B R U S S E L S S P R O U T S ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Hopefully that conveys my excitement for this fall and winter veggie. I could seriously have them nearly every day and still love them. But it wasn’t always that way. The first time I had Brussels sprouts was at my step sister’s wedding in 2009. I had avoided them for all of my childhood and well into my twenties. At the wedding, they were pretty boring, so I didn’t add them to my list of new favorites just yet. Then in 2010 I began working for Tomatero Organic Farm and in the fall we had Brussels. So I bought some and found a recipe in a cookbook for how to prepare them (roasted in butter and topped with bacon). And you know what? I LOVED them. From there on out, I was hooked!
Danielle Walker of Against All Grain has a great recipe and I have created my own favorite recipe too. Look for it soon! Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests Brussels Sprouts Chips, which surprisingly, I have yet to try! She also suggests roasting them with bacon [this is a very common way they are prepared] and also sautéed with lemon and walnuts.
VEGGIE TIP: If you aren’t on the Brussels bandwagon yet, it’s probably because these are DENSE little veggies and if not cooked through to the center, they aren’t very tasty. Using a food processor, try grating them or slicing them (my favorite). Now they will be cooked through and it won’t take an hour to chew them.
Food Facts:
- Member of the brassica/cruciferous family.
- Sinigrin and progoitrin and the bitter chemicals that are responsible for some folks distaste of Brussels sprouts.
- Brussels kill more human cancer cells than any other member of the cruciferous family.
- When shopping for brussels:
- It’s important to buy them in season for less of a bitter flavor.
- Brussels should be bright green with densely packed leaves.
- Frozen Brussels have only 20% of the caner-fighting compounds as fresh Brussels.
- Like broccoli and artichokes, Brussels respire rapidly, so refrigerate immediately and eat as soon as possible.
- Steaming Brussels for 6-8 minutes will help them to retain the most nutrients (although that’s not how I like to cook them).
- Great source of vitamin B6, C, and K, folic acid, beta-carotene, thiamine, and potassium.
- Rich in fiber.
- Contain the antioxidant, glucosinolates, that help to fight cancer.
Sources:
The 52 New Foods Challenge
