Three ways with Brussels sprouts

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awards, brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts fritters, brussels sprouts recipes, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

I’ve eaten Brussels sprouts maybe twice in my life, or thrice (is that still a word?). Okay, honestly, in all likelihood, I’ve probably eaten them more times than that, but I was just trying to stress how infrequently Brussels sprouts figure in my diet. Plus I wanted to say thrice.

Why I never thought about cooking and serving Brussels sprouts, I have no idea. It’s not like me to ignore cute, baby cabbages. Cute babies usually have a way of attracting my attention. Brussels sprouts, however, didn’t exactly pique my interest. My thought on them ran like this,”These are not as good as cabbage, these are bitter, and I wouldn’t know what to do with them.” Along those lines, pretty much.

But they’re everywhere right now, and I see that every blogger has done at least a recipe or two featuring them. A quick online research also reveals that they’re highly nutritional, more so than cabbage. In short, it’s time for me to put aside old, unfounded perceptions about the vegetable, and rise up to the challenge. Of coming up with clever ways to serve Brussels sprouts that the family, specifically the children, will appreciate.

Remember my motto? When in doubt, always baconize or fritterize. Well, apparently, I’ve found a third way. Thoranize. Let me show you.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
5 strips of bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup light cream or half & half
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

1. Blanch Brussels sprouts in boiling water briefly, drain, set aside. This is an optional step. I was just trying to make the dish more son-friendly.
2. Cut bacon into small pieces, then fry until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant, add sprouts, salt & pepper, and cook until Brussels sprouts are tender. If you didn’t blanch the sprouts, you may need to add a little water/stock.
4. Add bacon pieces, cream, and stir to mix.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese.
6. Served with spaghetti or any pasta.

Brussels Sprouts Fritters
Follow the recipe for Onion Bhajis to make these. In place of the onions, use a mix of shredded Brussels sprouts and some chopped onion.

Brussels Sprouts Thoran
Cut the sprouts into quarters, and blanch them briefly. Then, follow my recipe for Turnip Leaves Thoran. I still think this is one of the most interesting and delicious ways of preparing vegetables. I would wager that very few vegetables wouldn’t improve served this way.

So there you have it, folks, the baconized, fritterized, and thoranized Brussels sprouts. All are worthy of being repeated at least thrice while Brussels sprouts are in season right now. Next year, Brussels sprouts will make their appearance in my garden, now that I know the family eats them without complaint.

***

You know what else I’ve had repeatedly this past week, more than thrice? Blogging award nominations, but who’s counting? Seven.

What really counts is that there’s more love being thrown in my direction, which I am very thankful for. And it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. If these nominations keep coming, I’m afraid this head will explode from getting too swollen.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re truly appreciated. I’ve said it time and again, there’s nothing more exciting than being recognized by your own peers. And yet it’s humbling at the same time. Even after getting several of these, I’m still taken aback every time they come my way. Thank you guys! You are all so kind and generous.

Thank you,

1. Jenn, from Sweet Eats and Crafts, for the Sunshine Award.
2. Vanessa, from Kitchen Feasts, for the Liebster Award.
3. Ana, from The Edible Complex, for another Sunshine Award.
4. Krystina, from Kouzonas Kitchen, for 4 various awards.
5. Nusrat, from Eye of the Beholder, for the Versatile Blogger Award.
6. Rakhi, from Little Bliss Book, for another Versatile Blogger Award.
7. Fae, from Fae’s Twist and Tango, for the Blog of the Year Award

You can read some of my past acceptance speeches, by searching for “award” if you feel like it. But, more importantly, you should read my awarders. Obviously, every one of them deserves your readership; they’ve got great taste. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have nominated my blog. (I’m so sick of myself, always tooting my own horn!)

Now I’ve always had a hard time selecting bloggers to pass these awards to, because there are many that are so deserving. So for now I’m just going to reserve the rights to nominate others in the future, when I have ample time to do it.

In the meantime, check out Johnny’s Warm Salad with Brussels sprouts. This was what prompted me to buy the sprouts to begin with.