Monday, November 16, 2015

not yet cooked: brussels sprouts...

...but it is surprisingly good. I had a taste when I was leaving work yesterday and stopped by the food give-away. The fellow-cook was making a chicken dish, with the sprouts as a side. I have never been a fan of sprouts, as I remember it being a bitter/sour tasting item when cooked beyond recognition and served in the lunchroom when I was a kid.

But lately, have had reason to change my opinion. First time: eating them in Austin in a café that had sidewalk seating. They were flash fried, lightly sprinkled with sea salt. Oh, my goodness. The outer leaves were browned and crispy and they were so tasty.

And more recently, when they would be sliced in half and roasted in the oven, with a bit of olive oil to keep moist, and probably coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. I probably ate 'way too much, in a desperate effort to keep them from possibly being thrown out. Or maybe I brought home a container with left overs and ate the remainder cold?

The recipe I will be preparing today calls for feta cheese, which I would never choose to put on anything that was going in my mouth. (I probably need to put it on that list of  'things I hope I never eat again' that includes oreos and pecan pie.) But the sample I had yesterday was surprisingly good.

Oregano pesto Brussels sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
1/4 coup basil pesto
1 tsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled tomato/basil feta cheese

Trim and quarter the sprouts, combine with pesto and garlic until evenly coated.
Preheat large saute pan on medium for 2-3 minutes. Place oil in pan, then add sprouts, cook and stir 7-8 minutes until tender. Chop oregano. (Put leaves in measuring cup or small bowl, and dice finely with kitchen shears.)
Remove pan from heat, top with cheese and oregano, serve warm.

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