You know how, when you aren’t exactly sure you want to do something,  you put it off—turning instead to “must do” projects like sorting the dog’s toys by size and color?

This week I’ve been nagged by the feeling that I needed to make this (in)famous guacamole with peas recipe from The New York Times. I wrote about it here a week ago when I posted a recipe, also from the New York Times, for a wonderful traditional guacamole. (Here is that link: http://bluecayenne.com/guacamole-give-peas-chance)

To remind you, The New York Times posted the guacamole with peas recipe on Twitter in 2015, after initially publishing the recipe in 2013 in Melissa Clark’s column in their newspaper. The original recipe came from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef-owner of ABC Cocina, an upscale and well-reviewed restaurant in New York. The 2013 recipe didn’t cause a stir, but, when the Twitter recipe was published, the Internet exploded. “Don’t #$!** mess with guacamole!” was the message that came through loud and clear. Despite getting rave reviews from the likes of Zagat’s James Mulch and New York Magazine restaurant critic Adam Platt, guacamole with peas was a decided bad boy among guacamole aficionados. One Twitter writer, obviously a serious student of history, wrote: “Peas in guacamole?! We fought two world wars and invented a space program so we could have this world? WTF.” Even President Obama waded into the controversy: “respect the nyt, but not buying peas in guac. onions, garlic, hot peppers. classic.”

I guess I kind of agree with the guac purists. Guacamole is a pretty iconic dish.  That explains, I guess, my hesitancy to begin blanching the peas, mashing the avocados, and <gulp!> mixing them together. (Yes. The recipe does have avocados as an ingredient.)

But, you know me, I like to live on the edge.  So, yesterday, I decided to tackle the recipe.

It turned out a bit lighter, sweeter and grassier (is that a word?)  than regular guacamole. I didn’t finish the whole bowl of guacamole in one sitting, so I stored it in the refrigerator overnight and it didn’t discolor. (That’s always good.)  Also, I liked the crunch of the sunflower seeds better on the second day when they were a bit less crunchy and a bit more chewy.

And the verdict is? Good. Very good. But, then again, I’ve always liked bad boys. 

Here is the recipe. A link the original recipe appears at the bottom of this post. 

Did it. Guacamole with peas!

49 minPrep Time

49 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh or frozen peas (I used frozen)
• 2 medium jalapeno peppers
• 2 T. packed cilantro leaves (chopped)
• 3/4 t. salt (more as needed)
• 3 large avocados
• 2 scallions (white only, sliced as thin as possible)
• zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 1/2 lime
• 1 T. toasted sunflower seeds
• Tortilla chips (for serving)
• Lime wedges (for serving)
• Flaky sea salt (for serving)

Instructions

1. Blanche peas in boiling water for about one minute (until al dente). Drain and immediately transfer peas into a bowl of ice water.
2. Broil one of the jalapeños until it is completely charred. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Then, remove the charred skin from the jalapeño using a paper towel or the back of a knife. Remove seeds and mince jalapeño. Set aside.
3. Drain the peas. Reserve two tablespoons of peas for garnish and puree the remainder in your food processor along with roasted jalapeno, minced raw jalapeno, cilantro and 1/4 t. salt. Continue to process until mixture is almost smooth but still a little chunky.
4. In a serving bowl, combine mashed avocado, scallions, lime zest, lime juice and remaining 1/2 t. salt with the pea puree. Adjust salt and lime juice as needed and garnish with fresh peas, sunflower seeds and flaky sea salt. Servie with tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Notes

The original recipe called for e small ripe avocados. I used three large ripe avocados.

Nutrition

Calories

103 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

20 g

Protein

4 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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https://bluecayenne.com/did-it-guacamole-with-peas

Brussels sprouts. Yuck!

Over the years, bitter little brussels sprouts and I have not been close. Sure, we hung out together a few times. Sure, I oogled the little green brussels in the bins at Sprouts and picked out the most handsome ones to bring home with me. I’ll admit, I even included them once at my holiday table.

But, there was just no spark between us. Ever.

I had pretty much decided to end our relationship forever when this Food52 recipe for brussels sprouts gratin came across my desk. Maple syrup? Pecans? A gratin? Maybe this could be a game changer.

I swiped right.

I know. I know. One should never-ever-never rekindle a relationship, particularly one where there has been some bitterness involved,  because you think you can change the other party for the better. But, you know, sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.

Turns out, brussels sprouts can be pretty delicious.

I served this dish to my handyman Tony yesterday at lunch (along with a bowl of the tomato basil soup that also appears in an earlier posting on this blog). Tony was doing some of the never-ending jobs that seem inevitably to come with home ownership–at least, my home ownership. He told me he had never before eaten brussels sprouts and was pretty interested in giving them a try. He confided in me that, as a child in Mexico, he used to juggle brussels sprouts as a game. He said he pretended to be a giant who was juggling cabbages. I love that image.

Tony and I both give this recipe two thumbs up.

Here is the gratin recipe:

Yields 6-8 servings

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

30 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

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Ingredients

• For the gratin
• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 1 C. vegetable broth
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1 T. whole-grain mustard
• 1 t. maple syrup (grade B is best)
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• For the topping:
• 1 C. bread crumbs (from dry bread--I used a baguette)
• 1/2 C. chopped pecans (or more)
• 2 T. unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 and 1/2 t. maple syrup
• 1/4 t. kosher salt
• 4-6 ounces gruyere cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Place your oven rack in the middle position and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash and prepare your brussels sprouts. Trim off the tough stem ends, wash and discard any damaged leaves.
3. Using the shredding blade on your food processor, thinly slice the brussels sprouts. Set aside.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk broth, cream, mustard, maple syrup, salt and black pepper together. Add the brussels sprouts to the mixture. Pour this mixture into a one-quart gratin dish or a shallow baking pan in an even layer.
5. Combine all the topping ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir this mixture until everything is well-mixed. Spread this topping mixture evenly over the top of the shredded brussels sprouts.
6. Bake, uncovered, for approximately 35 minutes. The gratin should be golden brown when the dish is ready.
7. Remove from oven and let dish cool on the counter. To my taste, this is best served when the gratin is only slightly warm. I was better able to taste the maple flavor.

Notes

I deviated from the original recipe by adding the gruyere cheese to the topping. I thought the cheese gave added flavor to the dish. Next time, though, I'm going to prepare the dish without the cheese and see how it tastes. The maple syrup flavor is a wonderful foil for the bitterness of the brussels sprouts. The flavor of the maple syrup (and the pecans) might be stronger without competition from the cheese.

The photo posted with this recipe is a photo of the gratin before it is baked.

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https://bluecayenne.com/brussels-sprouts-gratin

The recipe in this post is adapted from one that appears on the Food52 food blog. Here is a link to that blog:

Brussels Sprouts Gratin