Swing Eats

This year for Thanksgiving, creamed spinach is on the menu.  Why?  Because everyone requested it.  To be honest, it wasn't top on my mind for a veggie side.  It's a classic for a reason.  So simple to make.  I used fresh spinach from my local farmers market.  I recommend fresh spinach over frozen. Creamed Spinach Ingredients: Butter, 4 tablespoons Garlic, 4-6 cloves, minced or pressed Nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon Spinach, 2 pounds, cut into small squares/dice (washed well) Potato starch, 1-2 teaspoons as needed to thicken Cream, 1/2 cup Salt and Pepper, to taste Directions: Heat the largest skillet you have over medium heat, add in the butter. Add in the garlic and nutmeg with stirring.  Cook out the pungent aroma of the garlic. Add in the spinach in a large handful at a time to the skillet, and allow to wilt with stirring occasionally. (I cut the spinach in batches as I go to make it more manageable. Repeat until all spinach has been added.  This way much of th

Braising is my go-to method for cooking Brussels sprouts.  It's super easy, cooking the Brussels sprouts perfectly by steaming them tender, while searing them with a slight browning.   This recipe sounds fancy, yet so simple but no one needs to know.  The trick is to cook up the bacon first to render out the bacon fat to cook the Brussels sprout in, removing the cooked bacon bits to be added in at the end.  The braised Brussels sprouts are a perfect fall and winter side.  I happened to be making up so polenta, and thought this could be the perfect base for this beautiful tasty side.  "Loose" polenta just means it's not set up and has a "loose" texture.  I added in some broth, cheese, chives and parsley into the polenta.  Personalize it according to what you like and have fun experimenting. Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots and Sherry Over Loose Polenta Ingredients: Bacon, about 4 slices, cut into medium dice Brussels Sprouts, 1 bag or 1