Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Mark vs. The Brussel Sprouts


Since September, I have introduced Mark to so many rare bites. Tabbouleh, quinoa, kale, fennel, Panna Cotta, basil ice cream and the list goes on. When it comes to food, there was nothing that I made that Mark honestly didn't enjoy. That was, until, I made him brussel sprouts. I had high hopes that preparing them ever so carefully and seasoning them up with love would make for an enjoyable side dish one night but after one bite, it just wasn't working for him. I am probably in the minority but I absolutely LOVE fresh brussel sprouts. Roasted, sauteed, baked in a gratin...we didn't get along when I was a child but as my palate over the years, I discovered when cooked with a little pizazz, those little sprouts were not so bad. After my failed attempt to make Mark's taste buds fall in love, I put a kabosh on brussel sprouts and just purposefully left them off of our menu.

Fast forward to last week, as I was browsing through recipes, and came across a tasty looking recipe for brussel sprouts and I just had to have them. I sauteed up some veggies for Mark and made this recipe for myself. Well, by the time dinner was over, I think he stole more sprouts off of my plate than I got to enjoy myself! Since I was deprived of satisfying my brussel sprout craving last week, I squeezed them into our menu this week and even made a few extra. The dijon mustard adds nice flavor and lemon always brightens things up! Cook them shorter to keep them crunchy, or roast them a bit longer for a crispy finish. Either way, this recipe is quick, healthy and can turn any vegetable loather into President of the Brussel Sprout Fan Club! Food lesson of the week? Every bite deserves a second chance, and the brussel sprouts won the battle in our house.

Roasted Dijon Brussel Sprouts
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb brussel sprouts, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt & Pepper

Wash the sprouts, cut off the ends, and peel off the outer leaves. Cut them in half and place in a small baking disk. Whisk together olive oil and mustard and pour over the sprouts, and zest an entire lemon right over the dish. Season with pepper and very little salt (the mustard adds extra flavor) and toss together to make sure all of the brussel sprouts are coated. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done to your likeness. We like them crispy, so 40 minutes is perfection.

3 comments:

  1. just made me and T some brussel sprout the other night! We must try this out next! :) glad mm gave them another chance :) he's a good egg

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  2. I absolutely love all vegetable but I too have never been a big fan of brussel sprouts but if this recipe made Mark a believer than I need to give them another chance! :)

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