It's the Simple Things

it's a dark and rainy, cold February night and I wanted nothing more than comfort food this evening, so I turned to a staple of mine, grilled cheese and fried brussel sprouts. I know what you may be thinking and no, it's not boring if you know how to do it right. You have to invest in the proper ingredients, make all that you have with this simplistic dish sing together. If you pair the appropriate pieces together then they all play well, meld, fall in love. That's what this month is for anyway right, reflection on the simple things that we appreciate, love and longing for little things like warmth and sunlight; summer perhaps. Well, we're not quite there, so here's a little home made love to make you realize that this isn't so bad, right where we are.

Brussel Sprouts:
Pre heat your pan and add the oil to it now.

you will want to cook these first since they will finish cooking off and hold heat nicely while you are preparing your GC. You can be adventerous if you like, and use two pans at once, but I think, if you want to choose the simple way, go with one pan and enjoy the full experience.

take however many sprouts you think you will eat, leftovers are fun, but these are stinky when reheated and all of your co workers will not be very happy about what you've chosen for lunch.

Cut the brown end bits off and compost. I'm sorry, what, you don't compost. Well, it's best you get started.

Cut the cute lil brussels lengthwise in half and dust with salt.
Throw them mercilessly into the flames and watch them burn. Soooooo yummy. Place a lid or another pan over top and let the steam seal in and cook the sprouts through evenly. Cook long enough to be fork tener and have a nice caramelized crust and browning over some parts of the sprouts.

set aside in a bowl and cover, hold until your cheese is finished grilling.

Grilled Cheese:
2 slices Rye bread
2 oz ( or a little more if you feel adventurous) white organic cheddar
( the yellow is just added into yellow or orange cheeses anyway, not necessarily fake, made by adding annatto perhaps, just not the most, simplistic and natural state the cheese could be in)
1/2 tbs olive oil ( yes, butter would be great here but that's not what I used)

When cooking the grilled cheese, I like a nice heavy anodized aluminum skillet, seasoned to perfection, by about 30 years of cooking. Spoiled, I know. I have an old Commercial Aluminum Cookware piece, but any pan, so long as it's NOT non-stick, those will give you cancer for sure, will do.

Use another pan or lid to another pot to cover the pan and sandwich while cooking, you will want the cheese to melt all the way through and not burn. You will surely get a nice golden brown crust with, if you are lucky, some cheese that has escaped its crusty confines and puddled on the skillet surface to find a nice crispy complexion.

Enjoy both, slowly and ponder the simpler things in life. Like toasted marshmallows. I went there.