food glorious food




From Sunday: 
Pomegranate juice simmering and becoming lovely pomegranate molasses.



From Tuesday:

Thai Peanut Sauce, which I served over Rice and Shrimp

picture  ©  She Simmers

Last night




Brussels Sprouts:
Preheat oven to 350. Wash and halve brussel sprouts; toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place on baking sheet (lined with foil). Place in center of oven for 30 minutes. Flip 1/2 way, and add more olive oil if looking dry. Optional: Once done, sprinkle some pomegranate molasses.

Pomegranate Molasses: 
If you can't find this at your grocer, simply add 100% pomegranate juice to a small soup pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and let simmer until reduced by 2/3, stirring frequently. To make it a little more savory, add a dollop of balsamic vinegar at the beginning.

Pumpkin, Pear and Fennel Soup:
(Below is how I made it, with my tweaks.)
  1. Trim the root ends and most of the green from 2 medium leeks. Slit them down their length, rinse well under cold water, and thinly slice. Put them in a strainer and rinse again.
  2. Peel 1 medium acorn squash. Cut in half, scrape out the seeds, and cut into 1-inch chunks. (Actually, easier - cut in half and scrape seeds, then cut in each indent, peel separate pieces, then cut into chunks.)
  3. Peel, core, and chop 2 large Bartlett or Anjou pears.
  4. Grind or coarsely chop 1-1/2 tsps. fennel seed.
  5. Place 2 tbsps. butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  6. Add the squash, the pears, ~ 2 Tbsp ginger paste (or 1 in fresh ginger diced), the fennel seed, 3.5 cups chicken or veggie broth, and 3/4 cup of water to the stockpot. Increase the heat until the liquid boils, then reduce the heat so it simmers. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.
  7. Puree the soup until it is smooth. If it is too thick, thin it with either apple cider or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes four dinner servings. They suggest garnishing each with a dollop of crème fraîche or yogurt, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. We ate "plain" and it was delish.


  1. OMG that peanut sauce looks delicious and super easy! I can't wait to try it!


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~ Meegs