# ISO: Recipe ideas with Brussell Sprouts?



## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

We found very good batch of brussell sprouts on sale yesterday we bought 2kg of them.  (Cristiano still seems to think with the standard of family of 5, which he was the head of until 3 and a half years ago, and has a habit of buying things in BULK!!)

We have our favourite recipe, to bake them in bechamel sauce with a few variety of cheeses.  But now we have so much of them, we are interested in trying out something new as well... does anyone have an interesting, tasty idea for brussel sprouts??


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## Piccolina (Oct 26, 2005)

Hi Licia, they are not my favourite vegetable, but as with most anything the right recipe will have me coming back for more...Here are two takes on brussel sprouts that you may and Cris enjoy - the chestnuts add an Italian angle to these two recipes, I think 

 *Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon*

Here's a perfect side dish for the hectic holidays. You can cook the brussels sprouts one day ahead; cool them under cold running water, then drain, cover and refrigerate.

     1 1/2    pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved

     6    bacon slices, coarsely chopped      

2 1/4    cups peeled roasted chestnuts 

(about 1 1/4 pounds) or jarred chestnuts (about 12 ounces), halved

     1/2    cup water 

  Cook brussels sprouts in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain.  Sauté chopped bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.

 Heat bacon drippings in skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts and chestnuts and sauté until brussels sprouts begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cook until brussels sprouts are tender and most of liquid is absorbed but mixture is still moist, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 

*Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts

* Serves: 10 

Preparation time:  

Ingredients:



3/4 cup chestnuts (fresh roasted or canned)
1 pound brussels sprouts
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. 

Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. 

If fresh chestnuts are used, shell with a paring knife and toast on a cookie sheet in the oven until the meat pulls from the shell and the shell and skin can be easily removed. If canned chestnuts are used, drain and dry them. 

Trim the outside leaves from the Brussels sprouts and cut 1/4-inch deep cross in the bottoms of each. Drop them in the boiling salted water and cook until they are fork tender. Drain the sprouts and drop into ice water to shock and cool. Cut each Brussels sprout in half. 

Add the maple syrup to a 10-inch saute pan and warm. Add the Brussels sprouts and bring to a boil. Quickly add the chestnuts and stir in the whole butter. The syrup and butter will thicken and glaze the sprouts. 

Season with salt and pepper and serve.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

Right on Jessica, what a great idea, combination of Brussell Sprouts and Chestnuts!!  Gnam!! (Italian version of Yum!! )  Both recipes sound sooo good!!  As the luck has it just the other day one of our friends gave us a sackful of chestnuts that he had collected from his garden, thus we are good to go!!... wait... just one thing... can I borrow your jar of maple syrup!!?


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## Robo410 (Oct 26, 2005)

simmer in white wine and chicken broth

blanche and then pan saute in garlic and olive oil

halve and roast at 400* in olive oil, panceta, (stir every 5 min) rosemary or thyme (last 5 min), and sprinkle with balsmaic vinegar at the end!  yum  cook time total 20-25 min.

such a great veg!  and so maligned through bad cooking.


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## Ishbel (Oct 26, 2005)

Slice thinly, pan fry in a little butter (like courgettes) squeeze of lemon juice and a few almond flakes.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

Robo410 said:
			
		

> such a great veg! and so maligned through bad cooking.


 
This is soooo true!!

Thanks Robo and Izzy for your mouth watering suggestion, too... now my Brussell horizon is expanding....


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## Ishbel (Oct 26, 2005)

I have, on occasions when finding myself with a glut of the things, made brussel sprout soup....  I have to confess, I'm the only one that likes it, so I make it in small quantities.

Cook brussels in chicken stock with a couple of potatoes (for thickening).  When cooked, zuzz in a food processor until smooth. Put back into the saucepan and re-heat.  Swirl a little double cream into the soup and crumble a few croutons on top.


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## GB (Oct 26, 2005)

That sounds really good Ishbel!


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## Piccolina (Oct 26, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> ... wait... just one thing... can I borrow your jar of maple syrup!!?


