Brussels sprouts differently – recipes for different dishes and properties for health
It is widely known that vegetables are extremely healthy. However, not everyone loves them, especially in early years of our childhood. Spinach, carrots, beets, and the hated Brussels sprouts are the nightmare for most people. Well, surprise surprise, I LOVE THEM!!! In any form and shape. Brussels sprouts, next to spinach, hold the palm of being the most hated vegetables – because of the wrong way of preparation. Often bland, overcooked, badly spiced (or not spiced at all) and generally lifeless, it usually did not encourage eating, especially for children. However, as we age, we begin to mature and change our taste buds. What used to be terrible can be delicious today. So today, I have decided to take care of Brussels sprouts and show you its best side, to convince you that is the little green cabbage is a in fact a great thing in small package.
Brussels sprouts differently
Vitamin bomb
These little balls contain a lot of vitamins and ingredients we need.
- Brussels sprouts are the green health pill.
- It is a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, C, E, H and K.
- contains valuable minerals, in particular potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc, as well as protein and carbohydrates.
- excellent and fully natural source of folic acid.
- The antioxidants support the body’s natural protective processes, strengthen immunity, support the respiratory system, have a positive effect on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
- improves the condition of the skin, hair, and nails
- speeds up the treatment of infections
- removes excess estrogens
Better digestion and weight loss
The fiber contained in Brussels sprouts makes us feel full. Thanks to this, our digestive system functions much better. Brussels sprouts improve digestion, eliminate constipation, and help with weight loss. It has traces of fat and a large amount of protein.
Protection against cancer
This wonderful protective ingredient in Brussels sprouts is glycosylate. It works against breast, prostate, lung and even stomach cancer. Additionally, isothiocyanates eliminate carcinogens and eliminate the risk of a heart attack. To take advantage of these properties, you should steam the Brussels sprouts for 3-4 minutes or eat raw.
Cleansing
If you feel sluggish, lethargic, and not necessarily healthy, maybe it is time for a little detox? Brussels sprouts turn out to be an ideal assistant in this task. It contains sulfur, vitamin K and omega-3 acids, which effectively eliminate inflammation. When you want to cleanse your body, include Brussels sprouts in your meals and eat it regularly.
For pregnant women
These miracle balls also contain folic acid, the deficiency of which can lead to the development of congenital defects in the baby, reduced body weight, and even miscarriage. While pregnant, it is a good idea to eat Brussels sprouts to give your baby the most vitamins and health.
Brussels sprouts can be prepared in many ways. It is perfect for cooking, frying, stewing, and baking. I love them in the simplest form. Just boiled or steamed, sprinkled with salt. That is my absolute favorite. Nevertheless, I love using them in the variety of recipes. They are perfect as a main course, e.g., stewed or cooked with other vegetables. It is so valuable to stop treating Brussels sprouts with breadcrumbs. This is the worst thing you can do – in this way you will drown out the natural taste of the vegetable and unnecessarily add unnecessary, worthless calories to the dish.
Recipes with Brussels sprouts:
*Stewed in cream*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- freshly grated nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- parsley for decoration
- milk
Preparation:
Remove the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts, rinse them and then cut the bottom crosswise. Boil it in water with a pinch of salt and a little milk for 4 minutes until semi-hard. When it is ready, drain it and dry it. In a deep-frying pan, melt the butter and fry the Brussels sprouts with garlic. Pour the cream all over and stew, covered, until the Brussels sprouts are soft. At the end of cooking, add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley with bread or potatoes.
*Brussels sprouts with apple and thyme*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
- 2 Granny smith apples
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon
- nutmeg
- salt pepper
- frying oil
Preparation:
Remove the unsightly leaves from the Brussels sprouts, rinse the cabbage and pat dry. Cut Brussels sprouts in half; Leave the smallest heads whole, cut the largest into quarters. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, add the Brussels sprouts (preferably cut side down). Fry until the Brussels sprouts turn golden brown. Add salt, stir the Brussels sprouts, and cover the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the cabbages are soft and golden-brown Meanwhile, cut the apples into pieces, put them in a bowl and add lemon juice to prevent the flesh from turning brown (do not peel the peel of the apples). When the Brussels sprouts are soft, add apples, thyme leaves, a decent pinch of pepper, nutmeg and tonka (optional) to the pan. Stir and fry, covered, for another 3-4 minutes, until the apples are tender (but will not fall apart too much). Sprinkle the finished portions additionally with nutmeg.
