Monday, June 13, 2011

Meatless Monday: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan

Monday always comes as a shock to the system, especially after a lazy Sunday.

I always feel like I spend the better part of the day just getting caught up with myself and settling back into the routine of working. But one thing I love about Mondays is writing up my weekly Meatless Monday recipe.

Today, I have big news to share with you, too. The Meatless Monday campaign has reached over 50% awareness with the American public! That's a huge accomplishment in such a short amount of time. And this is without paid or pro bono advertising -- it's all viral word of mouth, thanks to readers like you, and blogs like this one. And Oprah and Mario Batali, two of my all-time favorite people in the world.

Now onto today's recipe. I've been trying to put up a few more veggie recipes. It's amazing how many people I meet that want to incorporate more vegetables into their diets, but don't know how to cook them and make them taste great. The Brussels Sprouts in today's recipe are a prime example. Done wrong, they taste rubbery and bitter, and haunt many a schoolchild's nightmares. I'll confess that I despised them growing up.

However, they're worth eating -- heralding from the cruciferous family of plants, they're chalked full of fantastic health benefits. In PubMed, health research database at the National Library of Medicine in Washington, D.C., there are over 100 studies involving Brussels Sprouts. Half of them are focused on its cancer-fighting properties. In fact, at a minimum, doctors recommend eating cruciferous vegetables 2-3 times a week (average serving size 1 1/2 cups). Even better, aim for 4-5 times a week with a serving size of 2 cups for maximum benefit.

Other cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, broccoli and similar green leaf vegetables. In fact, I eat bok choy almost every morning with my breakfast, cooking it up in my cast iron skillet with a little olive oil, low sodium tamari, and sesame seeds.

For this simple recipe, I roast the Brussels Sprouts in a little olive oil. Roasting renders them exceptionally crunch and tender and brings out their natural sweetness (not the bitterness). I finish them with a light dusting of Parmesan and a little bit of lemon juice. I do like these little guys on the saltier side, almost like roasted potatoes. This is my favorite way to cook Brussels Sprouts.

So enjoy them while you can! They've just come into season this month (it runs June to January). I found these beautiful ones at my local farmers market.


Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  • 6 cups brussels sprouts, halved and ends trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • parmesan reggiano
  • lemon wedges for garnishing (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Toss the brussels spouts with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place them in a roasting pan or other oven proof dish.
  3. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and caramelized.
  4. Remove from the oven. To serve, top with some grated parmesan and garnish with lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!
Source for Ingredients
  • brussels sprouts from West Hollywood Farmers Market
  • parmesan reggiano and extra virgin olive oil from Trader Joe's 

4 comments:

  1. Hey Jen, thanks for your comments on my blog. I use Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour, and it is whole wheat. It is good! Very tasty! I tried Bleached AP once and it was yuck.

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  2. Thanks for the comment, and your pie looks amazing! I think Jen H. from Piccante Dolce left you the comment (we guest blog for each other a lot). However, I'm glad that I got to see this recipe, and I too love the pastry flour that you use!

    xo
    Jen

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  3. These look delicious. I've been looking for a new recipe to try!

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  4. I love these! They're almost like healthy fries. Make sure to salt liberally! :)

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