Ciao Licia, prego I really hope you both enjoy the recipes...Your question had me laughing out loud  Of course you can, let me just scope some out of the ecconomy sized barrel that every Canadian has and I'll send it to you in a jiff 

Okay, I wish that were true, I'd love to help you out!...It's hard to find good maple syrup in Europe I know, so as a compromise I offer this recipe:
*
**Carrots and Brussel Sprouts in Brown Sugar Sauce*
 
2      pounds        Baby carrots -- peeled

2      pounds        Brussel sprouts -- trimed

1 1/2  cups          Chicken stock (or other stock)

6      tablespoons   Butter

1/2  cup           Light brown sugar -- lightly

1      tablespoon    Fresh ground pepper

1/2  teaspoon      Salt

 Blanch the carrots in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender,
 about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the carrots and put them
 in a bowl of ice water. Return the water to a boil and add the brussel
 sprouts and blanch until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to
 another bowl of water. When carrots and brussel sprouts are cool, drain.
 Bring the stock, butter and sugar to a boil in a large, heavy skillet,
 stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrots and cook for 5 to 6
 minutes, stirring gently to coat the carrots with the sauce. Add the
 brussel sprouts, pepper and salt and cook for several minutes, stirring
 gently to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 8 people


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

Whoa Jessica, I thought you said you didn't like Brussell Sprouts!!  And you come up with such brilliant recipes!!  Imagine what you can do with your favourite veg!!  Anyway to us they are one of our prefered winter vegs along with Broccolis, they are all up for trial!! mmm mmm....thanks again Did I tell you* U ROCK!!?  *


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## amber (Oct 26, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Right on Jessica, what a great idea, combination of Brussell Sprouts and Chestnuts!! Gnam!! (Italian version of Yum!! ) Both recipes sound sooo good!! As the luck has it just the other day one of our friends gave us a sackful of chestnuts that he had collected from his garden, thus we are good to go!!... wait... just one thing... can I borrow your jar of maple syrup!!?


 
Maybe you can substitute golden syrup?  I know it's sold in the UK, not sure if it's sold in Italy though.  It wont have the maple flavor, but it's a sweet syrup.


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## luvs (Oct 26, 2005)

a casserole of hanover petite brussels sprouts, cream of mushroom soup, heavy cream and/or whole milk, cabot seriously sharp cheese, & black pepper is good.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

amber said:
			
		

> Maybe you can substitute golden syrup? I know it's sold in the UK, not sure if it's sold in Italy though. It wont have the maple flavor, but it's a sweet syrup.


 
yes, I also think of that... probably the forest honey is another good sub too, a different flavour but equally unique and sweet!!


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 26, 2005)

daisy said:
			
		

> Greek Style Brussels Sprouts
> 2.5kg Brussels sprouts
> 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
> 2 teaspoons lemon rind
> ...


 
This is a different idea!!  Never thought of doing anything like this with BS... Interesting!!  I am glad I posted a Q... so many great suggestions... thank you all!!


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## mish (Oct 26, 2005)

Here's one thread started be Sizz. If you do a search on this site, you'll find some more.



http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4447&highlight=brussels+sprouts

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9487&highlight=brussels+sprouts


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## QSis (Oct 26, 2005)

Mish, 

I can vouch for the Roasted Brussels Sprouts that (I can't remember who) posted in that thread. As soon as I saw Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, make them on FoodTV, I tried them that night and have been making them that way ever since. DELISH!

Lee

Here is a recipe from Ina Garten.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy 
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 40 minutes 
Yield: 6 servings 


1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts 
3 tablespoons good olive oil 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer them to a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the Brussels sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty like French fries) and serve hot.


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## Piccolina (Oct 27, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Whoa Jessica, I thought you said you didn't like Brussell Sprouts!! And you come up with such brilliant recipes!! Imagine what you can do with your favourite veg!! Anyway to us they are one of our prefered winter vegs along with Broccolis, they are all up for trial!! mmm mmm....thanks again Did I tell you* U ROCK!!?  *


Hi Licia & all,

Thank-you! This is essentially my mom's TNT, and I don't measure much on TNTs (usually) so I got this online (some how saying "oh just throw a bit of this and that in a pot", doesn't really help you if you've never made that recipe before ), but it's pretty much the exact same on I've had many times! (Picking out the sprouts as a child ) It's great. I've added a bit of corn syrup to it before to help the brown sugar sauce thicken up, so amber's suggestion would certainly work too! 

