Vegetable of the Month

You've waited so long!  What will it be, what will it be?????

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!!

Yes, all that time that your grandma tried to convince you to eat Brussels sprouts was actually for your own good after all.  These little gems are the buds of a type of cabbage, which is why they look like itsy bitsy cabbages too!  They are a member of the Brassica family of plants, which are known for having very highly healthful qualities (including high antioxidant content, fibre content, and folate).  Other Brassica cousins include broccoli, bok choy, kale, other cabbages, and collard greens.  Many Brassica plants contain compounds believed to have anti-cancer properties, such as sulforaphane.  In addition to these chemical compounds though, the other characteristics of these veggies (fibre, antioxidant compounds, etc) also contribute to their disease-preventing nature!

Healthy or not, I hate Brussels sprouts, and you can't convince me otherwise!

Oh yeah?  Get this -- per 76g, or 4 Brussels sprouts (only 4!!!), the Canadian Nutrient File found:

• 33 calories!
• 3 grams of fibre
• 2.5 grams of protein
• About 6% of a female's daily iron needs (13% for men)
• 11% of your daily folate needs
• A whopping 70 (male) to 80% (female) of your Vitamin C needs!!!
• A humongous 112 (male) to 149% (female) of your Vitamin K needs O_O!!

Woweeee!

Grandma always served boiled mushy nasty sprouts, and they were disgusting!

Luckily for you, there are lots of ways that you can use Brussels sprouts that will taste much better than the boiled mush that you might have been subjected to as a kid. When they are overcooked, Brussels sprouts turn a kind of grey colour and develop a very strong, unpleasant taste.  Avoid this with these tips!

To prep your sprouts, trim off the ends and remove the outer leaves (they'll probably fall off when you trim anyway).  Give them a wash and pick off any other leaves that look unpleasant.  Then, you have options:

• Boiling - sure, but why?  In addition to tasting mushy if you overcook them, boiling may also reduce the nutritive quality of your Brussels sprouts.  In particular, sulforaphane (that anti-cancer compount mentioned above) tends to be lost with boiling.
• Steaming - Again be wary of overcooking to prevent mushiness, but luckily, the nutritive quality of sprouts remains when they are steamed instead of boiled!  I like to cut them in half and steam until just fork tender.  Top with a little salt and pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Roasting - Best way, in my opinion, to cook a Brussels sprout.  Cut your sprouts in half, and toss in a bowl with oil (olive, canola, whatev), a touch of salt and pepper, and maybe another spice if you want to mix it up a bit (e.g. curry powder, nutmeg, or cumin).  Toss in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then shakes them up to flip around.  Depending on how well-cooked you like them and the size of your sprouts, leave them in for another 5-10 minutes. They should come out with golden brown bits, but not to the point of being burnt (because they get dry, though nice and crunchy).  Excellent as a side dish, or as part of a recipe (like the one below!)
• Stir-frying/sauteeing - Once again, nutritional quality is not lost in this method.  You can sautee your sprouts the same way you would with any other veggie (cut in half or quarters), or make it extra delicious by adding some garlic and/or onions. 

 Very well, I'll try them.  But they'd better be delicious.

Excellent!  Here's one of my faves, a Brussels sprouts salad that I made up after adapting from a Weight Watchers cookbook recipe.

Serves 4

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts (about 4 cups), roasted (as described above)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1/2 - 1tsp dried thyme, or 1Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt
• sprinkle of lemon zest (1-2 tsp)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot, garlic and thyme, cook while stirring constantly till the shallot is softened (about 2 minutes).  Add the grapes and keep cooking till softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the brussels sprouts, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar and salt.  Cook and stir till chickpeas are warmed through, about 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon zest.  

You're done!

Other options: this recipe originally called for steamed Brussels sprouts (but at the time that I made it, I didn't have a steamer basket, so I improvised), and 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (again, didn't have it, improvised).  This dish also tastes awesome as cold leftovers for lunch.

Do you have an idea for a future veggie of the month?  Leave a comment!