5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.
A very wise frog once told us, "It's not easy being green." No vegetable knows that plight better than the Brussels sprout.
The tiny green orbs cause such visceral reactions among some eaters that you'd think a plate of rotten eggs and moldy bread was in front of them.
Walter Bundy, the executive chef of Lemaire in Richmond, Virginia, argues otherwise. In fact, he thinks Brussels sprouts are quite fabulous when done right – and we're going to have to agree.
“I love to cook with Brussels sprouts because they seem to represent autumn and winter to me. They are very robust with an earthy flavor. They have a slight bitterness that works well with so many other foods, " says Bundy.
Five Ways to Cook with Brussels Sprouts: Walter Bundy
1. Brussels sprouts can be cooked using an array of techniques, including boiling, braising, sautéing, steaming, frying and roasting.
2. Before working with Brussels sprouts, blanch them in salted, boiling water to heighten the color and flavor.
3. Roasting Brussels sprouts in the oven with herbs is a simple and great way to add color and crispness to the dish.
4. If you’re looking for a richer, creamier side dish, braise Brussels sprouts with heavy cream and goat cheese.
5. One of my favorite fall side dishes is Brussels sprouts with bacon and butternut squash. It represents the flavors of the season and brings out the slight bitterness of the Brussels sprouts.
Brussels Sprouts Soup with Cream and Nutmeg
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1/2 quart heavy cream
- 1 1/2 quarts Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- Kosher salt, white pepper and freshly ground nutmeg to taste
Cooking Directions
- In a soup pot, heat butter, olive oil, onion, celery and garlic over medium heat. Sweat for 7-10 minutes.
- Add the stocks, cream and Brussels sprouts. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
- Remove soup pot from heat and blend in small batches. Adjust consistency with warm water if necessary, and enjoy.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Butternut Squash
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 8 oz butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into medium dice
- 4 oz applewood bacon, rendered and diced
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 oz pumpkin seeds, toasted until golden
- 1 cup heavy cream, reduced by 1/2
- 3 oz or 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Add butternut squash. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove and immerse the squash in an ice bath.
- In a saucepan, warm the reduced cream and add Parmesan cheese.
- In a large sauté pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until slightly roasted and caramelized. Add blanched butternut squash and bacon. Heat throughout. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Serve sautéed Brussels sprouts, bacon and butternut squash on individual plates. Drizzle Parmesan cream over the top. Finish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve with your favorite fall protein.
Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Juice and Thyme
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 10 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 12 stems fresh thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
- In a large sauté pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and continue to cook until the Brussels sprouts are slightly caramelized and soft throughout.
- Squeeze the fresh lemon over the Brussels sprouts and garlic.
- Add the cream and fresh thyme. Season with kosher salt and white pepper to taste and enjoy.
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Vidalia Onions
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large Vidalia onions, cored and julienned
- Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
- Fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove and immerse the Brussels sprouts in an ice bath. Reserve.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and let brown. Add onions and cook until slightly caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. Reserve.
- Heat another sauté pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until slightly crispy and rendered. Drain the oil. Add the pre-cooked Brussels sprouts and Vidalia onions. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Heat through and serve as an autumn side dish.
Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
cool
Delicios! Ithought i don't like brussel sprouts, but now it's my favorite vegetable!!!
Also found a great recepie here.
No, "roughly chopped" means chopped in a broad and vulgar manner, i.e. while swearing like a sailor.
I love brussel sptours and squash. My husband likes squash okay, but won't even try brussel sptours when I've made them. (Even roasted and yummy like this.) sigh All the more for me. ;)
"Roughly" chopped? Was the word "coarsely" the one being looked for here?
A symbol of creeping Communism, Brussels is the capitol of the Evil European Union.
Will boiling the mini Cabbage in oil, defuse the weaponized GMO inside ?
There's also a big difference in Brussels sprouts depending on their size. Avoid the golf-ball sized sprouts in the supermarkets and try to find small sprouts at a farmers market. Sprouts the size of your thumbnail or a large marble, cooked whole, are vastly superior to the huge ones that have to be halved or even quartered to cook all the way through. We grow our own, harvest them at the right size, and freeze what we don't eat fresh.
Love brussel sprouts. Tell your kids they are barbie doll lettuce. Great served with melted (real) butter. :)
My Mother served Brussels sprouts just once when I was a child. I said they looked like pigeon heads. Yukk! We never went there again! To this day, I still hate them.
All these recipes seem to hide the brussels sprouts with heavy cream, bacon, butter and pancetta. Why not just eliminate the sprouts and eat the pork fat?
Agreed. Anything tastes good with cream and bacon! And then the dish is unhealthy- might as well skip it altogether.
I LOVE brussel sprouts. Always did from the time I was a child. This article reminds me that I need to ask my wife to make me some. Yummy!
throw them in the steamer, turn on the stove and cook them for yourself lazy butt!!
"Roughly chopped?" Am I supposed to more or less chop it? Or am I supposed to chop it violently? Or was the word being looked for here actually "coarsely?"
I think a lot of the hate comes from grandma over-cooking them down in to toxic waste.
I learned to love them, plus other cultivars of Brassica oleracea, when I started cooking for myself and discovered that vegemush is not necessary. I feel sorry for those genetically incapable of enjoying B. oleracea.
