Brussel Sprouts

Brussels Sprout Slaw

January 19, 2015 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that always have and still do get a bad wrap. It seems like most people cringe at the thought, let alone the sound of the poor little vegetable. They are truly a under appreciated and vegetable that isn’t eaten enough. I think cabbage is a close second.

In our home, the meager sprout feels big love. Sprouts are actually one of my favorite veggies and a staple that I love to always have on hand. There’s so much you can do with them; roast, steam, saute, baked dishes and they even make perfect bases for salads and slaws. The options are endless.

Let’s focus on the slaw for a second. Are you a fan of coleslaw? Well, I’ve long been a lover of coleslaw. Homemade, from a restaurant, or spruced-up store bought stuff. I’ve never been the kind to turn down coleslaw when it’s available. It is a perfect side on those spring and summer days and it’s just light and refreshing.

I love playing around with different bases for slaw; I love all the veggies that are out there and all the colors, flavors and textures that bring to the table. I’d have to say one of my favorite veggies to use in slaw is the simple, Brussels sprout. It gives you the texture and color of cabbage but adds a little different flavor that I’m obsessed with.

I’d been eyeing this slaw recipe from Damaris Phillips for quite some time, I was just looking for any excuse to whip it up. Thanksgiving came and went, along with Christmas and then New Year’s rolled around. No new year’s meal is complete without something green…gotta bring in that money! So, it didn’t take me 2 seconds to figure out what that something green would be this year!

Boy, was it worth the wait. This slaw is amazing! It’s refreshing, light and filling. And the flavors. Oh man! The sprouts really shine, but that vinaigrette really adds a burst of fresh and bright flavor. It’s creamy, tangy, sweet with a hint of tartness. The shredded Brussels sprouts are tossed in the vinaigrette and then the slaw gets a topping of delicious toasted pecans and sweet and tart pomegranates. It’s chilled for a few hours, allowing the flavors to meld and then it’s ready to go.

This was the perfect addition to our new year’s meal, it paired perfectly with the salty ham, black eyed peas and buttery cornbread. I know this slaw will make several appearances out cookouts this summer. It’s easy, portable and it’s even better if it’s made ahead of time so the flavors can really develop.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup pecans
1 1/2 Lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tsp grated orange zest
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp ornage juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 Cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside.

Using a large holed box grater, a sharp knife or a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment, shred the brussels sprouts.

In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, honey, vegetable oil and orange zest and whisk to combine. Whisk in the vinegar and orange until smooth. Add the brussels sprouts to the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer the slaw to a serving dish and sprinkle the pecans and pomegranate seeds over the top of the slaw. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Recipe source: barely adapted from Damaris Phillips via Food Network

Baked Brussel Sprout Gratin

January 22, 2013 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

For the most part, I try to prepare well-balanced and healthy meals for my family. However, there are times where we splurge. And when I say we splurge, I mean we splurge. Add the butter, pack on the cheese and of course there are the sweets. Don’t even get me started on the sweets. I think if I threw everything reasonable and healthy to the wayside I would bake numerous times daily. Yes, daily. But for the health of my family and everyone around me, I try to bake in moderation. I said, try!

Normally when I cook veggies, I don’t over do it with the additional sauces or toppings. My family, even my 3 year old, loves all vegetables. So I’m blessed in the fact that I don’t have to do a whole lot of disguising or covering up to get my family to eat their vegetables. However, it’s fun to dress things up and play with them a bit from time to time. And yes, even douse them in a ooey-gooey, cheesey sauce that is beyond delicious.

This brussel sprout gratin is an example of a splurge. Delicious brussel sprouts, smothered in creamy, buttery, cheesy sauce then baked. Only to be topped by even more cheese and baked for a moment again, to deliver a perfectly crunchy and gooey crust. Yes, it’s just as good as it sounds.

We’ve enjoyed this gratin I don’t know how many times. We enjoy other brussel sprout recipes, but this seems to be one of those guilty-delicious pleasures we always go back to. It’s so easy to put together, it’s practically effortless. Factor in some time for a little baking and then you have a delicious, cheesy dish that truly could be consumed by itself.

