Here’s a twist on an American favorite: Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad. It replaces the romaine—crunchy, but not particularly nutritious—with Brussels sprouts, a superfood.

Brussels sprouts, a member of the powerful cruciferous vegetable* family, are usually available year-round. However, they are a cold weather vegetable, and the peak season is from September to mid-February.

Buying tip: The smaller the sprout, the sweeter the taste. Although the larger sprouts may look appealing, aim for those that are 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Pick sprouts of the same size so they’ll cook evenly.

Never overcook Brussels sprouts, and don’t store them for future use. Even though they’ll look normal, as the harvested sprouts age, the sulfuric compounds that are so unpleasant in overcooked sprouts become more prominent in the raw ones.

This recipe, from Litehouse Foods, uses their OPA Caesar Dressing, made with Greek yogurt.

Prep time is 15 minutes.

Yes, you can find purple Brussels sprouts! These are from Frieda’s Produce.

Brussels sprouts replace the romaine in this
Caesar salad. Photo courtesy Litehouse
Foods.

Ingredients For 3-4 Servings

Preparation

1. BLANCH the sliced Brussels sprouts in boiling water for approximately 1 minute, then immerse in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.

3. TOSS all ingredients in the dressing, or serve the dressing on the side. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

 
*The cruciferous group includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, cress, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna (a variety of mustard green), mustard greens, radish, rapini (broccoli rabe), rutabaga, tatsoi, turnip and wasabi, a type of horseradish. Mizuna and tatsoi have become “designer greens” in salads at America’s finest restaurants. All contain phytochemicals (antioxidants), vitamins, minerals and fiber that are important to your health; although some of the group are more poerful than others. Government health agencies recommend that we eat several servings of them per week.

September is National Breakfast Month, and Krusteaz, makers of quality pancake, waffle and baking mixes, reminds us that breakfast food is not just for breakfast.

It’s also for dinner. According to a recent Krusteaz survey, having breakfast food for dinner, or “brinner,” is a growing trend.

A whopping 91% of Americans say they have eaten breakfast foods for dinner—and we count ourselves among them.

Brinner isn’t quite the same as brunch, a late morning or early afternoon meal that looks forward to dinner later in the day.

Krusteaz suggests pancakes as part of your brinner.

 
You don’t have to make them sweet, covered with maple syrup.

 
 
RECIPE #1: APPLE HAM PANCAKE STRATA

You can use a gluten-free mix; you can substitute chicken for ham; you can add your own special touches.

We added some dried cherries and cranberries, and next time will toss in a cup of grated Gruyère.

Prep time is 15 minutes, total time is 1 hour 10 minutes.

Ingredients For 8-9 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan.

2. PLACE the pancake pieces, apples and ham in the pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half and maple syrup; pour over the apple, ham and pancake mixture.

3. BAKE 40-45 minutes or longer if a firmer strata is preferred. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Brush with melted butter, if desired, and serve.

 
RECIPE #2: PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY PANCAKES

If you like PB&J sandwiches, this is a recipe for you! Prep time is 10 minutes, total time is 15 minutes. The PB adds protein to the dish. Enjoy it with a tall glass of milk.

Ingredients For 7-8 Pancakes

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE buttermilk pancakes as directed on package, adding 3 tablespoons peanut butter for each cup of mix used.

2. POUR pancake batter on griddle; add 1 tablespoon of jam per pancake and swirl with a spoon. Cook as directed. Immediately upon removing pancakes from griddle, swirl additional jam on top.

3. GARNISH as desired and serve.
 
 
PANCAKE MAKING TIPS

Krusteaz wants you to make perfect pancakes. Their tips:

1. Use cold tap water. Water at 55°F-60°F makes fluffier pancakes and more tender waffles.

2. Use an ice cream scoop. Get the perfect size pancake every time by using an ice cream scoop to measure the batter.

3. Keep the leftovers. Don’t toss leftover pancakes; store them in the fridge for 2-3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight container. Microwave them or reheat them in a hot pan on the stove top.
 
There are more tips, recipes and a store locator on the Krusteaz website.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PANCAKES
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PANCAKES

[1] The “secret ingredient” in this strata: pancakes (photo © Krusteaz).

[2] Red or green: use your favorite apples (photo © U.S. Apple).

[3] Dice the ham into bite-size cubes or smaller (photo © Sorel 67 | Unsplash).

[4] We love PB&J just as much on pancakes as on bread (photo © Krusteaz).

[5] You can use your favorite peanut butter, plain or flavored (photo © Jif).

Then, we got an email from Food & The Menu, a magazine for chefs. The new issue features “10 Sauces Of The Moment”—options that span the world.

“Say ‘so long’ to complicated reductions and rich, butter-mounted glazes,” says Joan Lang, the article’s author. “Some of today’s most trending sauces are more like condiments, following the popularity of sriracha, harissa, wasabi and aïoli.”

So if you want to get ahead of your favorite chefs, consider these sauces, many of which are sold ready-made. Some will be familiar to you, others less so. Read the full article, which includes recipe ideas:

1. Adobo Sauce

Long a Mexican staple, this vinegar-based sauce is made with chiles and/or paprika, garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper, sugar and sometimes tomato or ketchup. It is perhaps the easiest of the group to find in your local supermarket (it’s also available online). There’s a Filipino version of adobo, a simmer sauce of vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. Try them both!

