Friday, January 13, 2012

Spicy Brussels Sprouts

I try to incorporate some form of deep green, leafy vegetable into my home-cooked dinners.  A new favorite for Tom and me is brussels sprouts.  They belong to the cruciferous family of vegetables and their leafy green cousins include cabbage, kale, collard greens, broccoli, bok choy and cauliflower. 

Nutritionally speaking, they are wonderful for you.  Brussels sprouts are a good source of vitamins A and C, dietary fiber and folic acid.  They also contain a nutrient called sinigrin, which, studies show has the ability to destroy precancerous cells if consumed regularly. 

Brussels sprouts have gotten a bad wrap for being smelly, mushy and altogether unappetizing.  The old fashioned way of preparing brussels sprouts was to boil them to death.  The act of boiling does two bad things: it reduces the the level of anti-cancer compounds and it tends to overcook them, in turn, releasing a sulfurous odor.  Steaming, roasting, and stir frying are all much better ways of cooking your sprouts.  

Try my really delicious (and easy!) recipe for Spicy Brussels Sprouts.  I make these at least once a week; it is my favorite preparation.    

Spicy Brussels Sprouts
makes approximately 2-4 servings  
(we love these so much that it's usually just enough for the two of us...)

Ingredients:

2 cups brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp (split in to 3 tsps) non-dairy buttery spread (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread )
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp or a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes (to taste, of course)

Spicy Brussels Sprouts after being stirred up in the pan
Melt 1 tsp of the Earth Balance in a large saute pan on medium heat.  Take the pan off the heat (so that you don't burn the butter) and place the brussels sprouts flat side down, in one layer, on the pan.

Put the pan back on the heat and lower to medium-low.  Sprinkle the sprouts with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Put the remaining Earth Balance on top of the sprouts and cover.

Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until the bottom the sprouts are browned (I like mine pretty browned as you can see in the picture but you really just need to make sure they are cooked through and not too crunchy).

Stir so that the tops of the sprouts get some contact with the pan and cook for about one more minute.

Enjoy!  

Nutrition Information:
per 1/2 cup serving
Calories: 50   Fat: 2g  Saturated Fat: 0.6g   Sugar: 1g   Sodium: 51mg   Protein: 2g   Fiber: 2g

3 comments:

  1. Sounds so easy and a different way to enjoy one of my favorite veggies, thanks so much, really can't wait to try them!!!!!

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