Yesterday was a Thanksgiving of “firsts” for me.
It was the first time Matt and I spent the holiday alone. We had just seen our family in early November so we weren’t joining them in New Jersey, Oregon or Florida. We had several iterations of plans that fell through and a few nice invitations from friends that we turned down. Plus, I craved some couple-time with my lovey and quiet time with my book.
It was the first day in recent memory that I totally went off-line – no Facebook, e-mails, Twitter or blogs (although I did Skype with my family.) As a frantically connected American and a girl with a blog, this was kinda a big deal for me.
But I wanted to give all my attention to what I was doing. I focused on my conversations, my meals, my reading and the bright colors of the fall leaves I noticed while walking the dog. I was a nice, peaceful change.
Another first — I did a CrossFit workout that lasted 90 minutes. If you know anything about CrossFit, you probably know the workouts are typically short – usually 5-20 minutes. But yesterday at CrossFit Verve, we did a workout called “Clovis”, which consisted of running 10 miles and 150 burpee pull-ups.
You could split up the run/burpee pullups in any way you wanted (because that was going to make it so much easier!) I made it through 8 miles and 120 burpee pull-ups before I called it a wrap. I suspected that if I kept going I was going to be more sore than I wanted to be today. That took me 90 minutes – which is certainly a first for a CrossFit work out.
Finally, yesterday was the first time I ate Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant. Remember last week when I mentioned that I was getting overwhelmed by all the amazing recipes online for Thanksgiving? Well, I never did recover. I kept procrastinating on picking recipes for the most perfect meal until Matt told me I really needed to give him a shopping list if he were to get to Whole Foods before it closed.
I decided then to get crazy and make a reservation instead. The food was not as good as homemade, but going out rather than cooking kept the whole day much more relaxed, which is what I really wanted.
One downside of not cooking is that I don’t have any Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s a little sad. I’m a big fan of leftovers. Fortunately, I did have leftovers from a meal I made earlier this week – and my leftovers are the same foods that are likely stashed in many post-Thanksgiving fridges.
So, for the next two posts, I am going to share some recipes that use leftovers in a new way. Today’s recipe is Brussels Sprouts Fritters. These are simple, delicious and fun –my idea of a perfect recipe.
A note: To make the fritters you will need 2 cups shredded, cooked Brussels sprouts. I’ve included directions on how to make these, just in case you don’t have leftovers or you love the fritters and want to make again from scratch. BUT If you are using this recipe to use up leftover sprouts, shred your cooked Brussels (including any toppings such as nuts, bacon, etc.) in the food processor and begin.
The fritters taste delicious on their own. You could also top with leftover gravy, cranberry sauce or a fried egg. Matt swears they tasted amazing with a splash of hot sauce – although he’s one of those people who believes everything tastes better with hot sauces. Your call.
I hope you like them.
Brussels Sprouts Fritters
Brussels sprouts, 2 cups, cooked and shredded *
Eggs, 2
Coconut flour, 1 tablespoon
Lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon
Salt and pepper
Coconut oil, 1-2 tablespoons
- Whisk eggs.
- Sift coconut flour into egg and mix well.
- In a large bowl, combine Brussels sprouts, lemon zest, garlic , salt and pepper.
- Mix in wet ingredients.
- Form into patties. I like them about 3” in diameter, but you could make them smaller if you wanted.
- You will probably need to cook in a two batches. To cook each batch, melt a tablespoon or two of coconut oil in pan. Cook patties over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
* If you need to make the shredded Brussels sprout, here’s how.
Brussels sprouts, 12-14 (3 cups shredded)
Bacon, 1 slice
Coconut oil, ½ tablespoon
- Shred Brussels sprouts in the food processor .
- Cut bacon into tiny pieces about ¼” or smaller and add to pan. Place pan on stove over medium/high heat and saute about 5-6 minutes, until browned.
- Leaving bacon and any grease in the pan, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and Brussels sprouts. Saute for another 5-6 minutes, stirring re