The Rehabilitation of Brussels Sprouts

If ever a vegetable needed a public relations makeover, it would be the Brussels sprout. Just do a quick online search for Brussels sprout and you see comments like “Yuck!” “I hate them!” “Taste like punishment!” and “Soft, mushy and yucky – no thanks!”

On top of that, people can’t even agree on the name. Is it ‘Brussels sprouts’ or ‘Brussel sprouts’? (It’s named after the Belgian city of Brussels, which has an “s” on the end. The correct spelling is “Brussels sprouts.”)

To help rectify this, I offer the top 3 things Brussels sprouts need to do to up their game a little.

1. Change their name to something more contemporary. I suggest B-Sprou.
2. Go to Las Vegas and get married. Two days later get divorced. Deny the whole thing happened.
3. Cancel all menu appearances for a month due to exhaustion.

It’s really too bad that people don’t enjoy Brussels sprouts more. They are low in calories, and loaded with vitamin A, folacin, potassium, calcium, and fiber. All they need to do is find a way onto your plate.

To that end, let’s blow up traditional ways of cooking them. Instead of boiling, let’s try something new – like roasting. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the sprout, and may have people re-thinking their past experiences with these healthy little green guys.
 

Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
Buttery spray
Pam^®

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch (or larger) baking sheet with Pam.
Note: You may want to line your baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.

Remove any yellow or brown outer leaves on the Brussels sprouts.
Cut off the stems and cut in half.

In a large bowl, spray the Brussels sprouts with buttery spray, and toss the sprouts, salt and pepper together. Once coated, spread them out on the baking sheet to roast, cut side down.
Place the baking sheet in the oven on the center rack.

After 15-20 minutes, stir the Brussels sprouts to even out the browning.
Continue to roast them for about 30-35 minutes total, or until they are fork tender.

Toss the roasted Brussels sprouts with the sugar-free maple syrup.

One final note: I served this to my extended family last year for Thanksgiving. Several weeks later, I got a 4-page letter from my 7-year-old granddaughter. It was full of drawings, misspellings, and erasures (in other words, adorable). It said in part, “Can you serve your Brussels sprouts again I like them”. Hurrah! I just found a way to get my Granddaughter to eat Brussels sprouts.
 

by KeithVanGasken on 01/03/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, Recipes, Diet Tools