I really like the idea of honey as well, I keep getting more and more into using honey in savoury dishes and keep being very happy wiht the results.



> a casserole of hanover petite brussels sprouts, cream of mushroom soup, heavy cream and/or whole milk, cabot seriously sharp cheese, & black pepper is good.


 Yum, practically anything that is baked in these ingredients is bound to be delicious, thanks for sharing this cool recipe luvs!!


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## Constance (Oct 27, 2005)

This is the recipe that taught my husband to like brussels sprouts. Now he loves them.

THANKSGIVING BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh brussels sprouts
6 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Bring large kettle of boiling water to boil and add cleaned brussels sprouts. Return to boil and cook a few minutes till sprouts are just crisp tender. Remove sprouts and immerge in ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and set aside. At this point, they may be refrigerated until the next day. Slowly saute bacon in large skillet until almost crisp. Add pine nuts and brown slightly. Add garlic and brussles sprouts and continue to saute until garlic is soft and sprouts are warm. Salt to taste.
Lower fat version: Delete bacon and saute sprouts in 2-3 tbl olive oil. Cook strips of sweet red pepper along with sprouts and garlic.
**********************

Another thing we do with sprouts is to toss them in with a pot roast, along with the carrots and potatoes. They're also delicious in stews.


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## mish (Oct 27, 2005)

Constance said:
			
		

> This is the recipe that taught my husband to like brussels sprouts. Now he loves them.
> 
> THANKSGIVING BRUSSELS SPROUTS
> 
> ...


 
Your recipe sounds like a great side, Constance.  Thank you for posting it for us.  I will also add the sprouts to my carrot/potato/onion combo for my next roast.  What a colorful idea.


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## Piccolina (Oct 27, 2005)

Hi Constance, I really like the pinenut idea, they can be a lot easier to get year round than chestnuts depending on where you live


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## CharlieD (Oct 27, 2005)

I like vegie soup with brussel sprouts, they give such plesent sweet taste yum.


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## middie (Oct 27, 2005)

you mean you people actually EAT those things ?????
*eck*


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## Piccolina (Oct 28, 2005)

middie said:
			
		

> you mean you people actually EAT those things ????? *eck*


Ohhh now Middie, we're the same people we always were before you knew we ate brussel sprouts


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## CharlieD (Oct 28, 2005)

middie said:
			
		

> you mean you people actually EAT those things ?????
> *eck*


 
You and my wife    don't know what you're missing, the stuff is yyyyyummyyyyy


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## Constance (Oct 28, 2005)

Piccolina said:
			
		

> Hi Constance, I really like the pinenut idea, they can be a lot easier to get year round than chestnuts depending on where you live



Jessica, I've never even seen a chestnut...in fact, it's just been the last few years that I've been able to find pine nuts here. 
There are advantages to living in rural areas though...like watching the deer eating persimmons just a few feet from my kitchen window.


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## Piccolina (Oct 28, 2005)

Constance said:
			
		

> Jessica, I've never even seen a chestnut...in fact, it's just been the last few years that I've been able to find pine nuts here.
> There are advantages to living in rural areas though...like watching the deer eating persimmons just a few feet from my kitchen window.


Hi Constance, I know what you mean, I went from big city Canada to (what I call) the boonies in Ireland (with a little pit stop in between in Dublin). There are zillions of ingredients and pieces of equiptment that you can't get here. In fact I was quite surprised when I saw chesnuts (at a crazy $$) at the tiny local orgnaic store. Pinenuts are very versitile, and great to have on hand, if you ever do get the chance to try a chestnut, they are lovey though


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 28, 2005)

Here are chestnuts for you Constance!!  Are you sure you don't find a tree of chestnut around your house?  It is the season right now...  I hope you will get to not only see them but taste them... they are such treats!!


