Brussels Sprouts

What is a Brussels sprout?  Why is it called by that name?  Did I spell it wrong or is there really an 's' on the end?  If these questions interest you, I'll address them at the end of the post.  If you just want to know how to enjoy these highly nutritious buds, I'll get to that first. 

Brussles sprouts was always one of those vegetables that I swore I didn't like, even though I had never actually tried them.  When I finally did taste them, they were boiled from a bag of frozen sprouts and were just awful!   Finally, I gave them another try, thanks to my friend, Sheila, who shared a Cooking Light recipe she used.   Since that day, when brussels sprouts are in season and affordable, I make them as often as possible.  When I am feeling especially fancy, I add bacon!

First, prep your ingredients, by chopping a little sweet onion, rinsing and quartering your sprouts and chopping some pecans or walnuts.  

Cut off the end of each sprout and then quarter each bud.

 If I have prepared bacon, that is a great shortcut, but tonight I cooked some pieces of fresh bacon to start things off.  Since the original recipe calls for butter, I skipped that and will use the bacon grease left in the pan for my fat.

After removing the crispy bacon pieces, I tossed in the onion.

After the onions softened and began to brown a little, I tossed in the sprouts.  

The wonderful thing about quartering the sprouts, is the browning that occurs on multiple sides of the brussels sprouts.

After I achieved a little browning on most of the sprouts, I sprinkle with kosher salt and add a little water (sometimes I use broth) and cover to steam tenderize the vegetables a little more.  Finally, I took off the lid, let the rest of the liquid just about evaporate, sprinkled some raw sugar on top, and toss that around.  To complete the dish, I added a little chopped walnuts and those crispy bacon pieces that I started with.  

If you need specific directions, refer to the recipe that started my love of brussels sprouts, here.

Either way, I hope you will give brussels sprouts a try.  

Now, for the nerdy details I so enjoy.

Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which also includes broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.  Cruciferous comes from the Latin word, 'cruciferae', which means cross-bearing, because the shape of their 4-petal flowers resemble a cross.

Brussels sprouts are very popular in Brussels, Belgium, which is probably why they have that name.   Like many of their cruciferous cousins, brussels are very high in Vitamin C, fiber, micronutrients and phytochemicals.