Love sprouts and butternut squash..but hate peeling the squash!
Hate peeling butternut squash? Buy it pre-peeled and cut in the produce section. It costs more, but it's worth it if you have a hard time peeling and cutting winter squash by hand.
Roasting is my favorite prep method for brussels sprouts – some salt, olive oil, and garlic, and you're good to go!
One of my favorite recipes, however, is this: http://feastandfast.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/cornmeal-masala-roasted-brussels-sprouts/
It's freaking brilliant.
Love Brussel Sprouts. Enjoy eating them any way they are prepared. Put up with the after effects later. One of my favorite foods.
Me too!!!!!!!
This is simple ignorance. The gene which causes some people to like Brussels sprouts while others hate them has been located. No amount of special cooking will make Brussels sprouts taste good to someone who has the gene. They can taste a chemical present in them which others cannot taste. Do your family a favor, and if you have family members who say they hate them while you don't understand why they would say that, realize it's like getting mad at someone for saying your socks don't match if you happen to be colorblind. They are not tasting what you taste. Serve something else.
I thought that gene was about spinach?
Steamed; then tossed with a little brown sugar, black pepper, and reduced cider vinegar; topped with cumbled bacon. Yum!
I've always loved brussels sprouts, but had only had them steamed. Recently discovered roasting them – just with olive oil and kosher salt – and they're FABULOUS!! I trim them and then roast them at 425 degrees, stirring them on the pan every 8-10 minutes, until they're dark brown to black (usually 40-50 minutes). Not bitter at all, and terrific hot or cold. The single leaves that fall off are crunchy and delicious. I make a big batch of them and then eat them like candy until they're gone; they usually don't last more than a day, and sometimes not even more than a few hours. Yum!
My niece was married to a man who fancied himself quite the chef. Every year at Christmas dinner, he made what I thought were really fabulous Brussels Sprouts.
Then they got divorced. When I told my husband and sons about the divorce, separately, I wasn't exactly expecting tears because none of them had great affection for the ex-husband. But I was surprised that all three of them had the exact same response, when I told each (separately) about the impending divorce. All three said the same exact thing, phrased exactly the same way: "Good. Now I never have to eat Brussels sprouts again."
Every time I go on a cruise I see people eating snails. That doesn't mean that I"m going to eat them. The same thing goes for Brussels Sprouts. To some folks they may be delicious but to me the nasty.
True..I love brussel sprouts, my daughter hates them. She says they taste like how dirty socks smell?|!?!
Brussel sprout in my number one favorite vegetable. Its bitter taste stimulates my appeitite _ good for the liver.
Nothing but mutant, dwarf cabbage! I don't eat them now, and I ain't eatin' 'em any time in the near future. So saute away, boys!
YOU EAT YOUR VEGIES JOHN THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
Take a perfectly good vegetable and make it a cardio-killer with all that slathered butter & cream. Heck! Em' plain and green! Yum.
I only read the panchetta and vidalia recipe as that is a typical combination for me and I wanted to see how someone else might do it. I'm very surprised by all the extra work and inneficiency this writer suggests.
I used a cast iron pan for starters. I get it extremely hot and add either bacon or salted pork belly, sliced in half Brussels and onions. I leave it alone as much as possible to really let the ingredients brown. Flip once or trice over a total of 3 minutes. Place in oven at 350 and leave alone for about 8 minutes. They are done and perfect at that point, although you can still season for taste.
One pan, easy clean up., perfect result.
julienned onions, that is.
Efficient & delicious. This is how the real world needs to cook - one pan, not to many steps. Thanks!
Now here is something a fat person would never eat.
Wanna bet? My brother-in-law cooks them by boiling them lightly in what is basically a butter sauce. I do NOT want to know how many calories is in them, but that's not going to stop me from eating them!
So, what you are saying is that he is a cow.
And you as well.
And you are an @sshole.
Red Wolf is a Marquee Blog troll. A really bad one at that. Just ignore the lame, brain dead buffoon.
I like to cut them in half and steam them; meanwhile saute some onion and diced apples; combine.
Or cut them in half, steam them, saute some onion, combine, pour in a little orange juice.
ct: I like your style, but all I need is boiled brussel sprouts, not overcooked, and I am fine. When the boiled water and the natural juices of the vegetables are combined I find it tastes kind of sweet.
Brussel Sprouts are not part of any food group. My mum made me eat one when we had them at meal times as a kid and I perfected swallowing it whole! I'm 52 now, still cann't stand the things...
THE TASTE OF THINGS COMES FROM THE RECEPTERS IN/ON THE TONGUE. SOME OF US LIKE SOUR/ACID
FOODS/DRINK OTHERS LIKE SWEET ITEMS AS IN CANDY/SUGARS. THEN THERE ARE RECEPTOR FOR SALT. AND POTATO CHIPS ARE TOPS. IT IS IN OUR DNA AND PASSED DOWN FROM PARENTS. EAT/DRINK WHAT YOU ENJOY. PLEASE DO NOT DISPARAGE SOMEONE ELSE'S TASTES/TONGUE!
Cut them in half, blanch (boil) them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then sautee them in butter. Heaven, and they're not bitter!
Even better with a bit of garlic.
Love them roasted with sliced fennel, onions, and fingerling potatoes!