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## Piccolina (Oct 28, 2005)

LOL, Licia, you beat me to it! I was just coming back to put up a chestnut picture  I meant to add as well Constance, that I see your point about rural beauty, I know my DH would jump with joy if a persimmon tree spouted near us (I found them at one store, one and each one - which was about the size of a mandrine orange - was €1.50 [euro] each!). I'm sure you have amazing scenery, and an abundance of wonderful local produce.

Another brussel sprout thought is to cut them into quarters and use them in place of Chinese greens in stir-frys if you don't happen to have any bok choy or such kicking around your kitchen.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 28, 2005)

Yes sometimes we ponder about the pluses of living in an isolated area especially when the next door neighbour start bi...ing over the "noise" we make late at night (beh, we never do anything so noisy like having the music on full blast or banging on the wall with a hammer... and no one else complains just her!!), or when we must circle around the vicinity of the house for more than half an hour trying to find a parking spot...  And there are many lovely places just outside Rome and they cost so much less....Well with what Cristiano does it may not be such a farfetched idea to create a home-based business using remote administration, it is a thought becoming more and more tempting!!

Anyway we did a lovely dish with Brussell Sprout yesterday, we had a power outage for 4 hours so we didn't have much time, and I just kind gathered, mixed and matched everyone's idea to make a quick skillet variety, but it was delicious!!

I pressure cooked the BS crisp tender, cut them in 2 or 4, sautèed chopped onion in a big skillet, then added the BS, steamed chestnut and some left over potatoes, a little herbs, white pepper and salt and sautèed a little more, at the end poured cooking cream and just heated it through... we were more than satisfied with the result!!


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## Constance (Oct 28, 2005)

That sounds wonderful!

Here's a picture I found that HB snapped of my Thanksgiving Brussels Sprouts last year. These didn't have the red peppers because we forgot to buy them.


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## mish (Oct 29, 2005)

Constance, that looks DELISH!!! Thank you for posting the pic.

*Sprouts from Outer Space*

Make a batch of your favorite meatloaf mixture and lovingly wrap those little cruciferous creations (the brussels sprouts) in a cozy blanket of the mixture, not too thick as you mustn't overpower the Brussels Sprouts. Line a baking pan or dish with these little balls of delight. Bake approximately 20 minutes at 350º. Add a squirt of ketchup just minutes before completion or a sauce of your choice. Not much else needed for this meal but a fine roll or breadstick to poke them around with. Enjoy!

P.S. Not TNT


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## Constance (Oct 29, 2005)

That sounds kind of like a reverse cabbage roll, Mish. I'll bet a jar of doctored up Prego would taste good with them...or some Creole rice.

Here's another good looking recipe:

Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts 
Prep: 5 min - Cook: 10 to 12 min

1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 package (16 ounces) BIRDS EYE Brussels Sprouts, cooked according to package directions.

In saucepan, combine orange juice and cornstarch. 
Add butter and orange zest. 
Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens and is bubbly.
Stir in brussels sprouts; heat through. 

Makes 6 servings

*I might want a pinch of sugar or brown sugar in the glaze.


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## mish (Oct 29, 2005)

Constance said:
			
		

> That sounds kind of like a reverse cabbage roll, Mish. I'll bet a jar of doctored up Prego would taste good with them...or some Creole rice.


 
Why didn't I think of that?  It would probably be easier and faster than stuffing cabbage.  I may give it a try. Porcupine brussels sprouts.  Thanks Constance.

The *orange sprouts* look good too.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 30, 2005)

Ooooh how glad I am to have started this thread!!!  So many mouthwatering ideas!!

This is, by the way, what I ended up doing last night

I had some leftover pre-steamed BS, I cutted up in either in quarters or, small ones in half

Sauteed chopped scallions, some diced porcini mushrooms, and roughly ground walnuts in evoo.  Added the BS and thoroughly heated them up, added a little vegetable broth, white pepper and a pinch of corn flour already dissolved and blended the liquid well with the vegs.  Tossed this mixture with farfalle pasta, topped with lots of parmigiano.  The experiment was a great success it was soooo good!!


