Veggie Tales

When my brother and I were kids, we pretended to be gourmands. We thought we were so sophisticated making creme brulee or steamed artichokes. So one day we bought brussels sprouts. I remember taking one bite and thinking that it was the most awful bitter taste ever. I was so disgusted that I immediately inhaled a small handful of garlic salt to get rid of the taste.

I was afraid to eat brussels sprouts again until I made this Martha Stewart's Roasted-Vegetable Salad for Christmas last year. This salad (see below) turned out to be one of my favorite in an elaborate Christmas spread, and renewed my faith in brussels sprouts.
So this week I have been experimenting with brussels sprouts that I purchased at Trader Joe's. I am still perfecting a recipe, but I highly recommend 1) cutting brussels sprouts in half and microwaving them for 3 minutes until soft, 2) marinating the brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar to get rid of the bitterness, and 3) pan searing the cooked brussels sprouds in a touch of butter and garlic to get a little crunchiness on the outside.

Just takes a little work to make one of the world's healthiest foods tasty.