Thursday, November 15, 2007

Brussels Sprouts - You'll Want More!


After trying these last week, Matt and I looked at each other and commented that we never imagined that we'd be wishing for more brussels sprouts at the end of a meal. I think the key is using fresh sprouts, not frozen. Many of the recipes that I consulted for brussels sprouts paired them with butter, and while it probably would taste fantastic, globbing on butter to make veggies palatable isn't really in our heart-healthy regimen. But healthy doesn't mean resigning yourself to bland steamed veggies for the rest of your life. In the following recipe, I changed the butter to olive oil, and the results sacrificed absolutely nothing in the taste department. Give these a try and see if your family asks for more!

A dozen or so fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed, patted dry and cut in half
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse, pat dry and cut the brussels sprouts in half. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over med-low heat. Sauté the garlic just until it begins to brown. Remove the garlic from the oil and place all of the sprouts in the skillet, cut side down. Turn the heat down to low and cover the skillet with a lid. Let them cook, covered for about 15-20 minutes until the cut side has browned and the sprouts are cooked through. Place in a serving dish and season with sea salt and the fresh grated Parmesan cheese.