I agree. It IS time to rethink them. It's time to accept that they are not, in fact, edible and stop serving them to unsuspecting guests.
I totally agree.
Brussels sprouts don't taste like food. They don't smell like food. They're not food. They're not even what food eats.
Please, rethink the Brussels sprout. Rethink it to some other category of vegetation that does not iinvolve "edible."
I think you either love them or you hate them. Apparently, it's genetic, whether you hate them or not. Your genes affect how they taste to you. I love them. I eat them almost every day. They're better fresh. Trader Joe's sells them still on the stalk sometimes. My dogs love them too. Every since I had to do the Heimlich on my dog from a brussel sprout, I cut them up for them though. They're very good for you.
ooops I meant ever since.
In the range of human cultures – there are many foods one culture doesn't identify as food and another culture can't get enough of it.
and they make you fart and belch
Not me. Unless I overdose, then I may belch so I take gas-x.
Then you've never had them properly prepared. Or you don't like any brassica.
Put them on a plate i front of me and they're gone! I love those tiny little cabbages! ;oD
we gtow them fresh here in the great san joaquin valley of california, they grow on a shrub like bush the sprouts form under the leaves just snap them off and more grow, they thrive in the hot dry summers with irrigation, abundantly fresh at the local farmers markets, delish. hi in vitamins and minerals
Use the cuisinart slicing blade to sliver them. Toss with a pinch of nutmeg, teaspoon of brown sugar, sea salt and coarse grated black pepper. Pop in a steamer and steam for about five minutes. Toss with crisp pancetta or bacon – serve. Professed Brussels Sprout haters devour these! Passed around proposed TG dinner menu last week and got five howls of protest that the above recipe was not included.
that sounds really good!!!
This reminds me of the 1960 Leave it to Beaver episode ("Beaver Won't Eat") and his resistence to eating brussel sprouts ("I don't like 'em"), and Ward telling June, "A cold brussel sprout is about as appealing as a soggy sponge"...
But, June could have solved the entire thing by taking the now-cold sprouts and melting some butter into a sauce pan, taking a few of the sprouts and cutting them in half, and heating them in butter until hot – and then melting a slice of cheddar cheese over them – Beaver would have eaten them gladly because they no longer tasted like cabbage...
That's just my opinion, but eating cold brussel sprouts is pretty grim work, for sure (lol)...
Not as good but I have done it. They're also good pickled. The Pa Dutch market sells jars of pickled brussels. you eat them cold. yum
Cover them in lemon juice. They taste better.
I said it when I was five, and I will say it over fifty years later: EW!
Brussels sprouts are fabulous.
You just have to know how to cook them.
.
I know how to cook them. I take a hint from Samuel Johnson: As he recommended for cucumbers, "they should be well-sliced, dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out." Cook them however you want, but in the end, they should be thrown out.
Wasn't it George Bush, Sr. who forbid Brussels sprouts to be served in the White House while he was President?
I think it was broccoli.
I looked it up and it was George Bush (Ronald Reagan liked mac and cheese)...
...Elder Bush hated Broccoli...
I seem to remember baby Bush not liking kale. I could be wrong. I'd have to google it I guess....ahh...just don't care enough.
GHWB. He said he didn't like broccoli, and the broccoli growers got all in a tiff about it.
Definitely love Brussel Sprouts steamed, or sauted with butter and garlic, salt, pepper. And with melted cheese they're also good. For me, brussel sprouts especially go great with a filet of salmon.
Maybe I'm opposite, but instead of brussel sprouts, I actually can't stand carrots for some reason. Never did.
I do not like baby corn they taste like dirt!
My adult children love these things, but I have never eaten them because I can't get past the smell....any suggestions? I love broccoli and cabbage...not together but you know what I mean.
What is with pushing the Brussel Sprouts? Are the grower not making enough money. Rachael Ray was cooking with them this week as was Good Morning America, and The Today Show and now CNN. I will eat them if they are being served but they are NOT in my top ten favorites. I just find it curious that they seem to be the veggie of choice this week, but WHY?
Uh, because they're in season, which means they're at their best and cheapest.
Duh! they are in season you tard!
I'm not the "tard", tis YOU since YOU have the need to be rude. I made it clear they were not my veggie of choice so I would not be keepiong track of their growing season. Grow up!.
Proof positive that people will fight over anything, even brussels sprouts.
there ok served in Brandy
I love brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and asparagus . . . and they all seem to have a similar smell when you cook them. They definitely TASTE better than they SMELL!
Yes, yes, yes, and no to asparagus. I like brussels sprouts boiled or steamed whole and served with Hollandaise sauce...
I love all that stuff! Cheese on it too! I could whip Popeye in a spinach eating contest! Um, no cheese on the spinach though. Just salt, pepper and a touch of vinegar. I eat poke the same way but with diced onions, crumbled bacon and sliced boiled eggs mixed in. Ummmm yummy!. Tastes like spinach! ;oD
Love them all, but asparagus is the only one where the smell comes back to haunt you for the next 24 hours - !
I love them steamed and pickled. I also love Claussens Deli Dill Strips...not the processed ones that are vacuum sealed. When I finish a jar of Claussens pickles I refill the jar with cooled, steamed brussels sprouts and let them marinate for about a week. Absolutely delicious. Of course I like them most any way and I expect they are a vegetable, like parsnips, that are an acquired taste. To each his own!