2. Colorado Sauce

Rich, smoky and spicy, Colorado sauce (also called red chile sauce or chile colorado) is another find from Mexico. To achieve its namesake red color, it incorporates multiple types of roasted or dried chiles (such as ancho and New Mexico) with onions and tomatoes. Make it or buy it.
3. Comeback Sauce

From Mississippi, this sauce is a cross between spicy rémoulade sauce and creamy Thousand Island dressing is a versatile dip, dressing or spread osandwiches and more—and you sure can’t argue with the fun name.

Soy sauce with a Hawaiian twist can be brush onto grilled food or added to dips, mayonnaise, and vinaigrettes. Photo courtesy Aloha Brand.

Popularized by television chef Guy Fieri, donkey sauce combines mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sriracha and lots of roasted garlic to create a hot and spicy alternative to aïoli sauce, the classic French garlic mayonnaise. 
 
5. Fonduta

A rich, melted cheese sauce from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, fonduta is usually made with Fontina, Parmesan and cream—and if you’ve got the bucks, white truffles in season. It is served as a sauce over food or as a fondue-like dip.
 

6. Gochujang Sauce

Pronounced ko-choo-CHONG, this pungent Korean hot red chili paste is made from fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, red chile, garlic, honey and salt. Spice lovers will enjoy a jar. Look for it in Asian markets or online.

7. Hawaiian Sauces

These range from traditional salty-sweet Aloha Sauce (a brand of soy sauce blended with fruit juices, brown sugar, ginger and garlic) to more creative inventions like poi vinaigrette (mashed boiled taro root mixed into a vinaigrette). You can find Aloha Sauce on Amazon.com.

 
8. Kewpie Mayonnaise

This MSG-laden mayonnaise from Japan, first made in Japan in 1925, more recently came to prominence at sushi bars in the U.S. as “Dynamite Sauce” for the Dynamite Roll.* Made with rice vinegar instead of distilled vinegar, it is yellower, creamier and richer than western mayonnaise. It is now used to give a kick of sweet and vinegary creaminess to salads and vegetables. Look for it in Asian markets or online.

This spicy Malaysian sauce typically contains chile paste, curry, fish sauce, lemongrass and other spices. Lang predicts that “before long this flavor booster will go mainstream.” We found it available in packets on Amazon.com.
 

10. Ponzu Sauce

This Japanese soy-and-citrus-based dipping sauce is an easy mix of yuzu or lemon juice, kombu, mirin and rice wine vinegar. In Japanese cuisine it’s served with dumplings or shabu shabu, but its uses have evolved (we like it with seafood and rice). You can buy it in the Asian products section of your market. Our favorite, from Yakami Orchard, is available online.
 
 
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONDIMENT AND A SAUCE?

A sauce is a condiment, which is defined as a food item added to the primary food to enhance its flavor.

While some condiments are used by the chef during cooking (barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, for example), others, such as ketchup and mustard, are applied by the individual diner.

The word derives from the Latin condimentum, meaning spice, seasoning or sauce. That word in turn derived from the Latin condere, meaning to preserve, pickle or season. The word originally described pickled or preserved foods, but evolved over time.
 
*The Dynamite Roll incorporates shrimp tempura, masago (capelin roe) and vegetables, such as radish sprouts, avocado and/or cucumber.
  

Once upon a time there was a magical restaurant in Wheeling, Illinois, Le Français, the creation of chef-owner Jean Banchet. There, among other glories, we were first introduced to the “trio” approach he brought from his classic French training:

Whatever protein you hungered for—beef, duck, seafood, veal—would be served in three different preparations on one plate. For example, the lobster trio might include truffled lobster, Lobster Thermidor and lobster sausage.

By varying cuts, preparations and sauces, Banchet created a symphony of flavors and visual appeal. It became our favorite way of eating.

The trio approach never took great hold in the U.S. In New York City, we find them mostly in seafood preparations:

 
Today’s homework: Start to sketch out some trios: protein, preparation, sauce, garnish. Keep on the refrigerator door and update it as inspiration strikes.
 
*Jean Banchet, a French chef, founded Le Français in 1973, and soon earned a rare five-star distinction from Mobil. In 1980, it was named the best restaurant in America by Bon Appetit magazine. Banchet retired from Le Français in 2001 and passed away last year.
  

Several weeks ago we published a recipe for panzanella, Tuscan bread salad. While perusing other recipes, we discovered this one on Pillsbury.com, submitted by Carrian Cheney of the blog, Oh Sweet Basil.

It’s what to do when you have leftover French or Italian bread, to convert into crusty croutons that absorb the dressing.

While markets are still filled with bountiful produce, make hay and make panzanella.

Prep time is 20 minutes. You can substitute any vegetables in the recipe for others, from fennel to eggplant and beyond.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

1. HEAT 4 tablespoons olive oil in 10- to 12-inch skillet, over medium heat. Arrange bread pieces in single layer in skillet (you will have to do a few batches). Cook until golden; turn and cook again. Repeat with remaining bread. Remove from skillet; cool.

2. HEAT the remaining olive oil in the same skillet, over medium heat. Add bell peppers, zucchini and onion; cook 3 to 6 minutes or until tender. Cool.

3. PLACE bread, cooked vegetables, tomatoes and dressing in a very large bowl; add salt and pepper to taste. Toss; serve immediately.
 
Find many more delicious recipes at OhSweetBasil.com.
 
 
MORE PANZANELLA RECIPES