Baked Brussel Sprout Gratin

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Pounds brussel sprouts
1 Small onion, diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup milk
1 1/4 Cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 Cup grated parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 2-3 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Fill a large pot a third of the way with water. Place over high heat and allow to come to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Meanwhile, clean brussel sprouts, remove stems and cut in half. Place the brussel sprouts in the boiling water for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, immediately remove from the boiling water and transfer to ice water.

Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and saute until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragarent. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the onion mixture, then add flour and stir continuously until a lump-free paste forms.

Add the milk and cream and stir continuously, until combined and there are no lumps. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the mayonnaise and one cup of Gruyere cheese, stir to combine. Leave mixture over heat until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the brussel sprouts evenly into the prepared pan. Pour the cheese mixture over the brussel sprouts. Sprinkle with a touch more salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until brussel sprouts are tender.

Combine the remaining Gruyere and parmesan in a small bowl, toss to combine and set aside.

Sprinkle the top of the brussel sprouts with the cheese mixture and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Recipe source: adapted from White on Rice Couple

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

January 2, 2013 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Happy new year, everyone! How is 2013 treating you so far? Good, I hope. Well, 2013 started out pretty great for me and my family! With the new year starts resolutions and all that fun stuff. How many of you have made new year’s resolutions? Okay, for all of those hands raised, how many of you will actually keep them? Isn’t it funny how everyone, myself included, has all these great plans to get in shape, eat right, get organized and all these other fun things but we never get that far before that resolution is out the window?

Well, this year I’m going to try to keep the resolutions simple so maybe I can actually keep a few of them! This year I want to stay consistent with my blogging; I want to update on a regular basis and not go in spurts of being consistent then falling off the planet. I think I resolved to do this last year, as well. While I think I did better last year than in years past, I still had a few months where I kind of took a hiatus. So this year, I will TRY to do better! I also want to try to incorporate more “quick”, yet health (ier) meals into our routine. While I think I’ve done well with the weaknight meals, there were still times where I found myself in the kitchen a lot longer that I wanted to be on weaknights. I want to be able to provide my family with a delicious, well balanced meal, as well as spend time with them before it’s bedtime for my little man. I would also like to get out and do a little more around with our family and really take advantage of what our town has to offer. My last thing is I have a list of recipes I want to try before the end of the year, I’ll post that list soon and keep you up to date on how things are progressing! I think that list is pretty simple and manageable!

So did all of you have your black eyed peas, greens of some sort and corn bread on New Years? You know you’re supposed to have all of those things for luck and money for the new year! Well, we had a delicious meal for new years packed full of all that stuff and then some. One of the sides we enjoyed was a brussel sprout gratin (recipe to come). Brussel sprouts are one of those veggies that have a bad name. Unfortunately, I think that they are one of those things that people eat only because they have to. I really think a lot more people would actually like brussel sprouts if they just tried them! We are among the minority when it comes to brussel sprouts, because we simply love them. Lately I’ve been trying to cook more and more variations of brussel sprouts, and try out different techniques and recipes using them.

This recipe was actually one that was recommended to me by my sister-in-law. It’s one of their favorites, and actually their “go to” recipe when it comes to a quick and delicious recipe. I must say, they did not lead me in the wrong direction when they gave me this recipe. It’s delicious. It’s simple, easy and quick to throw together and tastes so good. But how can anything involving bacon and balsamic be bad?

This recipe comes together very quickly. The bacon is cooked until crisp then removed to drain. The thinly sliced brussel sprouts are then cooked in the bacon drippings, along with water for a very short time. After they are tender the bacon is crumbled over the sprouts, along with a drizzle of balsamic and lemon juice. A quick stir then season with salt and pepper and it’s ready to be enjoyed. I love this recipe because it’s simple, comes together quickly and it’s delicous!

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon
1 Pound brussel sprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 Tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Wash brussel sprouts and trim off the ends. Using a sharp knife, or mandolin, thinly slice the brussel sprouts and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the skillet is heated, place the bacon in the skillet and cook until crisp. Reserve the bacon drippings. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. When bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble and return to plate.

Turn heat to medium. Place 1/4 cup of water in the pan with the bacon drippings. Add the sliced brussels sprouts along with salt and pepper and cover. Allow the brussel sprouts to cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add bacon, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, if needed and serve immediately.

Recipe source: adatped from “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman

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Brussel Sprouts

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