While I can't bear these things, my hubby loves them so I cook them for him even though I despise the way it stinks the house up. Because of that- I refer to them as his "stinky balls" and believe me, when you say "honey do you want me to cook your stinky balls for dinner?" in mixed company, it gets some weird responses.
I used to feel the same way, until I tried roasting them. It doesn't stink up the house (much) and I actually like them. You just toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them at 400 F around 45 minutes or until they start to burn just slightly on the outside leaves. An entirely different flavor.
Well Kasey, I'm actually cooking them for him tonight and will try that. You don't add garlic or onion on them, nothing like that?
Nope, they're wonderful bare. :-) My 10 year old eats them like popcorn when I fix them that way.
I usually cook them this way (though I set my oven temp to 425, but for less time, because I like them a little on the crispier side.) I add garlic as well. Try adding maple syrup sometime too, a few tablespoons full (the real stuff, not Mrs. Butterworths of course). SO good and perfect for fall.
Cut them in half and roast at a high temp with carrots, potatoes and onion after mixing all of the vegies in a little olive oil and leaf thyme – I agree, roasted they are FANtastic!
Try adding balsamic vinegar to the mix and it is totally yummy!
Too funny . . . "honey, do you want me to cook your stinky balls?" Hahaha!
Stinky balls - lol!
Reminds me of when my husband and I were in the grocery store and one of us would say, "Do we need any pooper cheese?"
Pooper cheese = American singles. So named because we often used it to give pills to our dogs (poopers).
Best use of Brussel Sprouts is fresh dug ones in a bucket thrown over the fence to the pigs. They will eat anything.
Brussel Sprouts consumption by humans is the Number ONE contributor to Global Warming. Far ts are displacing the good gases in the ozone layer. Homo sapiens are doomed.
My best recipe for brussel sprouts, I use fresh brussel sprouts only...take off the bad leaves and cut them in half. I steam them on the stove. After done I toss them with a bit of sugar! Yummy!!!! The sugar cuts the bitterness, my 2 year old even eats them!
I don't care if the chef preparing Brussels sprouts is CIA ProChef certified and trained at Le Cordon Bleu. There is no amount of persuasion or intimidation that would convince me to eat even one Brussels sprout.
Nothing is better than Brussels sprouts ... I would rather eat nothing than eat Brussels sprouts.
Love them. My favourite vegetable, eat them EVERY DAY!
Note to author: Bitter does not equal delicious. In fact it is the anti-delicious.
is this you junior?
The best and easiest way to cook Brussel Sprouts is just to fry them with a bit of olive oil, onion and some tofu bacon. Very simple but tasty!
The extreme bitterness that you taste is genetic. To lovers of them, they're not as bitter.
Eat them fresh and you'll love'em. My mom often served frozen brussels and I hated them as a child, but when fresh, they are so much better. Saute then with a little olive oil and onions, garlic and a little bacon. Awesome!
With just a tiny bit of effort, brussels sprouts can be amazingly good. I steam them and the sauté them with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. I also roast them the same way. So good.
I have a story that my daughter wrote in elementary school. The teacher asked the kids to write their likes and dislikes.
My daughter wrote that she didnt like that her parents made her eat alien heads. I got a phone call from a hysterically laughing teacher who just had to know what alien heads were. Brussel Sprouts.
What a great story! And what an imaginative daughter!
Sorry, but these little darlings should be outlawed by the Geneva Convention.
I have recently begun roasting my veggies instead of boiling them. The flavor is enhanced greatly.
Simply put your cut-up veggies in a Ziploc bag; add your favorite seasonings (sea salt, freshly-ground pepper, thyme, sage, etc etc) and a little oil of your choice. Close the bag and ensure that each piece is coated. Line a baking pan with heavy-duty foil and place the veggies on the foil. Bake at 365 degrees for about an hour, turning the veggies every 20 minutes. Place the cooked veggies on a pan lined with paper towels (to remove any excess oil; then transfer to either a bag or sealable container.
YUM-O.... I opt for this in lieu of sweet or salty snacks; and have lost 25 pounds this summer....
I melted the bag in the oven! You didn't say to take them out of the bag before placing on foil. I" try again.
I prefer to remove the sprouts from the ziploc bag before baking them.
I've been eating and enjoying Brussels sprouts since before it was cool.
After reading all these comments (those FOR and AGAINST this magic little veggie), which also included such hilarious commentary with alternative uses of these green little orbs, I found myself feeling sooo much better after laughing so hard, it was like I had eaten a plate of love, laughter, hugs, humor, sarcasm, opinion, and wisdom in just the right amounts, I am ready to face the day! I hope everyone reading this article got as much "good" from it as I did! You don't have to like brussel sprouts to love these responses! Have a great day...and eat yer veggies! Ha!
My favorite brussel sprout recipe: Put some water, brussel sprouts and mushrooms in a fry pan. When nearly done, add precooked bacon. Dribble maple syrup over everything. Finish cooking and watch the dish disappear! (I use precooked bacon to minimize the fat content, but this dish cooked in bacon fat is yummy.
Sounds good. I love brussel sprouts with a little buttler, springled with white vinegar, salt and pepper.
