{"id":210,"date":"2010-05-20T07:20:30","date_gmt":"2010-05-20T14:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiddy.wordpress.com\/?p=210"},"modified":"2010-05-20T07:20:30","modified_gmt":"2010-05-20T14:20:30","slug":"brussels-sprouts-dont-be-a-hater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=210","title":{"rendered":"Brussels Sprouts – Don't be a hater…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels Sprout, Brussels Sprouts, Brussel Sprouts – whatever floats your boat. I’m going with “Brussels Sprouts” because it seems most popular.<\/p>\n

If you have never tried brussels sprouts and think you might want to, \u00a0I’d go with “roasted” as your first introduction. For years I feared brussels sprouts. I never touched them because my Dad put the hate on them from childhood on. I’ve talked to several people who also dislike brussels sprouts and it seems that all of them have only had frozen or steamed versions. I can understand how that might be the issue. My guess is over-cooking and texture is part of the problem.<\/p>\n

My first attempt at cooking brussels sprouts was to roast them. I picked up a tray of fresh\/pre-cut at Trader Joe’s. \u00a0I did a quick Internet search on the iPad and came up with a cooking time of 400 degrees for 40 minutes. No problem – I coated them in extra virgin olive oil, added salt and put them on a cookie sheet in the oven to roast.<\/p>\n

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I only turned them once during the 40 minute cook time. The outer leaves turned a beautiful amber\/brown color and were crispy, while the insides were soft with a slight crunch. I highly recommend this method.<\/p>\n

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Since then, I’ve purchased whole brussels sprouts at the farmer’s market and done the same thing. \u00a0I have yet to get one of the prehistoric looking brussels stalks – but now I think I’d be comfortable doing so – maybe when they are back in season.<\/p>\n

I’ve roasted\u00a0sprouts 4-5 times and was on the search for another recipe. I looked online and found a recipe for tofu, apples and brussels sprouts. I tweaked it a lot – got rid of the tofu option, added bacon, LOL – and\u00a0caramelized\u00a0shallots. So I’m calling it <\/strong>Shredded Brussels Sprouts Stir Fry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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10-12 Brussels Sprouts – Cut into ribbons
\n4 Shallots – Thinly sliced
\n2 Garlic Cloves – Smashed
\n1 Fuji Apple – Cut into bite sized chunks
\n4 Slices Applewood Smoked Bacon – Cut into small pieces
\n1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
\n1\/4 cup Toasted Pine nuts – Pictured below
\nSalt and Ground Pepper to Taste
\nA Few Splashes of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – not pictured – used in the pan with the shredded sprouts<\/p>\n

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I prepped stuff while my bacon and apples started in two different pans…<\/p>\n

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I swear there actually was some precision with the bacon cutting – hah!<\/p>\n

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This might seem weird, but I added the garlic and maple syrup in with the apples – I actually grabbed one during the cooking process and it was delicious. \u00a0The apples only took about 5 minutes. I set them aside and focused on the bacon.\u00a0Once the bacon was done, I set it aside. I then drained off the majority of the fat from the pan. I left a tiny bit in the pan and added the shallots – the house smelled amazing.<\/p>\n

While those were cooking, I used a single splash of EVOO in another pan and added the chopped brussels sprouts. I contemplated more bacon fat, but could feel my arteries clogging.<\/p>\n

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I left the brussels sprouts in the pan without stirring for a good 5 minutes. This allowed them to caramalize a bit on one side. You want them to turn golden to amber in color on the ribbon edges. As they were cooking – the shallots\u00a0were also finishing up. I then removed the shallots\u00a0and threw\u00a0the pine nuts into the shallot\u00a0pan for a few minutes. I should point out that pine nuts are CRAZY expensive. I got them out of one of the bins at the fancy market and they were $37.00\/lb. Wow, \u00a0I had no idea that pine nuts were that expensive. I’ve since seen them online for close to $50\/lb. and as low at $16\/lb. I bought $3.00 worth because I’m a baller like that.<\/p>\n

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Had to take a photo of my \u00fcber expensive pine nuts<\/p>\n

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Everything finished cooking around the same time. I added the onions and nuts to the brussels sprouts, then I added the apples and bacon. I tossed everything, added some ground pepper – a pinch of salt and transferred everything into its party dress<\/span>\u00a0serving bowl\u00a0for the photo shoot.<\/p>\n

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This bowl is actually fairly small – the entire batch made about 3 servings.<\/p>\n

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I can’t even describe how much I loved this dish! I loved it so much, I didn’t even mind my wreck of a kitchen. It’s not a normal thing for me to use 3 pans, 5 bowls, etc. for one dish.<\/p>\n

If you haven’t ventured into “Brussels Sprouts” land – I recommend giving it a go.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brussels Sprout, Brussels Sprouts, Brussel Sprouts – whatever floats your boat. I’m going with “Brussels Sprouts” because it seems most popular. If you have never tried brussels sprouts and think you might want to, \u00a0I’d go with “roasted” as your first introduction. For years I feared brussels sprouts. I never touched them because my Dad … <\/p>\n

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