I think Brussels sprouts are misunderstood.
As a kid, I heard “Brussels sprouts” and wanted to gag. My mom cooked us Brussels sprouts once for dinner when I was younger and made my sisters and I eat it, although she wouldn’t even try them. It was the most horrible side dish I had ever tasted. Maybe it was the stigma I already had about the vegetable, or maybe it was simply that my mom sucked at cooking.
Somewhere along the line, Brussels sprouts got a bad rap.
Years later, at the age of 28, I decided to give Brussels sprouts another try. Now that I’m more mature (that’s a debatable statement), maybe my taste matured also. I hopped onto Pinterest, my go-to source for new recipes, and found one that looked tasty.
It seemed like destiny while I was walking through the Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market the next day when I came across huge stalks of Brussels sprouts for sale. I bought one, gathered the rest of the ingredients and started cooking.
To make a long story short, the recipe included cranberries, pecans, Gorgonzola cheese, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar…and the result was amazing. I loved every bite of it, and everyone who tried it agreed. It is now my mission to change the world’s attitude on Brussels sprouts.
You can get the whole recipe with instructions for preparation from Cookie + kate, an awesome blog with vegetarian whole foods recipes.
This blog is part of Think Kit, and today I used a lifeline prompt: “What food or meal could you eat every day?”
I was 23 before I ever ate a Brussels sprout, and I was pretty hesitant, too! I’ve since fallen in love, especially with oven roasted Brussels sprouts. Toss with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a little salt and pepper, and roast until slightly charred–delicious! http://marianhd.com/2012/11/26/a-roasted-veggie-salad-out-of-the-pantry/ is one recipe with roasted Brussels sprouts. I’m looking forward to checking out your yummy looking dish, too!
I will definitely try yours too! Now that I know I like them, I’m going to try to make them more. I’m glad there are other Brussels sprout advocates out there 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed my recipe. I’ve tried Brussels sprouts every which way and that recipe is still my very favorite.
I loved it! We left out the barley because my boyfriend can’t eat it, and it was still delicious. So glad I found your blog and could share it!