Brussel Sprouts Recipe That Your Kids, and Even You, Will Love

A few months ago my husband and I watched a documentary called Forks Over Knives (http://www.forksoverknives.com/) which educated us on how animal based proteins actually can kill you (in a nutshell). After watching said documentary, my husband and I were convinced that we needed to stop eating all animal products; except cheese. My husband would never give up cheese. Oh, I tried to sneak him that vegan rice cheese stuff that actually “stretches like real cheese!” It did not go over well. We tried a lot of things like tofu, textured vegetable protein, vegan cheese and butter, and all the non-milk milk you could buy. We actually did well on this no animal protein “diet.” We ate a lot of vegetables, rice and pasta. This girl loves her carbs! We went months without eating meat, eggs or milk.

In this time I tried all sorts of vegetables that I may never have tried if I wasn’t starving. I learned that I could eat eggplant, spaghetti squash and acorn squash. Boy, am I sick of squash now! When you eat a diet that mainly consists of vegetables you have to learn how to “doctor them up” with spices. I regularly made a very yummy dish called Crispy Brussel Sprouts, which was handed down from my friend Crissy. This is an item that is pretty straightforward to make and the whole family may even love it; kids and adults alike.

Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Cooking time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 large bag of “steam in the bag” frozen brussel sprouts (or fresh ones)

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         Sea salt

·         Cracked black pepper

1.   Microwave steam your frozen brussel sprouts (or steam your fresh ones using a colander over a large pot with a little boiling water in it- they are done when you can stick a fork through them).

2.   Preheat oven to 350

3.   In a large bowl combine the olive oil, desired amount of sea salt, and desired amount of cracked black pepper.

4.   Once the brussel sprouts are steamed, transfer them into the olive oil/seasoning mixture in the large bowl. Using a large spoon, turn the brussel sprouts over until they are coated with the oil/seasoning mixture.

5.   Pour the brussel sprouts onto a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 15 minutes (or until the bottom side of them is browned) then turn them using tongs in order to get a nice crispness on two sides (about another 10 minutes).

6.   When done, serve and enjoy!

***If you really want to guarantee that the family will love these, after steaming the brussel sprouts try rolling them in the sea salt and olive oil (and a dash of garlic powder). Then, instead of the cookie sheet, place the brussel sprouts in a casserole dish and “sprinkle” them with cheeses that you have on hand. Mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone are always great!***

Remember to slow down and enjoy the fruits of your labor and love on a daily basis and you will start to see life as a Mama on the Bright Side.