Send them my way. I can't even have butter or cream sauces on them, as I have allergies to casein and whey, which means no milk products for me. I just like them. Never have understood the aversion many folks have, although I recognize that tastes vary. Some EV olive oil for saute' or pop some in the steamer and top with a little margarine and Lawry's salt, and I'm good to go.
Brussels Sprouts boiled or tossed with a little oil and roasted, coated with a little margarine or butter and I'm good!
Brussels sprouts with melted Velveeta.
Even better: add bacon and leave out the sprouts. ^_^
*Thinks*
...
Nope, still awful.
I roast them at high heat, so they get a little crisp and caramelized, with bacon, balsamic sweet onions, and sometimes chestnuts.
I've tried to eat Brussels sprouts. Never could develop a taste for them. Taste buds change over time, but not for these.
When I was a kid, I loved liver. Then one day, in my teens, mom cooked up liver (with bacon and onions). My mouth was watering. I took a bite and they just stuck in my mouth. I absolutely could not stand the texture and taste. I was stricken! I loved liver! Not anymore.
Perhaps I'll try Brussell sprouts and find I like them.
Maybe.
My fav way toprepare Brussels is with fried mushrooms. Cook mushrooms in pan with some water and olive oil, allow shrooms to cook down and as water boils away they begin to brown. Then boil/steam Sprouts in pot, add butter and whole grain seasoned bread crums. Pile both shrooms and sprouts in a dish with a chunk of bread-yummmmm1.
Add onion for added flavor.
Sometimes I get such intense cravings for steamed Brussels Sprouts that I will go to the store to buy them alone. Great recipes folks! Can't wait to try them. BTW, what isle can I find manna in?
I also get cravings for steamed Brussels sprouts. I always wondered if I had a vitamin or mineral deficiency but it helps to know others share my cravings too.
mustard and brussels sprouts go hand in hand
Yes. I dip them in mustard. The dogs like that too. Cut them up with mustard and bacon is also good.
chef's chocolate salty balls
Why get fancy – just steam them for 5 minute and dirzzle some EVOO!
mmi16
I'm with you! Steamed, tossed in EVOO, add some kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Good to go.
Great with roast pork.
The kids love when I can find them on the stem. They look super in a holiday kitchen, and my they are good just steamed in the microwave.
I love brussel sprouts...always have. Sometimes I will have just brussels for supper...so good. Yum yum
Bacon makes anything taste better. Such it is with brussel sprouts. Fry them in bacon fat after cooking some bacon and add the bacon and some garlic near the end and then top with some freshly grated parmeasan. NOM NOM NOM!
Nah. That just makes the bacon taste funny.
Why bother trying to feed them to anyone? Compost them.
Brussel Sprouts are a family fav, cooked this way:
Sprinkle brown sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper into melted butter into a pan with a lid; add sliced-in-half brussel sprouts, cut side down, to the pan. Saute over medium heat for a minute or two; then add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the sprouts, sprinkle sprouts with about 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, cover and simmer for about 4 minutes or 5 minutes. Remove cover, and continue cooking until all liquid has evaporated. After liquid has evaporated, continue cooking until cut side of sprouts have caramelized. Serve.
why do most of these suggested recipes have heavy cream in them? No matter how good the brussels sprouts may be for you saturating them in the heavy cream(or butter) and over cooking them turns them into empty carbs. I know fat equals flavor, but fat also equals fat.
My three year old son calls them "Martian heads", an apt description. I loathe them, but my husband loves those green-cabbagey things.
i love them steamed but i really love them in homemade vegetable beef soup. ti take left over pot roast complete with drippings add all the veggies i want, tomato juice, salt, pepper, lawreys seasoning salt, and cook till veggies are done serve with crackers or cornbread ....yummmmmm on a cold winter day.
My favorite brussels sprouts recipe:
Put brussels sprouts in pan.
Dump pan in the garbage.
Go get a beer instead.
Not a fan at all of these things, I'd rather tee them up and smack them with my driver.
LM AO! Thank you Erik!
I love Brussels sprouts. My wife hates them. I think people’s taste buds are different. If someone doesn't like something trying to convince them it's good well, isn't going to do any good.
There are a relatively small percentage of people who try Durian fruit and think it’s good. They love it. For most of us it makes us gag. It is so foul smelling for most people that it is prohibited from being served near hotels and restaurants in Southeast Asia and yet some people say it smells and tastes good. I wonder if they like Brussels sprouts too?
It's the same thing with cilantro. To me it tastes like soap and other people think it tastes fresh and greeny (whatever that is). The phenomenon has been studied and there has been shown to be a genetic correlation. I would not be surprised if it is true for durian and brussel sprouts to given people's such strong reactions (the latter I could eat like candy I love them so much).
Yes, it actually is genetic. Google it. Genes also affect which type of perfumes you'll like. I hate cilantro but I love Brussels sprouts. Guess they're different genes.
I'm not convinced.
Reblogged this on maleamorphosis and commented:
one of my favorite vegetables...drizzled with olive oil, crushed red/black pepper and roasted in a cast iron skillet.
Favorite vegetable, hands down. Has recently dethroned asparagus in my book.
I have never liked asparagus...brussels are the best. Nothing on them.
i finally tried asparagus wrapped w/ boneless skinless chicken thighs...and was surprised how much i enjoyed making/eating them.
