My veggie obsession as of late would have to be brussel sprouts. I wasn't wise to the brussel sprout for most of my life, as no one in my family cooked or served them, therefore I didn't grow up eating them. Out of ignorance I always bought into the hype, the myth that brussel sprouts taste really gross. When I thought of them, I pictured kids with their noses turned up in disgust, tears streaming down their faces as they begged to be excused from the dinner table so they wouldn't have to eat them. It wasn't until recently - the past three years or so - that I became privy to the wonders of this delicious and healthy cruciferous vegetable when I finally decided to find out for myself what these little leafy mini cabbages were about, and boy am I glad I did!
While I've been eating the b-sprouts for a few years now, I've been going the plain route (boiling - boring!), and have only lately started experimenting. What inspired me to try something different was a show on Food Network (naturally), but I can't recall which one because I watch so many! I'm pretty sure it was "Chopped." If I'm remembering correctly, I think one of the contestants deep-fried them whole and tossed them with some grated parmesan cheese. "Cheese?!" I exclaimed to my boyfriend as I watched. "I bet parmesan would make brussel sprouts taste fantastic!" And with that, this recipe was born.
It's definitely not practical to be deep-frying much of anything. It takes too much oil and it makes your house stink. Plus, I've never been able to get down with the idea of deep frying vegetables. What's the point of eating a vegetable if you're going to suck any nutritional value out it by frying it in a vat of oil? (French fries are my exception to this judgment ;-) Sauteing though... that's a different story. I decided to try sauteing the brussel sprouts in some extra virgin olive oil so that they would retain their color, freshness, and some nutritional value, while still being tasty.
This recipe is so quick and simple, you'll be whipping them up at least once a week. My favorite part is that the outer leaves break off while cooking and end up getting all brown and crispy. They're so sweet, buttery, and nutty - they almost taste like popcorn! With that idea planted firmly in your minds, let's get cookin'!
Sauteed Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
Servings: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: about 13 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 pound brussel sprouts, washed with outer leaves removed, then cut the head in half
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
Start by heating the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for about three minutes. Place the halved brussel sprouts in the oil to saute. Immediately add the salt & pepper and stir to coat. Let cook until the sprouts have softened and started to brown, flipping them often so they don't burn on one side.
After about ten minutes, remove from the heat and pour the parmesan cheese over them by the handful.
Stir and serve ASAP!
I hope this recipe opens your eyes to a new and srumptious way to enjoy brussel sprouts, or even to try them for the first time. Salute!
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