*Brussels sprouts with grapes, raisins, and orange*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- 1 oz of dark grapes or raisins (cranberries)
- 1 onion
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- pepper
- salt
- nutmeg
Preparation:
Prepare Brussels sprouts for cooking in the same way as in the above recipe. Then, dissolve 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the onion to make it translucent. Put the Brussels sprouts in it and fry it lightly with the remaining amount of butter. Now pour in the broth and stew for 10 minutes. When the Brussels sprouts are soft, drain them, add spices, chopped orange and grapes. If you are using raisins, you also need to stew them in butter for a few minutes. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
*Brussels sprouts Fried in batter*
Ingredients:
- 4-5 oz of Brussels sprouts
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or a sprig of fresh
- salt, peppercorns, sugar Dough
- 4 tablespoons of flour
- 1 egg
- ½ cups of white wine
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- ½ teaspoons of sugar
- salt.
- frying oil
Preparation:
Brussel sprouts need to be cleaned and simmered with chopped onion, rosemary, sugar, salt, and pepper. After 15 minutes, drain the Brussels sprouts and let them cool down. Mix the flour, egg yolks, wine, oil, and spices into the dough. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and gently add to the dough. Now soak the Brussels sprouts in batter and deep-fry them. You can drain them on kitchen paper.
*Charred Brussels sprouts with pomegranate and sesame seeds*
Ingredients:
- approx. 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
- 1 grenade
- 1-2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
- date syrup
- unrefined coconut oil for frying
- pepper
Preparations:
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and place Brussels sprouts in half on it, cut side down. You can leave the smallest cabbages (the really small ones) whole. Fry without stirring for about 10 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid and fry for a few more minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are soft and golden brown. Add the sesame seeds to the Brussels sprouts and sauté, stirring, until the sesame is lightly toasted. In a bowl, combine the fried Brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds and put them on a platter. Sprinkle with date syrup and pepper.
*Brussels Sprouts under Béchamel sauce*
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 1/2 cups of milk
- 1 cup grated Gruyere or other sharp cheese
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- half a teaspoon of salt
- a quarter teaspoon of peppercorns
- a quarter of a teaspoon of nutmeg
Preparations:
Boil the cleaned Brussels sprouts in water with salt and sugar for about 10 minutes. Then put it into hot milk and cook for about 5 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan, add flour, fry, and pour in hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth, season with a scoop, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and mix with cheese. Pour the hot sauce over the Brussels sprouts. Put into a hot oven (200 degrees C) and bake until the top is browned. Serve with a baguette and white wine.
*Roasted carrots and brussels sprouts salad*
Ingredients:
- a few different colored carrots (orange, white, purple, yellow)
- 2 parsnips
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- a small bunch of cilantro
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme (can be dried)
- 2 teaspoons of fennel fruit
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 heaped teaspoon of Za’atar
- salt pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- some lemon juice
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Peeled carrots and parsnips into smaller pieces (e.g., halves, then cut them lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on the length and thickness of the vegetables). Put the carrots and parsnips in a baking dish. Sprinkle the carrots and parsnips with olive oil and lemon juice, add thyme leaves, fennel fruit, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir and put in the oven for approx. 30 minutes. Remove the unsightly Brussels sprouts leaves. Cut the larger pieces into halves, leave the smaller pieces whole. Sprinkle the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, season with pepper and salt. Take the carrots and parsnips out of the oven (they should have softened a little by now) and place the Brussels sprouts on top. Put under the top heat for another 25-30 minutes (until the Brussels sprouts are golden brown). Check that the carrots and parsnips are soft enough; if not, put them in the oven for a few more minutes. If the Brussels sprouts are already browned well, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Prepare the sauce: mix the olive oil with the Za’atar. Serve the baked carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts with fresh coriander leaves, topped with the sauce.
*Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts and Pomegranate*
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, plus more to taste
- Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling (optional)
- Flaky salt, to serve
Preparations:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with the olive oil. Season well with the salt and black pepper and toss again. Spread everything evenly on a sheet pan cut-side-down and roast until crisp and deeply golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the sprouts halfway through to ensure even browning. In the Meantime, toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to ensure they do not burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. When the brussels sprouts are done roasting, toss them with the toasted walnuts and the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses (about 1 teaspoon or so), if using. Season with flaky salt.
*Pan-fried Bream Fish with braised Brussels sprouts and caper sauce*
Ingredients:
- 2 Bream Fish
- 10-12 oz of brussels sprouts
- 8 dried tomatoes
- a teaspoon of cumin
- a teaspoon of dried thyme
- salt
- pepper
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 4 teaspoons of capers
- some dry white wine
- butter
- frying oil
Preparations:
Clean the Brussels sprouts from the uglier, outer leaves and rinse them. Slice the dried tomatoes. Cut off the side fins of each fish and carefully remove the scales. Rinse the fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to score the fish skin on both sides. Sprinkle the fish, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Finely chop the Brussels sprouts in a food processor using a suitable knife (slicing). In a deep-frying pan, heat up some butter and oil (to prevent the butter from burning). Add tomatoes and Brussels sprouts, season with salt, pepper, cumin, thyme, and mix. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, heat up the second large pan, add a lot of butter and put the fish on top of it. Fry over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, then turn it over to the other side and fry another 4-5 minutes. By this time, the Brussels sprouts should be ready. Put it on the plates and put the fish on top. Put some fresh butter, anchovies, and capers in the fish pan. Fry for a minute, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve. Degrade the pan – pour a small splash of wine over it, stir, and cook for a while, reducing the liquid. Pour the butter-wine caper sauce over the fish.