Love Brussel sprouts, especially steamed. Still trying to figure out the popularity of the green beans floating in mushroom soup–never going to find that on my Thanksgiving table!
Roast in olive oil in cast iron skillet. Add toasted pine nuts, currants, salt and pepper. Add some parmesan on top (although not necessary).
One of the BEST veggies dishes I have ever made.
The only real success I've ever had with Brussel Sprouts was feeding them to the residents at an assisted living facility where I was the exec. What I did was to boiled them in salted water to soften,drain them, then toss them with Rice Wine Vinegar and some sugar (or Splenda as it turned out (had a lot of diabetics)). This method took them to such a tolerable level, I was faced with multiple requests for seconds!
Pre-cook some bacon and leave the drippings in the pan. If there's more than a couple tablespoons of oil, it's ok to drain some of it off. Blanch the brussel sprouts, then slice them in half (the long way). Start browning them in the bacon fat (flat side first). Add some chopped onions. As the brussel sprouts start to get cooked all the way through, and the onions start to caramelize, flip the brussel sprouts over; add some chopped garlic (doing this late so it won't burn); pour a little balsamic vinegar in to help deglaze the pan; give a good dose of freshly cracked black pepper, and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
I dont like eating Brussels Sprouts, by themselves, just like nobody likes to eat things like tomatoes, squash & onions BY THEMSELVES! Brussels sprouts has to go with a mix of things. Fry em up with BACON! :-D
It is truly a nightmare food. To be honest no matter how you prepare these sprouts and no matter how talented the chef working is, it will always just be "lipstick on a pig"
Some things cannot be made appealing and Brussels sprouts are one of them.
Some people actually like the taste and texture of brussel sprouts, there's a reason it's a relatively known commodity to begin with.
It's genetic
Just about my favorite veggie, certainly one I eat the most of... Typically I steam them, and I love to roast 'em. And I rarely season them at all; I just eat them "as is."
Yumsters!
nastyazz weed!
love brussel sprouts. I have them several times a week.
slice in half and brown in a pan(flat side down) with a little bit of olive oil. throw them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 mts. depends on how crunchy you like them. take them out and toss with some seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) and a little sea salt and cayenne pepper. Yummmmmmm
Keep it simple: just steam them and eat them. They are so tasty. If you need to convince people just roast them with some bacon or proscuitto. Don't over-think it.
Despite this entire article, there are still a plethora of better things to cook and eat. Why work so hard to make something palatable when there are so many things which require little to no effort? Is it just the challenge factor? Should we be trying to find ways to make poop taste great? Brussels sprouts suck.
You must not have read the other posts. Brussels sprouts need very little effort cook into a tasty dish. Vile is your opinion.
The "Leave it to Beaver" episode where Beaver wouldn't eat Brussels sprouts was on today. How appropriate.
never boil.
steam with some pepper. fantastic and almost the peak of its nutrients
saute with some butter, pepper, garlic, shallot, mushroom and you are in heaven.
add to a little balsamic glaze and you should be getting some head from a hot piece at the same time
The article does not suggest boiling them, it suggests blanching them. Big difference.
I am saying not to boil. I know many people who boil. stop waiting to correct everyone. You do not know everything
Even my cat likes Brussel sprouts, then again the big freak will cry and beg for Asperagus.
Wow, I can't imagine the smell of the litter box after a cat has asparagus!!
A little Bacon, onion and brown sugar and anybody will like these guys!
Bacon, onion and brown sugar on a shoelace would taste good. That's the point. Even the heading on this article acknowledges that brussel sprouts are not very liked.
Well yes, but that is how you get people to try them. Then they might try it another way after.
Brussels sprouts with an oil and balsamic vinegar dressing are excellent.
LOVE brussell sprouts! My mother used to boil them and make a white sauce.Yum! I microwave them in a little water until tender then saute them in olive oil, fresh garlic,salt n pepper.I've even got my husband to eat them! Yey
I pre steam them for a few minutes, put into a casserole dish, cover with a white sauce, cheese( any kind I have on hand) any spices I want, and a few bread crumbs, then bake until it all thickens up a bit. Delicious ! The white sauce makes the dish.!
Sorry. I've tried these nasty little thing prepared 100 different ways. They are vile. Period. They only thing worse is cauliflower. Nasty. That said, if I know someone will be at dinner who loves them, I will prepare them. The things I will do for friends.....
Brussels sprouts are considered a delicacy in my native India. My Uncle would go off to some far-off market in the boondocks to get us Brussels sprouts when we visited him. I still can't resist them. My wife just steams them with some butter or stir fries them with some spices and grated coconut. mmmm mmmm.
I have to admit that I have tried and tried, but this is one vegetable I can't grovoe on. Even though I'm a picky eater, I will state for the record that I did give this my best shot.I think you have a creative recipe here though. I have never seen anyone make them with beer. I see mostly things like balsamic vinegar and pancetta. I will definitely pass this idea on to my brussels sprouts-loving friends and family.
I slice them and put them in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
in milk is good :)
I roast mine in the oven. The crispy brown parts taste like potato chips.
The secret to cooking brussel sprouts is to undercook them. Only boil them in water for about 1-2 minutes while they maintain a green shine. The yucky flavor is mainly caused by being overcooked and mushy.
