.

1 Red Onion, diced.

2 Jalapeno peppers, fine diced.
1/2 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp of cumin

1/2 tbsp oregano

1/2 tbsp chili powder

Clove of pressed garlic or

1/4 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Taco toppings as usual such as salsa, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, sour creme, hot sauce, etc.
Thinly sliced red cabbage and green peppers are visually stunning and quite tasty as toppings!

Taco shells or soft tortillas as usual.

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Shred sprouts by cutting off stem, and holding sprout between fingers cutting in rows across the length. Rotate the partially cut sprouts so your previous cuts are parallel to the cutting surface and cut in rows again. This will produce long strips.

Spread onto a baking sheet.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar over sprouts.

• Dice peppers, onions, and jalapenos, then spread over top of spouts with corn.

In a small pan, heat olive oil on medium-low heat, mix in cumin, oregano, chili powder, and garlic and heat through until spices become aromatic. Careful not to "deep fry" the spices, just heat them and let the flavours bloom. If the mixture gets pasty, add a bit more oil.

Add pinto beans to spice mixture, and toss until coated. 

Add beans and spices to the sprout mixture, and toss with hands until spices are well mixed into everything.

Ready for the oven

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. The sprouts are done when the core pieces are just soft enough to bite through. Some of the edges will be charred. This is good!

Dress with your favourite toppings!

New York Style Cheesecake

Raspberry and shaved chocolate over a raspberry and cream cheese icing.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

Ingredients:

15 graham crackers, crushed
 2 tablespoons butter, melted
 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
 1 ½ cups white sugar
 ¾ cup milk
 4 eggs
 1 cup sour cream
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 ¼ cup all-purpose flour


1)  Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of spring form pan.

2)   Mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into pan over pressed graham cracker bottom.

3)   Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, then turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed until oven is cooled off.  Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Variations!

Seperate half the cake batter, and pour pure half into pan. Mix the other half with flavorings, and pour into center of pan all at once. The flavoured batter will displace the regular batter to the sides. Use a spatula to criss-cross the pan from one side to the other for a marbled look, or swirl for that great circular pattern. Don't over mix.

Suggestions for flavours...

Pumpkin pie filling with spices.
Raspberry jam.
Cocoa.

Try not to mix too much watery flavourings such as fruit into the mix. It will cause cracking on the cake.

Once the cake is cooked and ready for the refrigerator, top with caramel ice cream topping, ice cream chocolate syrup, cherry pie filling, whipped cream, fresh fruit, you name it! Or just eat it as is.

Bon appetit!

Raspberry swirl