A new and easy favorite- Brussel Sprouts

[Laurian]

The produce section of our market has fresh (or never frozen) Brussel Sprouts in 8 oz. microwaveable packages. They were on sale, so I grabbed a package. On the back of the package was a simple, but delicious recipe.

Microwave the package of sprouts for 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked sprouts with the dressing and top with bacon bits. Yummy!

I just ate the whole package.....

[HereSince1628]

1. IMO, balsamic and an oil source is good on lots of 'green' veggies.

and when the oil source is bacon fat....OMG!!!!!! Watchout coronary by-passes!

[Jazzgirl]

2. I bet that is especially good when the brussel sprouts are roasted.

That sounds like something to try.

[Glassunion]

3. Our favorite way of doing them is just a simple

roasting under the broiler with olive oil and balsamic to finish.

My wife hates them unless I cook them that way.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

4. Add some walnuts

Red grapes, garlic and just a touch of Parmesan

[Glassunion]

6. I'm with you on everything but the nuts.

I have a very very limited palate for nuts. I would swap for almonds and you have an excellent idea.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

14. Or some pine nuts

[Laurian]

5. How long do you broil/roast them?

I tend to overcook them and they become bitter. That's why I really liked this microwave recipe.

[pinto]

9. I cook them till just done, fork tender and no more. No matter the cooking method.

Best bought, like all cole crops, when grown cool. A cold snap "sweetens" the sprouts. We have a broccoli belt along the coast here - many foggy days, cool nights, an occasional frost.

If they have a blue/green tinge to the outer layers, they've gotten a good chill in the field. Those are the best.

[Laurian]

13. Thanks, Pinto!

I didn't know those facts about how to choose the best ones. My previous experience was with frozen sprouts and they always seemed bitter. I think I will stick to fresh from now on. They're like a totally different food!

[Glassunion]

10. Try blanching them first.

Start with them at room temp. Add them to boiling water for about 3 min. Remove and let them cool.

Slice them in half and allow them to dry on a towel.
Place them in a baking pan and drizzle extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place them on a 400 degree pre-heated oven for "about" 25 min on a rack in the center.
The last 5 min in the oven should be with the broiler going.

The outside should be crispy and inside tender and moist.

The easiest way to find a good timing is to try the steps on one sprout at a time, until you find what works in your oven.

The blanching removes a lot of the bitter. A little Irish butter never hurts either.

Also, instead of the balsamic you can try citrus like a little drizzle of fresh lemon or lime juice.

[Warpy]

11. Roasting tames all sorts of yucky veggies

and pickling in tamari manages to salvage others.

My last 3 years of poverty, the yucky veggies were about the only ones I could afford. Now there is no veggie too gnarly for me to get down.

Liver is another matter. I still can't eat that stuff no matter how hungry I am.

[Glassunion]

12. I'm with you, but it's plain white rice for me.

I was in a bad way. Restaurant I worked for closed for good in the middle of a shift. I was out of work in an instant. Long story short, I landed a job making 5.10 an hour and paying 180 a week to keep a roof over my head.

My only food was plain white rice and not much else. It took me 10 years before I even bought rice again. My protein and vitamins came from dumpster diving.

No one I know ever says they are starving around me. I only allow the word hungry. My rule is you have not eaten in a week, then you are starving, otherwise you are just hungry.

Kim Chi is the only way I will eat cabbage.

As far as liver goes. I cannot eat mammal liver. However, from a bird, that's a different story. But only if it's made right.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

15. About liver

I cannot eat mammal liver.

All too often, liver is badly cooked. If it is overcooked, it is inedible. At most, it should be slightly pink in the middle. Adding to this problem is that it is generally cut too thin, so that it will overcook very, very easily. I like my pieces of liver an inch thick, although I generally have to order it specially to get that.

Many recipes call for soaking liver in milk. I would suggest buttermilk, which tenderizes the liver.

If you are frying liver and onions, start the onions well before you start the liver. Just as an aside, caramelized onions do not go well with liver.

Use an oil that tastes of something. Bacon grease does well, or extra virgin olive oil or butter. Bacon also works well with liver.

[Warpy]

17. Yeah, there were a lot of days a bowl of brown rice was it

for me, too, especially by the end of the month.

Poverty sucks.

[Glassunion]

18. I'm better for having been there.

[pinto]

7. I love them. A local standard crop. Nuked, steamed, boiled, broiled. Buttered or with oil dressing,

Peppered and topped with sharp shredded cheese...

They make a great add in with pasta. Halved and tossed into the boil toward the end. Also a good side with broiled or BBQ'd fish. Halved, oiled and laid on the heat beside the fish.

[applegrove]

8. I'll look for them in the store.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. I like to fry 'em up in olive oil...

and throw in some ham or bacon and walnuts. Then sprinkle in some cheese.

Lat night I found a bag I froze couple of months ago, so I threw them in a pot with some chicken stock, a bunch of herbs and spices, mushrooms, and half a bag of egg noodles.

Good soup.

[NJCher]

19. Lots of Brussels sprouts recipes at this blog

I love them, too, and especially like to buy them on their branch. Trader Joe's in our area gets them in and prices them reasonably, too--$3.50 to $4. And talk about fresh!

However, I do like to try different things with them. Here's a blog entry with around 17 recipes, including:

Pasta with Brussels sprouts
Smoky Brussels sprout pasta bake
Asian Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprout salad
Baby carrots and Brussels sprouts glazed with brown sugar and pepper

http://brusselsproutsrecipes.blogspot.com.au/



Cher

[SoapBox]

20. Oh fine...

In bed, 7:24AM...and now I want Brussel Sprouts for breakfast!