The secret to cooking brussels sprouts is to replace them with bacon.
lol. As much as that response made me laugh, I confess that I do like a plate of steamed BS.
My mum still remarks what a strange child I was–ate mashed Brussels sprouts when I was still in the high chair and mashed carrots and turnips too. Both are a Christmas fixture in Australia (if we have a hot meal–it can be over 100F Christmas Day though, so salad and cold seafood are often the choice). Recipes above are a bit disappointing–loads of cream and bacon etc. Anyone got some good recipes that are also calorie conscious?
Quarter your sprouts. Roll them in a tiny bit of olive oil and, if you want, sprinkle with a dash of salt. Roast them in the oven. I like mine with a little chipotle chili sauce. Mmm.
Toast roughly chpped pecans in a non-stick, dry pan.
Slice spouts like slaw, thinly.
Do a circle of olive oil on the pecans, medium heat.
Add sprouts, dried cranberries, S&P to taste.
'Stir-fry' to desired doneness, slightly limp, not all the way through, maybe 5-6 minutes. Yum.
I am a fan of the Brussel sprout. They can take a bit of getting used to, but if cooked right they are wonderful. You guys who aren't fans, try the Green Giant ones in the sauce. I know, they're high calorie but you'll get a taste of some that aren't as bitter if you're not familiar with cooking them yourself.
LOL yeah the green giant ones are decent, and the butter sauce has very little calories or fat really and tastes mostly like butter.
Best Bruss. Sprout recipe evah: Cut in half, coat with olive oil. Brown the faces in a frying or saute pan over medium+ heat till as dark as you like. Reduce the heat and add a small amount of water and cover and shake to steam them for 3-5 minutes like pot stickers. Then uncover, add low sodium soy sauce (~1/8 cup) (and maybe some Mirin to sweeten a bit) and increase the heat again, .Toss in some crispy browned garlic bits, stir and cook most of the liquid off. Even most h8rs like em then.
This is more like it–sound super tasty and low fat too
When do you add the Twinkies? (sorry, another article)
Your recipe sounds very good. Will give it a try.
Excellent. Will try this for the holidays!
Sautee some onions in EVOO, add the sprouts and some pepperoni – yes! pepperoni! Cook until sprouts are tender and the pepperoni is crisp.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil...for those of you that, like me, had to look it up.
I went to a fall wedding where the flowers and other decorations were gathered at a really nice farmer's market. Someone had picked up a stalk of sprouts maybe 3 feet long, I had no idea what they looked like "on the vine". After the wedding there were so many leftovers for everyone; we grabbed the fresh sprouts. They were delicious, almost a new experience!
http://shescookin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Brussel-Sprouts11.jpg
Imagine all the people discussing Brussels sprouts from all over the world. How Emersonian. How Stevens. The Emperor of Ice Cream.
My kids love Brussels Sprouts, as my husband and I. The way that I make them is I steam them, fry up some bacon with onion and garlic. add the brussels with salt and pepper and a little sugar for carmelization. let cook/saute until everything is blended. about 10 min. If they are whole little ones, you will need more time, than if they are halfed. Sorry, I can give exact amounts, an approximation would be 3lbs of brussels to 1/2 lb bacon pieces.
We sauté them with white vine vinegar, a little oil, salt, pepper, chestnuts. What a nice dish, chestnuts not required. My opinion is to count calories, eat good stuff and enjoyable stuff. These little green balls grew on me over many years.
Brussels sprouts are da bomb simply boiled for a few minutes and buttered. can't imagine why anyone would hate them, but several friends do.
I hate 'em, my husband loves 'em. Perhaps with these recipes I'll try them again...
Same here. Husband loves them. His mother (from Austria) does too and calls them baby cabbages. I try one every year and think they taste and smell like boiled cigarettes even though I enjoy most vegetables. I'm wondering if there is a gene where brussel sprouts taste bitter to some people and not to others? I will have to give one of these recipes a go to see if I can be brought over to the greener side.
You can't boil them, you have to saute or roast in the oven w/ olive oil, herbs and top with lemon juice and balsamic and they transform into a delightfully wonderful and very different experience.
Yes, there is such a gene. Actually from what I've read, you have an extra copy of a taste receptor gene, which allows you to taste a chemical other people can't taste. It's not the cooking method, and neither you nor the other people are crazy, it's just that you are having two different experiences.
Both my husband and I love Brussels sprouts and even more since we found Brussels sprouts on the stalk at Trader Joes. My husband blanched them and then we froze them in individual servings for 2 and microwave them just 2 minutes and they were without a double the best and fresher tasting Brussels sprouts we have ever eaten. We plan to go back to Trader Joes and buy more while they have them and enjoy the taste of the freshest tasting sprouts we have ever eaten in our long live.
OMG I have eaten Brussel Sprouts since I was a little girl and
still love them. Mom always steamed her's then melted butter poured over them the grated fresh nutmeg. Best thing in the world
Steamed? I tried to p!ss 'em off and could only manage to get them frustrated.
I do not care if God Himself prepared them with manna. I HATE brussel sprouts. I dislike those who say,"oh,you have never had them THIS way". Why can't people simply accept some of us dislike the nasty little things?