*Brussels sprouts fried with olives and cherry tomatoes*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- a handful of black olives
- 2 cloves of garlic
- oil or clarified butter for frying
Preparation:
Blanch the Brussels sprouts or boil them in boiling water for a few minutes with the addition of half a teaspoon of sugar and salt. Add the frying fat to the saucepan, add the tomatoes and chopped garlic cloves, add the olives, fry for a moment, add the Brussels sprouts, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, then season to taste.
* Kale stewed with Brussels sprouts and zucchini*
Ingredients:
- about 1 bunch of kale
- about 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- 3 medium size zucchini
- 2-3 shallots (or 1 regular onion)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 mini peppers (or 1/2 large, regular)
- salt
- pepper
- 1 teaspoon of hot ground paprika
- extra virgin olive oil
- frying oil
Preparation:
Boil the Brussels sprouts and kale in unsalted water (for approx. 12 minutes). Before that, cut the lower part of the Brussels sprouts crosswise with a knife so that it is evenly cooked, and remove the hard stalks from the kale and tear the leaves into slightly smaller pieces. Be careful not to overcook the Brussels sprouts! Cut the zucchini with a vegetable peeler into strips, discard the seed nests – they will not be needed. Two minutes before the end of cooking the vegetables from point 1, add the zucchini to the Brussels sprouts and kale. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep saucepan and add the chopped shallots and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and stew, stirring occasionally. When the onion starts to soften, add the paprika (SEE), cut into small pieces. After a few minutes, add a lot of pepper and paprika and mix. Put the cooked and drained Brussels sprouts, kale, and zucchini in a saucepan. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and possibly pepper, and stew for a while, stirring. Splash of olive oil will enrich the taste of the dish and serve.
*Roasted Brussels sprouts with nuts*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- a handful of walnuts
- Himalayan salt
- olive oil
Preparation:
Blanch the Brussels sprouts or boil them in boiling water for a few minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and roasted walnuts to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle them with Brussels sprouts, pour a few teaspoons of olive oil, cover and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven.
*Brussel sprout inside out meatballs*
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen brussels sprouts
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preparations:
In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix well. Take about 1/4 cup of meat mixture, and place around each frozen brussels sprout to form a meatball and cover it completely. Place in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking dish. Combine tomato sauce, water, and thyme; pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
*Brussels sprouts fried with potatoes in mustard sauce*
Ingredients:
- About 1 lb. of small new potatoes
- About 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- approx. 20 green olives with seeds (Manzanilla, De Prado)
- 6 (green) cherry peppers or one regular
- a few anchovy fillets
- 2-3 tablespoons of good mustard
- 1-2 limes or lemons
- half a handful of fresh dill
- a few sprigs of thyme
- butter or oil for frying
Preparations:
Wash potatoes thoroughly, cut larger pieces in half. Boil the potatoes in salted water (approx. 15 minutes). Allow the cooked potatoes to drain and cool. Remove the uglier outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, cut the end of the Brussels sprouts crosswise (then it will cook evenly). Cook the washed Brussels sprouts, but do not overcook them (approx. 8-10 minutes). Add a little butter and oil to the frying pan and sauté the paprika, cut into pieces about the size of small Brussels sprouts. When the peppers have softened, remove them from the pan. If necessary, add more butter and toss the sliced anchovies into the pan. Once the fillets have melted, add the potatoes. Fry them until they are nicely brown on each side, then remove them from the pan. Cut the cooked Brussels sprouts into halves, leave the smaller sprouts whole. Put the Brussels sprouts in a pan and fry until golden brown. Add olives, peppers, and potatoes. Pour in the lime juice and add the mustard. Stir and cook until all ingredients are hot. Finally, add the chopped dill and thyme. Stir and serve.
*Brussels sprouts with bacon*
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
- 2 thick slices of smoked bacon
- a few cloves of garlic
- a few drops of lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Boil the Brussels sprouts in al dente water. Melt the diced bacon in a frying pan, add the garlic at the end. Drain Brussels sprouts, put them in a large salad bowl, add bacon and spices, sprinkle with lemon juice at the end, can be served with fresh herbs, e.g., parsley, marjoram, dill, chives, etc.
