Okay, I know what most of you are thinking, "Yummy and Brussels sprouts cannot exist in the same sentence!" and I have to admit that I used to think the same thing. Most people think that Brussels sprouts are God's cruel joke on man via the vegetable kingdom, but I'm here to tell you that when they are prepared the right way, Brussels Sprouts can be yummy. I promise. Really!
So you need to start by getting some Brussels sprouts, between 1/2 and 1 pound. Look for smallish ones. Wash and trim any funny looking spots from the ends. If you buy them on the "Reduced for Quick Sale" rack like me, you'll have to do a little extra trimming, but once you're done no one will know! Well, unless you post it on your blog. Then your readers will know, but for me that's only like three people, so we're still good here.
Go ahead and melt 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil with 1-2 Tbsp. butter in a cast iron skillet. I know that's a lot, but you're worth it. You can diet next week! When it is hot, add 2 cloves of garlic that have been given a rough chop. Now is not the time to try to save time and put it through your garlic press. I know you want to, but really, don't. You need to be able to remove it later with a slotted spoon, and if you pulverize it in the press, you won't be able to do it and the recipe will be totally ruined. Okay? Plus, you'll thank me later when you get a burst of intense roasted garlic flavor while eating. Mmmmmm....
Anyway, while the garlic browns, remove your baby from the drawer he likes to pull out with all the glass pots and lids a few times and pray fervently that your husband will be home from work soon. I'll pray with you, cause I know how it is.
Once the garlic is lightly browned, remove it to a small bowl, turn the heat down to medium-low, and with a slotted spoon and add the sprouts, cut side down, to the pan. On top of the sprouts, sprinkle 2 Tbsp. of pine nuts (other chopped nuts will work, too), and a generous amount of coarse salt. Let these cook like this for 15 minutes until the bottoms of the sprouts are nicely browned.
If, like me, you had a doofus for a carpenter building your house, rotate your pan every now and then so the butter/oil mix doesn't pool down at one side of the pan and leave the other side's sprouts loveless. It would be cruel to them and to the person who has to eat those sprouts. ::ahem::
When they are beautiful, remove those sprouts with tongs to a serving plate, or if you're ghetto like me, just toss them aside on anything that will keep them until the next step is done. Then add your garlic, along with a touch more of butter, back to the pan to let the pine nuts get a nice golden brown to them. (See note on your worth and diet plans above.) At this point, it is important to breathe in deeply, because nothing smells quite like roasting garlic with pine nuts. Yum!
(No picture here intentionally. Please see paragraph below for reason. Thank you for your cooperation.)
This is the time that you quickly plug in your camera battery charger, cursing politely that your camera is flashing that red "low battery" light at you, and pray that it gets enough charge in it to finish photographing the recipe since you've put all the sprouts you have in the one pan and cannot make it again soon. Go ahead. I'll pray with you, cause I know how it is.
After a minute, your pine nuts will be a lovely brown color and taste great. If you followed the directions and put your Brussels sprouts in a serving dish, pour the garlic, nut, butter mixture over them and serve. If you're ghetto like me, turn off the flame, dump the sprouts back in the pan, and give them a little shake to mix everything up. You're done! Taste them - aren't they good this way?
4 comments:
Oh my gosh, I totally didn't know that the Pioneer Woman and I shared a blog!!! I am way cooler than I thought I was because she'd never share a blog with a lame-o.
Is this one of those recipes that you had to come up with because all of you are allergic to good vegetables?
It's a good thing I wasn't drinking coffee during this or I'd have to have you praying with me that Del wouldn't be too mad when I told him he had to buy me a new computer becaues Johanna was so funny that I spit coffee on my computer and now my computer doesn't work so hot anymore.
I think I was chanelling my inner Pioneer Woman when I made those sprouts, and I wrote the post while making them.
I'm thankful you weren't drinking coffee while reading it, too ,because I'd hate to come between a man and his wife in that way!
I resent the question about allergies and "good" vegetables. Brussels sprouts ARE good, you know, when you slather them in butter, EVOO, nuts, and garlic. :)
So you mean you have to kill them in order to be able to put them in the hole under your nose?
Oh, Johanna, this was hysterical. And I might even try it. If I can find clearance Brussels sprouts, that is.
Post a Comment