Possibly because you insist on calling them "nasty little things". You're dislike does not make them bad, just as my liking them without any special preparation doesn't make them great.
As an independet arbiter, I declare KRCARSON to be the winner of this debate.
Nasty little cabbages. Yuck.
My kids love the way I make them. Slice thinly, Sautee some garlic in olive oil, add the sprouts, don't over cook, let them stay a bit crunchy, add some poppy seed and lemon juice. Salt and pepper. Delicious side dish, my kids always ask for seconds.
wow I have to try that. Thanks.
You're welcome. Enjoy!
Agreed. Even I would thy that and I find them detestable.
I have one thing to add with regard to Brussels sprouts – pickled.
I really like brussel sprouts, but have never heard of them pickled! Sounds good...have to look them up!
Pickled brussel sprouts are the most delicious thing ever. Better than pickles!!
NO DOUBT! I would TOTALLY have to be pickled to put one of those horrid things in my mouth!
That's what she said. Pity.
They are great dipped in melted butter.
What isn't great dipped in melted butter? :) I like to slice them in half and brown in butter (open side down), then add a little water to the pan, cover and allow to steam. Blanching is my new fav.. green beans blanched and then roasted in oven at 400 with lots of garlic – Yum!
There is a genetic thing about Brussels sprouts (and cauliflower ) like the ability to enjoy cilantro/coriander. I can't stand Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, though I do like cabbage and cilantro. My dad can't stand cilantro, he says it tastes like soap, but he does like Brussels sprouts. I've had Brussels sprouts cooked by a master chef in San Francisco, cooked with bacon and charred barely on the edges, just barely crunchy yet softened, and yet I couldn't swallow more than a bite, though I should have been able to wolf it down. Not his fault, it's my DNA.
huh, that's odd but it's true for me. I hate cilantro it tastes like soap to me as well, but actually have cravings for brussel sprouts upon ocassion and I will go and buy a bag of frozen sprouts and heat them up and eat them (only them) for supper. Interesting.
Breading and deep frying works for most anything
Bacon doesn't hurt much anything either.
"The tiny green orbs cause such visceral reactions among some eaters that you'd think a plate of rotten eggs and moldy bread was in front of them."
Unfortunately, the way my mother cooked them (sorry, Mom!), that was how they smelled and looked by the time they reached the table. Fortunately, I have learned better cooking methods and now love them.
Shut up. I like Brussels sprouts and I don't need anybody talking them, and the price of them, up. TYVM.
They're a great Thanksgiving side dish. And they taste fantastic with almonds, pecans, or most other kind of nuts.
Great article.
The best part is that there are always plenty of leftovers.
I roast them in the over, and then, while they are hot, I roll them around in a bowl with a little butter, salt and pepper. Then I open the trash can and throw them in because I cannot stand Brussels sprouts.
That sounds like a lot of work. Why not skip the rolling around in butter stage to save time? You could roast them and then go straight to tossing them in the trash.
you should try the oven. they might taste better.
Yes, I caught my typo just too late :(
You can toss them in my belly! I love those little emerald jewels!
Yes pass them little cabbage patch babies for ma belly!
I laughed so hard at your comment my dog jumped up and started to bark at me. Very nicely done.
Ben, my hubby looked at me funny when I LOL'd.
Paulse, I'm with you!
“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” — Groucho Marx (Until I read your fine use of paraprosdokia !!) Great !! I laughed so very very hard....thanks...
Steam em, roll in butter and then in toasted breadcrumbs... MMMM. People keep asking me to make them this way.
make them this way. Please!
What's use of eating green veggies if you are going to add the calories and fat to make them as unhealthy as anything else?
Just vinegar, salt, and pepper for me.
if you put a 1/2 tablepsoon of butter over them when they are sauteeing, how is that making them as "unhelathy as anything else"? thats nothing compared to "anything else" and it addds flavor.
There are many alternatives to fat, in fact in large fat is misunderstood. I teaspoon of bacon grease will cook that which would take 1/2 cup of canola oil, 1 cup of veg oil. When you break down the elements of Sat fat, and fat to the 1 tablespoon vs 1/2 cup or 1 cup of the alternative cooking oils, you would find that natural fat is much better for you. The benefits of flavor and flash point is tremendous.
I do understand that you prefer a clean touch, unaltered flavor, however this many times removes more vitamin content, and fiber than that which is braise or sauteed.
Chef Shae, CC, MSRD
Culinary Institute of America
Le Cordon Bleu
Register Dietitian
i love you Chef!
So boiling causes loss of nutrients? I could believe that. I don't use grease our oil so maybe it will even out for me health wise.
My mother used to put Hollandaise sauce over them. Didn't help much. If Beaver Cleaver can eat them, so can you.
Steamed, put a little butter, salt, pepper on them... easier than all this, and totally yummy.
I don't see what the big deal is. Brussel sprouts are just fine. Toss a little seasoning on them, pop 'em in the oven. Good stuff.
Better than the slop you can scoop from the bottom of the local restaurant's dumpster.
They are on my list of Cannot Stomach foods. My wife LOVES them though, so we are good to go.
NO ONE scoops slop from restaurant dumpsters! Nitwit!
Many people do not, but I LOOOOOOVES me some brussel sprouts. Probably my favorite vegetable.