Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I am paranoid with jinxing things -- sports games, a stroke of good luck, a big commission check at work, even the weather. That's why, when we had that freak 65 degree day in February, I kept my mouth shut and still wore my heavy wool coat. Even last week, with its 70 degree days and Masters commercials featuring a picture of Amen Corner abloom with azaleas, I still refused to believe Spring was here.

However, after a beautiful day today and with the Easter weekend looming before me, I can conceivably see that the cold, 33-degree rainy Winter just may be a thing of the past. Therefore, I found these bright green veggies a perfect welcome to the warmer weather.

Something you should know about me -- I do not necessarily enjoy my fruits and veggies. But I'm learning. Starting with these roasted yummies. Yes, they are Brussels sprouts -- a veggie my mother never even attempted to ask me to eat, and here I am in my mid-twenties thoroughly enjoying a bowl of them. Who knew?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

discovered on FoodGawker from Tiny Urban Kitchen

Brussels Sprouts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the hard bottom and any leaves that look wilted. Cut larger sprouts in half to speed up the cooking time and ensure all pieces are relatively the same size.

Blanch the Brussels sprouts (boil water, add veggies without making water lose its boil, let veggies boil about 4 minutes until almost done, submerge in bowl of ice water -- sorry if this seems obvious but I had to look up how to do this).

Toss the sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Add a bit more salt than you would normally add for other vegetables. Roast for about 20 minutes. Once they are nicely brown and tender, remove and enjoy!

Blueberries & Cream Cupcakes

D-U-K-E! It's Sunday evening of Final Four weekend and it is the first time since 2004 I am going to bed still seeing that lovely shade of Royal Blue when I close my eyes. The Blue Devils are back in the Final Four. In honor of their journey so far in March Madness, I decided to treat myself, my friends, my coworkers, and my family to a little blue-ness with these cute cupcakes.

They were also appropriate for the coming of Spring -- very light and slightly sweet. I even made the whipped cream by actually whipping some cream (gasp!) and was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was and how long the cream kept its whippedness (spellcheck says that isn't a word but I'm going with it). I had this vision of runny, soggy cupcakes after they had been iced for more than 12 hours but they lasted fully iced a complete 24 hours in the fridge. I wouldn't know how long they would have lasted beyond that since they were all consumed by that point. Now, I look ahead to a short week and what I hope is a successful next weekend for my Blue Devils!

Blueberries & Cream Cupcakes

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, makes 30 regular sized cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature

2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraped down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fold in blueberries by hand. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. To finish dollop cupcakes with whipped cream, and garnish with berries. Serve immediately or put in refrigerator for 24 hours. If keeping longer, do not ice until right before serving.

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk until combined. If not using immediately, whipped cream can be refrigerated, covered tightly, for up to 36 hours. I had to rewhisk mine for a bit to rewhip.