Choux De Bruxelles {Recipe}

When you say Brussels Sprouts to most people they say YUCK!  So I am sharing with you my fabulous recipe and a little garden surprise of Choux De Bruxelles!  Doesn't that sound fancy?!  So this is what happened...

I am at my neighborhood Whole Foods Market looking for something for dinner and what catches my eye but this fabulous beauty!  I am a gardener and a food snob and I have seen many things, but I have never seen Brussels Sprouts in their growing stalk form!  Wow was I surprised!  I was fascinated by this beautiful and huge vegetable that was presented before my eyes!  My first thought was "Wouldn't these be great in a floral arrangement?!"  Then I had to touch them and I was sold.  You could smell their freshness as well.

Now to prepare these little gems! (My husband thought that the empty stalk looked like a spine!)  I am a fruit and vege lover so I knew I was in for a treat but how do I sell vegetables to my family?!  Prepare them well and the love will follow!  So I remember back to a few months ago when I dined on the best Brussels Sprouts I have ever consumed.  For years, one of my favorite LV local hangouts has been a great restaurant called Table 34.  The chef/owner was trained and worked at Spago LV with Wolfgang Puck so I don't need to tell you how fab the food is.  Simple and fresh is better.  So that was my plan when I decided how to cook them.

After washing and cutting the Brussels Sprouts from the stalk I dropped them into a pan of boiling water for only a minute.  I immediately removed them from the water and cut each sprout in half once they had cooled.  This helps to tenderize them so they will grill well and be cooked all the way through.  Since I woke up today to a strong cold wind and the first real drop of temps in Las Vegas, I decided to grill them indoors instead of outside on my BBQ.  I turned my burners on a medium temperature and drizzled Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the grill.  Once I placed the Brussels Sprouts on the grill I then took about 1 Tablespoon of butter (sorry I love it because it really adds to the flavor) and sprinkled a bit of garlic salt, pepper and sea salt over top of them.  After a few minutes stir them up. Once they are browned on the flat side I took tongs and turned each one over to brown on the other side!  Funny because some of them actually kept popping back over after being turned!  Funniest thing ever!!

How perfect are they?  I must tell you that the finished product tasted even better than the professionals!  I am good for pulling such a great recipe out of my Wendys Chef Hat!!  Also my two teenage daughters LOVED them and were so surprised at how good they were after hearing all of the bad press that these poor little Brussels Sprouts are always getting!  My husband (who doesn't like them) ate them and had to admit they weren't bad!  Well my son is half alien and thinks all fruit and veges are evil so we don't even ask him!

Ok so you are wondering what I paired it with for dinner.  Well the rest of the meal was already in my basket otherwise I wouldn't have normally prepared these two green food items together.  I made spinach linguine cooked and topped with butter and fresh grated parmesan cheese and sprinkled with salt&pepper.  I also made my breaded chicken breast which is my sons favorite that he calls "Crispy Chicken".  Dinner- old standby, simple, easy, tasty with a vegetable twist tonight!

Footnotes on Brussels Sprouts- They originate in Northern Europe and are grown in California. They are about 10 calories each.  High in fiber while being low in sodium and fat and cholesterol free.  They contain 3 times the level of vitamin C than you find in an orange.  They are also high in protein (for their size) and contain vitamin D as well as folic acid.

Why not try something new tonight!  This would also be a great accompaniment to your turkey at Thanksgiving Dinner this year.  Enjoy!  P.S.- I still think these stalks would be great in a floral/vege arrangement to decorate the table!