Brussel Sprouts

[thyme4change]

I am having an unexpected love affair with brussel sprouts. I always hated them as a kid, and they were the one vegetable my parents didn't make me eat. I ate everything else - I always liked most vegetables. Unfortunately, my mom would steam brussel sprouts, and they were gross!

I made brussel sprouts 2 ways

1) I fry up a single slice of bacon, and then remove it from the pan. I take 3/4 of a pound of brussel sprouts and cut them in half (and cut off that nasty bottom nubbin) and fry them up in the bacon grease, with a little salt and pepper. I turn down the heat and put a lid on so they steam up a little. In the last minute of cooking I squeeze some lemon juice on top. I crumble that one piece of bacon on top of them and serve.

2) I use Alton Brown's seasoning suggestion:

1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

And toss 1 lb of brussel sprouts, a diced clove of garlic and a little olive oil along with the seasoning. Mix it all around so all of the sprouts are covered. Then I lay everything on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes or so.

My family goes nuts for both of these recipes.

[Deleted]

Here in Germany they are called Cabbage Roses (Rosen Kohl); I think it's cute!

We used to buy them fresh when we lived in the SF Bay Area but I am amazed at how much better (less bitter) they are here. DH likes them so much he eats them raw! But simply steamed in the microwave with a little butter is great for me.

[chiver78]

I came in here to add the recipe I use, which calls for pancetta. great minds think alike. I'll add it anyway, pancetta is a little bit different from bacon.

* 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4lb pancetta, small-diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 cup chicken broth

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain.

While that's going, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.
Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes.

enjoy!

[thyme4change]

Yum! I'll try it. As I said - not that we have the love affair with brussel sprouts, I am very open to new recipes. I think the hardest part was getting through the first 2 or 3 times we put them on the table. They look weird, and my husband has a mental block against them, as do I. The kids certainly weren't excited. But now - no problem.

Another one I find hilarious is that my daughter loves, loves, loves artichokes. I asked my kids if they wanted to try one - you know the kind where you steam them and then use your teeth to get the meat off the leaves. What a weird way to eat. Well, my daughter tried one leaf, said she didn't like it. Ate another one, said she wasn't sure. Ate another one, said it might be okay. Ate another one and said she kinda liked it. By the end of the artichoke, she declared it her favorite food. LOL.

[tiredturkey]

Well, now I don't feel so alone loving Brussels sprouts. Here's one of our favorites, a standard on Thanksgiving day with the turkey.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples 2 Servings

1/2 cup diced Fuji apple
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 tbs. apple cider
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine apple and Brussels sprouts in an 11 x 7 baking dish. Add cider, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper; toss well.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes of until sprouts are tender.

[lovemylife]

These recipes all sound yummy! I love brussel sprouts. I think they are my fav even when I was a kid and I stood at the sink what seemed like forever cleaning them for my Mom. Something that she would make me do after I was done is carve a small x on the bottom where the stem had been. Years later when I cooked them in my own home and was still doing this and a friend thought I had lost it. Did anyone else out there ever do this? And if so why?

[tiredturkey]

If I'm cooking them whole I use the X on the bottom trick so the tough stem cooks faster and gets done as soon as the tender top part.

[chiver78]

Jan 11, 2011 12:03:17 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Yum! I'll try it. As I said - not that we have the love affair with brussel sprouts, I am very open to new recipes. I think the hardest part was getting through the first 2 or 3 times we put them on the table. They look weird, and my husband has a mental block against them, as do I. The kids certainly weren't excited. But now - no problem.

Another one I find hilarious is that my daughter loves, loves, loves artichokes. I asked my kids if they wanted to try one - you know the kind where you steam them and then use your teeth to get the meat off the leaves. What a weird way to eat. Well, my daughter tried one leaf, said she didn't like it. Ate another one, said she wasn't sure. Ate another one, said it might be okay. Ate another one and said she kinda liked it. By the end of the artichoke, she declared it her favorite food. LOL.

haha, love it! I may not be as gung-ho as your daughter about artichokes, but I do have an oft-requested recipe for spinach and artichoke dip. I'm pretty sure I posted it on these new boards, but I'll double-check and edit this post if I haven't. next time you're looking for a party dip, surprise your daughter with this one.

edit: couldn't find my recipe on this board anywhere. so here goes:

my dip is based on this recipe, but I've never actually tried it as written. if you do, please let me know if it's good!

this is what I do:
10 ounces Frozen Spinach thawed and squeezed semi-dry
1 can Artichoke Hearts drained and chopped
2 tbsp butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced white or yellow onion
1/2 cup fat-free Half and Half
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened at room temp
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
crushed red pepper to taste (I usually use a lot)
2 or 3 seeded, diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup-ish Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt butter on low-med heat. Add garlic and onion stir for 1-2 minutes till lightly golden. Add drained spinach; mix; Add artichokes; mix. Add the Half & Half and mix well. Lower heat and stir in the cream cheese and mozzarella; mix until completely melted. Add diced tomatoes and red pepper. Transfer to pie plate or shallow dish. Cover the entire top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, until parmesan is starting to brown. Serve with crackers, pita bread or your favorite dippers (I like pea pods!)

[lovemylife]

Thanks for the explanation Tiredturkey. All those years I cleaned brussel sprouts I probably never thought why I did this.