Molasses Braised Brussel Sprouts

I need to be open and honest about something here today: I love brussel sprouts.

Right now, though - this isn't the most outlandish thing I could have said. Brussel sprouts are totally having their moment in the food world. People are learning to cook them in fun and interesting ways that doesn't leave you with a steamy pile of grey-ish green mush. These days are gone. Now, we are roasting, sauteeing, and grilling our sprouts until golden brown and crisp. We are cooking them with bacon and pancetta. We are glazing them in balsamic, fig compote, and honey. Sometimes, we are even having them raw, sliced thin and tossed in flavorful vinaigrettes to make new, unique slaws.

I'm so proud of us!! It's like we saved brussel sprouts from inevitable vegetable extinction.

Enough of all this drama, though. We need to talk about this simple side dish that will elevate any dinner menu to a whole new level. Molasses Braised Brussel Sprouts are easy to make and even easier to eat. Sweet, tangy, salty, crunchy. If your family thinks they don't like brussel sprouts, put these on the menu and watch them fly off the table!

My favorite way to cook brussel sprouts is by cutting them in half and searing in a hot pan until golden brown on the cut side, then covering the pan and allowing them to steam to finish cooking. It's foolproof, and it is the base of our cooking method for this recipe. Rather than steaming with a bit of water, however, we are going to make a delicious pan sauce using butter, apple cider vinegar, and molasses! I very rarely cook with molasses outside of holiday/gingerbread baking, but after one of my Blue Apron recipes used it, I couldn't wait to try it in different ways!

The molasses will thicken slightly while it cooks, leaving us with a wonderful glaze-like sauce. It is a little sweet and a little smokey, and the tang of the apple cider vinegar will add just the zip we need to balance that richness. I can't say enough about this side dish other than it is absolutely a new favorite in our house!

Brussel Sprouts, previously (photos leaving something to be desired): in pasta, parmesan crusted

Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce

It's taken me three days to decide on what I should name this recipe. It was an amalgamation of delicious foods all joined together over whole wheat pasta smothered in a homemade Gruyere sauce.

If you don't like brussel sprouts (or rather, if you THINK you don't like them because I assure you that you probably DO like them) I have the answer.

It is bacon. Bacon will make you LOVE brussel sprouts.

Oh, and Gruyere cheese. Nutty, creamy, Gruyere cheese will also make you love brussel sprouts.

This Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce will make you love everything. I had a vision for this dish and I just went with it. I could not have been more pleased with the results.

Thick slices of center cut bacon are diced and cooked until crispy. I sliced the sprouts up into thin ribbons and toss them together in a bit of the bacon grease (SWOON) with pieces of asparagus and sliced leeks. Leeks are in the same family as the onion or the chive. They are a little softer in flavor than an onion,  making them the perfect accompaniment to a rich, creamy, and delicious pasta dish.

The gruyere cheese sauce could not be any easier. We start by making a roux, which is just a bit of flour whisked into melted butter. Add in milk and stir in gruyere and parmesan cheese until a melty, rich cheese sauce is staring you in the face, begging you to eat by the spoonful.

Oh, by the way. I'm no fool. I know that whole wheat pasta loses its nutritional value when bacon and cheese and salt are added to the equation. Regardless, I really enjoy how robust the whole wheat pasta is. It is not nearly as flimsy as white pasta and for this dish, I really recommend a whole wheat.

Crispy Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

You read that right.

This is a post about Brussel Sprouts.

That curious vegetable that most children are certain without even trying them that they are truly disgusting. The vegetable out-law.

I was one of those children. I had never heard anybody say -- "YUM! I LOVE brussel sprouts! I could eat brussel sprouts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" And so, for this reason, I was positive that brussel sprouts were disgusting. I was set on never EVER eating a single brussel sprout so long as I lived.

Things changed this Easter when my aunt made a side dish that consisted of brussel sprouts and pancetta. I was more or less bullied into trying the brussel sprouts and, much to my surprise, I returned for seconds...and thirds.

If I had to describe what this vegetable is like, I'd have to say it's very simply a miniature cabbage. It tastes a bit woody and a little bitter, but it's flavor can be enhanced through the right cooking techniques (think: pancetta). A quick Google search tells me that it has a nutrient profile similar to broccoli.

Since that Easter meal, I have been wanting to try whipping up some brussel sprouts in different ways. Well, two months later I finally got around to preparing brussel sprouts for one of my dinners. I must say, even if you are one of those "never going to eat brussel sprouts in my life" folks, you would have gobbled my brussel sprouts up (consider my own horn, tooted).

A flash frying and a little bit of parmesan cheese make these irresistible. And with a total prep and cook time of 10 minutes, it's a great way to fancy up a weeknight dinner.

Here's what you need for Crispy Parmesan Brussel Sprouts:

20 small brussel sprouts (try to find as many as you can that are of similar sizes. If some are larger and some are smaller, they will cook unevenly--this goes for almost any preparation of this veggie!)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Here's what you do:

Heat almost all of the oil in a flat-bottomed frying pan over medium heat.
Remove the stems of the brussel sprouts and cut in half length-wise. Toss and coat in the remaining oil.
If you are cooking over an open flame (GAS STOVES, HAAAYYY!!), reduce heat to low and place the brussel sprouts, cut side down, in the frying pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown and the insides become tender.
Remove the lid and increase the heat slightly. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. This will allow the bottoms to get super crispy and I found that they caramelized slightly.
Flip the brussel sprouts to get a slight browning on the round side.

After 30 seconds, add the parmesan cheese and turn off the heat. Any cheese that immediately hits the bottom of the pan is going to get brown and crisp and amazing. The rest will melt beautifully onto the crispy edge of the brussel sprouts.

Serve immediately!

 

You want to be careful not to overcook these. Overcooked brussel sprouts lead to a very unpleasant flavor in general. But, with this recipe, because you do not constantly flip and turn the veggies in the oil, things can get charred very easily. A little finesse and a keen eye will ensure a golden brown, tender, and delicious side dish!

I paired them with citrus scented quinoa and baked tilapia with browned onion slices! Amazing!

Are you scared of brussel sprouts? Or do you have a go-to recipe to make them deliciously irresistible?