Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts were an unknown for me.  I've never eaten them growing up.  This isn't because I disliked them, it's because I never knew they existed.  I don't think my parents knew what they are either.

Originally I made this dish as a side for my Simple Braised Beef Short Ribs.  I wanted to add a little bit of color to the plate.  I was also curious to find out why brussels sprouts have such a bad reputation.

After tasting a bit of raw sprout I would say they tasted much like cabbage or even a bit like cauliflower to me.  I like both cabbages and cauliflowers, so I had high hopes of liking this highly disliked vegetable.

I grabbed a recipe that would be simple and would showcase the flavor of brussels sprouts without being hidden by multiple ingredients.  Prep was more or less a breeze.  I subbed olive oil for butter.  I also left out the vinegar from the recipe.  I figured if I needed more acidity, I could always put some lemon juice into the mix next time.

While the veggies were sautéing, I thought that might be enough to cook them through and no water would be needed, but they weren't getting tender enough and water had to be used.  The seasoning was nice and they came out to be the "crisp tender" that the recipe called for.

I now know that brussels sprouts taste good.  Maybe I just got lucky with the preparation method.  If so, everyone should cook them this way.