Brussel Sprouts Recipes

These two brussel sprouts recipes are each quite different, so hopefully one or the other will please your family. These tiny cabbage cousins don't always enjoy the best reputation -- perhaps it's the sulphurous odor as they're cooking -- but they are nutrition packed and make a very satisfying vegetable side dish.

Brussel Sprout Nutrition

• Brussel sprouts recipes are good sources of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
• They also contain a quite a bit of potassium and folic acid, as well as fiber.
• Calories, of course, are not much of a concern: about 35 for a 1/2 cup serving.
• B sprouts, like cabbage, are praised by nutritionists for their cancer fighting properties.

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Are you pressed for time and depriving yourself of the goodness of simple foods like brussel sprouts? You may find that the convenience of an electric steamer is just the push you need to get you back on track with your vegetable eating. No need to follow a brussel sprouts recipe to enjoy them or most any vegetable - a quick steam and a pat of butter are all they really need. The rest is just for fun you know!


Oster Electronic Food Steamer

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How to Cook Brussel Sprouts

You may find brussel sprouts available year round but they are at the peek of their growing season in the fall. Here's some tips for preparing your brussel sprouts recipes:

• Look for fresh, vibrantly green sprouts. Avoid those with brown spots, yellow leaves, or that have a strong odor.
• Store them unwashed in the vegetable bin in your refrigerator in an airtight plastic bag. They'll be fresh for about three days like that.
• To prepare, cut the stem off of the sprout, but not so short that the leaves fall off. Remove any yellowed or dried leaves.
• To clean them, submerge the brussel sprouts in vinegar water to eliminate any insects that might be lurking in the leaves. Rinse abundantly with clean water.
• To make them more easily digested (some people complain that brussel sprouts give them gas or a bloated feeling), blanche the brussel sprouts by placing in boiling water for several minutes, discard the water, rinse the sprouts in cold water, and then cook them according to your brussel sprouts recipe.
• To get them to cook more uniformly you can cut an x in the bottom of the sprouts, or if they are large, cut them in two.
• Brussel sprouts can be steamed, boiled or braised. They are done when you can poke a fork through them. They should still be a lively green color -- if they've turned army green, you've gone too far.

Here's a stick to your ribs side dish. Serve it with oven roasted chicken smeared with honey and mustard for a great taste combination.

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• 1 pound brussel sprouts, trimmed and cleaned
• 6 ounces bacon, cut in small strips
• 1 cup canned chestnuts, cut in halves or quarters
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper

Cook the brussel sprouts using your favorite method. I just boiled them for about 12 minutes in salt water. Rinse and cut the sprouts in two.

Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the brussel sprouts and chestnuts and continue cooking until the bacon is cooked through and the sprouts are slightly browned.

Makes 4 servings.

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• 1 pound brussel sprouts, end trimmed and cleaned
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon minced flat-leaved parsley
• salt and pepper

Prepare a vinaigrette with the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook the brussel sprouts using your favorite method. Once again I just boiled them for about 12 minutes in salt water.

Drain the sprouts and put them in a salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette on top and mix to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

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