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## urmaniac13 (Dec 7, 2005)

mish said:
			
		

> Constance, that looks DELISH!!! Thank you for posting the pic.
> 
> *Sprouts from Outer Space*
> 
> ...


 
We made this for the second time last night...we loved them so much the first time around, but noticed also a small room for improvement.  When they came out of the oven the surfaces were a bit too much on the dry side.  Therefore this time we cooked them IN the sauce (I used my all purpose homemade pasta sauce) covered with foil on top of the baking dish.  They remained wonderfully tender and moist, that was a definete improvement!!


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## mish (Dec 7, 2005)

Don't recall if I've already posted this one (since, there was a topic for Brussels Sprouts), but here is another.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...ussels+sprouts

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...ussels+sprouts

Brussels Sprouts with Vinegar Glazed Red Onions
Serves 4




The sweetness of the onions is a nice contrast to the strong taste of the brussels 
sprouts. 

1 basket brussels sprouts(about 10 ounces) 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

Trim outer leaves and stems from brussels sprouts, and discard. Bring a medium pot of 
water to a boil, and add salt. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Add brussels sprouts 
to boiling water, and cook until tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Remove 
from heat, drain, and plunge into ice-water bath to cool. Drain well, and cut in half. 

Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over 
medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing occasionally, until they are 
brown and crisp on the edges, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and 
transfer to a large bowl. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. 

Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon each butter and oil to the same pan over medium-low heat. Add 
onions, and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and transparent, about 3 to 4 
minutes. Add vinegar (stand back to avoid the fumes), and stir to loosen any brown bits on 
bottom of pan. Cook until vinegar is reduced and the onions are glazed, about 30 seconds. 

Add onions to brussels sprouts, and toss well. Serve immediately. Garnish with toasted 
hazelnuts if desired.​


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## cartwheelmac (Dec 7, 2005)

We cook them with a little water in the microwave and put butter and salt in them and they are really good that way.

Grace


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## Jikoni (Dec 7, 2005)

I would never have thought anyone could make brussel sprouts so interesting. I was introduced to them here in europe and all my husband said was 'just boil them and add a bit of salt' and I am still doing that. I will change all that now.


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## Constance (Dec 9, 2005)

Another thing I like to do with brussels sprouts is put them in with my pot roast (beef or pork), along with the potatoes and carrots. They are also a delicious addition to beef stew.


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## silentmeow (Dec 9, 2005)

I jumped from page 1 to 4 so I hope I'm not repeating anything....I grow lots of them as I like them small in size and my children would eat them.  I freeze many bags of sprouts and enjoy them all year long.  I have always just steamed them and added salt and pepper but you chefs have come up with some fantastic recipes.  Caan't wait to try them.  Thanks.


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## callie (Dec 9, 2005)

Like meow, I'm jumping in at the end here...so might be repeating.  My favorite way to fix brussel sprouts is to roast them in the oven, drizzled with evoo, salt and peppa.  Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside!  Yum!!


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## urmaniac13 (Dec 10, 2005)

Callie, that sounds soooo simple & good!!  Do you put them straight in the oven or precook them?  Temp/approx. time?  I want to try this!!


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## callie (Dec 10, 2005)

ur, no, don't precook them.  I take off the outer layer if they look tough...then just put on a pan, drizzle with evoo, salt, pepper, toss to coat them all.  Hot oven - 400 degrees or 450 degrees (F) depending on your oven.  It usually takes 20-30 minutes.  I just watch them.  You'll love them - promise!!


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## urmaniac13 (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanx Callie... I love simple cooking that really showcases the natural goodness of the ingredient itself... we will try that next time we get more BS (which is quite often during the winter)!!


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## callie (Dec 10, 2005)

You're welcome!  I'm all about simple, too!


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## SizzlininIN (Feb 3, 2007)

Thanks Urman!  I see where I'd started a thread some time ago on this.  I never ended up making them unfortuntely but I will make a point of trying out several of these recipes this time.


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