Sproutin' Flavor

Anytime I blog about food I'm surprised that I don't do it more often. I love cooking. I love baking. I do both frequently, but rarely do I record my ventures here. I love cooking produce and seafood, in particular. My most recent obsession happens to be Brussels sprout. If you follow me on Twitter you'll see that I devote at least one tweet a week to this magical vegetable, and I truly believe that I have perfected the art of cooking these mini-cabbage delights.

As a church staff we recently (as in today) completed a five day juice (consuming juice and water only) fast in celebration of what the Lord has done through our church in the past five years (11,000+ salvations... unbelievable) and to develop a spirit of expectancy of what He will do in the next five. I was surprised that I didn't have more trouble on the fast. A self-confessed caffeine addict, I only experienced one caffeine headache despite dropping that habit cold turkey on day 1. I was not nearly as hungry as I expected I'd be, but what I missed the actual action of eating. And I discovered that I got really tired of sweet, fruity flavors really quickly. I didn't crave anything in particular... except these sprouts of goodness. I can't explain to you how badly at the end of day 2 I wanted just a bite of a Brussels sprout.

I hadn't grown up eating these sprouts. My mom abhorred them as a child and didn't make them for us. I just assumed I'd hate them because common kid-speak would advise that they were disgusting, and my mom's distaste for them only cemented that idea. A few months ago after tapping out the different ways I could eat asparagus, zucchini, squash, and broccoli, I happened upon a lovely little bag of Brussels sprouts in Harris Teeter and decided to give them a whirl. Try them. I promise you will not be disappointed. I just made up this recipe on the fly, but I'm thrilled with the results.

Roasted Brussels sprouts:
Chop tough ends off of Brussels sprouts then slice in half. Place all sprouts in an oven-safe casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Coat with liberal amount of white balsamic vinegar (this is the secret, in my opinion. I think regular balsamic vinegar would be too strong, but the white is sheer perfection and gives them the ideal bite. I tend to put a lot on mine, but do it to taste). Sprinkle with black pepper and Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning (the other secret ingredient. I adore Tony's and put it on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g). Top with liberal amount of coarse sea salt and one thin pat of butter (optional... I make them with and without butter and can't usually tell a difference. I think the butter just adds a nice finishing note). Place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until centers of sprouts are softened. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Seriously, I'm drooling for these right now. I eat them almost daily and could really go for a big ole bowl as I type. It's 9:54 a.m.