Fit Fare

If my mother reads this post, she is going to immediately assume that I have either gone insane or have been abducted by aliens. I am sitting here, alone in the house, devouring a huge bowl of Brussels sprouts! I’m almost glad that my fiance isn’t home because I don’t have to share these little green balls of deliciousness with him (Sorry, honey. I’ll make them for you again soon).

I have this vague memory of Brussels sprouts. I remember my mother making me eat them. I remember hating them. I think I might have actually tried the “hide the disgusting veggie in your napkin” routine or the “feed the disgusting veggie to the dog” tact with them. Actually, I’m pretty sure I tried the latter and the dog ratted me out by refusing to eat them. Smart dog. But now that I’m an adult (or at least play one on TV), I decided that I needed to try them again. After all, I’m trying to broaden my culinary horizons, eat healthier, try new things. Well, you can’t get much braver than Brussels sprouts.

The most fitting sign I’ve ever seen advertising Brussels sprouts labeled them “little green balls of death,” however, when prepared properly, they can actually be quite tasty. Before I get to the recipe, I have to share a picture with you. If you’ve never bought Brussels Sprouts from the farmers market, this is how they grow.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Asian Inspired Dressing

Makes 2-3 generous servings

1 pound Brussels sprouts
2-3 Tbsp of your favorite oil
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce or oyster sauce
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic
1 Thai hot pepper
1/2 cup puffed rice cereal
1-2 Tbsp of your favorite oil
1/4 tsp 5-spice powder

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  If you bought the Brussels sprouts in their natural stalk form, remove them from the stalk.  Slice each sprout, halving it lengthwise.

Toss in a bowl with your favorite oil and then lay them cut side down on a cookie sheet or roasting pan.

Roast the sprouts for 35-45 minutes, until the tops are brown and crispy.  While the sprouts are cooking, mix up the sauce.

In a bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, water, and sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda).  Mince the garlic and pepper and add to the sauce.

In a small fry pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite oil.  Add the puffed rice cereal and the 5-spice powder and toast the cereal for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

When the sprouts are done, remove them from the oven and place in a bowl.  Add enough of the sauce to coat and mix in the puffed rice.  Serve.

This is the last in the Learning to Like Vegetables series, at least until the spring when there are more vegetables to write about. But before I end this post, I want to summarize some tips for incorporating more vegetables into your diet.

First, start slowly. Don’t expect to wake up one day and immediately find all sorts of vegetables appealing. If you’ve always hated broccoli, but can tolerate carrots, start incorporating more carrots into your diet. When you’ve accomplished that, pick another vegetable. If you try a vegetable and don’t like it, try it at least two more times with a different preparation method. A roasted pepper might not tempt you, but sliced and cooked lightly in a stir fry, it might be your new best friend.

Second, try a cooking method with other strong ingredients. In the case of the braised red cabbage, the apples and red wine vinegar produce a sweet taste to the dish that tapers the sometimes bitter taste of the cabbage. In the case of the Brussels sprouts, the fish sauce and the crispy roasted sprouts mesh well together. I find that roasting a food almost into oblivion helps me enjoy a food I might not otherwise. As I get bolder, I cook the food less and less. Another cooking method I love is to cook with cheese. Yes, I know that adding copious amounts of cheese to a recipe isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but if I’m experimenting with a vegetable that I don’t think I have a taste for, I’ll often start with a recipe that uses cheese, or bacon, or some other strong flavor to help ease me into the taste of the vegetable itself. Often, within two or three recipe attempts, I’ve started to use less and less of the other strong ingredient and more and more of the vegetable itself.

Third, go with what’s fresh. The cold, winter months are not the best time to learn to like tomatoes or green beans. Try winter squash or kale. In the summer, look for those tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash.

Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself if you try a vegetable and just can’t ever bring yourself to try it again. Not everyone will like every food. If you try broccoli or cauliflower several times in several ways and still don’t like it, cross it off your list.

I hope you’ve found these posts interesting. I’ve certainly had fun writing them. Next time, I’ll introduce you to my new favorite grain.