Like most children, I grew up with a strong dislike for Brussels sprouts. My first memorable encounter with the bitter vegetable came when my mother tried to convince older brother and me these foreign objects on our plates were merely mini lettuces. Forks down, shaking our heads in disdain after one sample, thinking, how dare she try and fool us?!? We are kids, not morons! Of course, my mother was merely trying to feed her children a healthy home cooked meal using vegetables from her carefully cultivated garden (move to Austin anytime Mom!). More details [expand title= Here]

             Regardless, Brussels sprouts were now firmly on the ‘do not eat that’ list. Fast forward a few years to my grandmother’s kitchen where once again I unsuspectingly ate the dreaded ‘mini lettuces’, this time to different results. Once she explained what I had just devoured, shredded Brussels sprouts leaves topped with beet greens, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed the dish. Granted, I love just about anything in her kitchen, so the experience had to be a fluke.

                With most Austin restaurants committed to using seasonal, sustainable produce, Brussels sprouts have made quite the comeback and hence, very hard to avoid. I have since found myself actually enjoying these once loathed vegetables. However, since most restaurant versions, example here, come with ample amounts of bacon, butter and other sinful flavors, it’s hard to determine if what I actually enjoy on the plate. 

                In all my years of cooking, I have never experimented with Brussels sprouts for obvious reasons. However, with the very welcomed fall season finally here, what better time to experiment. As an accompaniment to toasted butternut squash ravioli, recipe here, I would serve roasted Brussels sprouts with parmesan cheese and cranberries. My guest for the evening is a Brussels sprout fanatic so she would make for a fitting test audience. However, she is also a vegetarian, and I was without a bacon crutch to rely on. Additionally, I try to limit the amount of butters and oils I use cooking, especially during the week. The results of my first attempt showed a promising recipe with a few lessons learned.  First, I would highly recommend soaking the Brussels sprouts in water or broth before roasting to prevent them from drying out, especially if you are not adding much fat. Secondly, I wanted to recreate my grandmother’s technique of separating the leaves. I used a food processor to chop some, but hand hacked others. The processor delivered too finely chopped leaves even with just a couple of pulses which cooked too quickly. Recipe below, with my adjustments included. Feel free to share your tips as well! [/expand]

Served alongside butternut squash ravioli, recipe here.

Continue reading Recipe File: Brussels Sprouts w/Parmesan & Cranberries