Poke & Prod: a Brussel Sprout

DEP would like to introduce a new segment to our blog, "Poke and Prod" with Ms. J. "I Want Seconds" H. For each posting, Ms. "I Want Seconds" explores a theme ingredient and charts her culinary experiments. All recipes are spontaneous using whatever ingredients are found in the fridge - and thus, he he - all recipes are original. Recipes are kept simple because Ms. "I Want Seconds" hates following them herself. As Derek Zoolander would have said, "These are Recipes for Cooks Who Can't Read Good." This week, we pay tribute to the infamous Brussel Sprout.

Lately, I have been fascinated with brussel sprouts - yeah, those tiny littly brainy looking green vegetables. Does this make me old? Regardless, this fascination began a couple weeks ago when one of these baby brains, just one, showed up on my plate at a restaurant, Real Food Daily in Santa Monica, to be exact. It was a tiny ball of tightly wrapped shiny green leaves, seemingly struggling (it was wriggling) to stand up to her big brother, the cabbage. It looked so silly in all its teenyness that it made me giggle. My friend at dinner would attest - it made me giggle all night. But I swear -- that baby green bobbler was a giggler too. I got the last laugh though when I gobbled it up. So, with that as a backdrop, I decided to pick up a bag of 'em at Trader Joe's today (which is, of course, the best grocery store in the world).

Caution: Preparing brussel sprouts (cutting through their heads) can sometimes bring on strong feelings of guilt (as in my case). Some even say that cooking brussel sprouts is likened to infanticide. I once heard a Buddhist monk say, "Every human being kills. Oh, all you vegetarians in this room think you're an exception - but you just don't hear the broccoli scream." I could not agree with him more.


Recipe 1: Carmelized Brussel Sprout and Butternut Squash Toss
(Please do not mind the legal pad in the background.)

• Halve brussel sprouts lengthwise.
• Cut butternut squash into half inch cubes.
• Poach sprouts and squash into a concentrated vegetable stock and choice of herbs (rosemary, thyme) for a couple minutes.
• Drain.
• Toss sprouts and squash in olive oil.
• Finish off by roasting in oven or pan frying for a few minutes until caramelized.
• Season with salt (be careful since salt was in stock already) and pepper to taste.

Recipe 2: Spicy Szechuan Sprouts On a Bed of Angel Hair Pasta

• Boil pasta in pot of salted water until al dente. Drain.
• Quarter brussel sprouts lengthwise.
• Place sprouts in plastic bag, seal with a knot and stick in microwave for 1 minute (great trick to steam veggies).
• Toss sprouts in olive oil.
• Pan fry sprouts for a few minutes.
• Add a dash of each: Vietnamese chili garlic sauce, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar.
• Add pasta back to pan.
• Toss and serve with a squeeze of lime

Recipe 3: Creamy Veggie Brussserole

• Cut brussel sprouts, mushrooms and tomato into hearty bite size pieces.
• Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil in oven-safe pot.
• Add handful of rice, then brussel sprouts, mushrooms and broccoli.
• Add equal parts cream of mushroom soup and milk until veggies covered. Stir.
• Cover and simmer until veggies tender and mixture thick.
• Add tomatoes. Cover pot for 5 more minutes.
• Season with salt (be careful - soup was salty already) and pepper.
• Pat down flat with a spoon.
• Top off with mixture of melted butter, bread crumbs and shredded cheese.
• Stick pot in oven (only if oven safe) to broil until top is golden brown.
• Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Now, I'm sure Derek Zoolander himself would have said, "These brussel sprouts are re(e)lly, re(e)lly good-tasting."