I can hear you now; ”what, no recipe today?”… my week didn’t go quite as planned and when going round table on what the family wanted, nothing new popped for suggestion… bummer! Also, I got my new kitchen gadget that kept me occupied in the kitchen. I’ll try out a few recipes with my new veggie spiralizer before I share with you guys… so far though, I love it!
For tonight’s meal I am making my famous One Pan Chicken that I shared on Prep Day #2. In this recipe, I always add Brussels Sprouts. Every time I share this recipe, I always get the ”Ewww, Brussels Sprouts!”… why is that? Let’s find out!
Why is this poor little vegetable so hated? I, personally, can see for 2 major reasons why:
- Some people don’t quite know how to prepare and cook them, which in return causes #2
- When over cooked, Brussels Sprout releases an very strong odor (like sulfur) and well taste simply awful.
Some people feel like they lack flavor, it’s like eating cooked cabbage. Totally understandable since Brussels Sprouts are from the Gemmifera Group of cabbage.
This small version of a cabbage is high in vitamin C and K. They are also a good source of sulforaphane. According to Wikipedia, Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is currently under research for its anticancer properties. Now that is a great reason to eat them… isn’t it?
Even if it a great reason to eat them, how do you prepare them? The Web is FULL of recipes on how to prepare them. Whether you boil them, Stir Fry them, roast them or steam them, how you prep them and dress them is the most important part!
For me, the way I love best to make them is roasted or sautéing. When doing my One Pan Chicken, I lay them flat on a baking sheet along with the other veggies and let them roast.
I love sautéing them with some bacon. You cook your bacon first. Once your bacon is cooked, you remove from your pan. Using the bacon fat, put your sliced Brussels Sprouts in your pan and let them cook, flipping them once in a while. The salt of the bacon fat will give them a good taste. Chop your bacon and add to your Brussels Sprout before serving. This is so good when served with chicken, beef or porc.
If you love cheese, sprinkle some fresh grated Parmesan on top of them and put them back in the oven for a few minutes. To get the cheese in the vegetable, using the bottom of a cup, gently press on your Brussels Sprout to smooch them… the cheese will really get in there. You can also make a fast bechamel sauce to pour over them.
My Mom used to make a quick one in the microwave. She would use:
- 2 Tbsp of Butter
- 2 Tbsp of Flour
- 1 green onion chopped
- Milk (sorry, no measurement here)
- Mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated)
She would melt the butter and then stir in her flour, which would create a roux. Slowly, she would add milk and stir, putting it in 1 min at a time in the microwave… she would repeat until she got the desired thickness. Add your green onion and cheese and stir, stir, stir to make this cheese melt. Pour over the veggies. Ooooh how I remember when she would do this over broccoli! It was so good!
I rarely boil them for the simple reason that they become more mushy in texture and they loose most of their nutritional value. There is nothing I hate more than throwing the vitamins and nutrients down the drain! However, when I do boil them, I always boil them in chicken stock. This gives it some extra flavor.
If you wish to roast them straight up with only olive oil, then the dressing becomes important. Spices, balsamic vinegar or even an Italian Salad dressing will give it the boost of flavor you are possibly looking for!
If you haven’t tried Brussels Sprout before, let yourself go and try this misunderstood vegetable… you’ll be quite surprised!
