I like Brussels Sprouts, and recently this little fun fact has evolved from the endearing quirk zone to “I wonder when Laura will stop telling me about Brussels Sprouts because this is getting pretty weird” territory.
It might be more accurate, in other words, to say I love Brussels Sprouts.
It all started when I was tasked with eating more veggies by my doc, after seeing some unfortunate blood test numbers produced by yours truly. I’ve always considered myself to be a healthy eater, but the plain fact was that for most of my twenties and well into my thirties, I did not prioritize vegetables in my diet as much as I should have. You know how it is, salads get boring. Sometimes you just need something meatier to bite into. Something with some heft.
Enter the Sprouts of Wonder.
I first had deliciously prepared Brussels Sprouts at the new restaurant in Lambeau Field, 1919, in Green Bay, Wisconsin last year. I had another version of yummy Sprouts again at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at Universal’s City Walk in Orlando a bit later (yes, my restaurant-going habits are pretty weird, too, but that’s another post). Both times, the veggie seemed to have been roasted, so I decided to figure out how recreate the deliciousness at home.
I now eat The Sprouts at least twice a week and can’t get enough. After some experiments, here is the recipe I devised:
Ingredients
1 bag of Brussels Sprouts
1 T. olive oil
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. dried parsley
2 T. butter or margarine
½ cup shredded Parmesan
Directions:
Cut the bottom woody part off of each individual sprout and discard. Then, cut each sprout length-wise and again, so it is in long quarters. When you’ve properly cut all your sprouts, place them into a Ziploc bag (or just use the bag they came in from the store). Pour in the oil, vinegar, garlic salt, pepper, and parsley. Spend a good two minutes rolling the bag around in your hands, making sure each sprout is covered in the mixture. It’s good if pieces of the sprouts start flaking off.
You can either place the bag in your refrigerator and cook later, or immediately pour everything into two glass pie plates. Take a moment to make sure the center of each quartered sprout is facing up. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and place your pie plates inside to cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes (sprouts should just be starting to look golden), remove them from the oven and use a fork to stir the veggies around and flip them over. You don’t have to be too careful, just mix them all up so they roast thoroughly and brown evenly.
Place the sprouts back into the oven and cook for another 10-15 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, there should be some crisped areas, some golden-brown areas, and some deep green. Leave them on the stove top to cool for about five minutes, then pour everything to a big bowl. Add the butter and Parmesan, and eat up. YUM.
Hello, Lovers!