Brussel Sprouts: Not the Enemy

Poor, poor brussel sprouts. They have such a bad wrap.

And to be honest.... I have no idea why! I'm going to blame TV shows for this one, because I seem to remember most characters turning their nose to brussels.

Or something like that.

I remember being a kid and thinking THANK GOODNESS MY MOM DOESNT MAKE THOSE. Even though I was not a picky child, the idea of brussel sprouts made me nervous.

I'm 27, and I will admit - I just tried brussel sprouts for the first time about 2 months ago. In those 2 months, I've ended up eating them 1-3 times a week. Because they are DELICIOUS. And i can't believe i spent 26 years without them, thinking they were disgusting!

If you think they are disgusting, you're totally entitled to that opinion. HOWEVER - I'm guessing they tasted disgusting because they were mushy and gross. And i agree, that sounds awful.

When brussels are cooked properly, the taste is to die for. Plus they are hearty, filling, and full of good for you stuff. WIN!

My Brussels Recipe

- 1 bag of brussel sprouts (mine were from Trader Joes. They also have them at Publix, Whole Foods, etc). This bag probably contains 20-25 brussels.
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil/coconut oil (or whichever oil you prefer to cook with, those are just the ones i use for high heat!)
- 1 tbsp (or less) of grated parmesan cheese.
- sea salt and pepper to taste

I cut the bottoms off of my brussels, then cut them in half. Throw them in a bowl with the oil, salt and pepper. Mix them around, then throw em on a large skillet.

I turn the stove on HIGH and let them cook as it heats up (i also have a gas stove). For the first 3-5 min, i move them around a lot. After they start to soften up, i try to flip them all so they are cut side down.

Then i grate a little parmesan cheese on top. Not too much even, but the smokeyness opens up so much over heat.

They should be done within 7-10 minutes total. Once they start to get juuuuuust a little brown on the bottoms, they're done! Remove from heat and transfer into serving dish. Grate a little more cheese on top.

YUM.

When i'm talking about the cheese, it's really a minimal amount. it does not need to be covered in cheese for you to get the flavor! It's so smokey and delicious with just a little.

Come on, give them a try! If you don't believe me that they're delicious, just let me know when you want to come over for dinner so I can make them for you.

ENJOY!

xo


PS - to any Nashvillians reading this - try the Brussel Sprouts at Virago. They are absolutely divine.