Pan-seared Brussels Sprouts

These tiny beautiful brussels sprouts pack a ton of nutrition as do other members of the Brassicaceae family, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale.  Not everyone likes brussels sprouts because they can become mushy and taste bland if overcooked.  The trick to cooking brussels sprouts is to brown them or caramelize them to bring out a hint of sweetness, which masks the characteristic odor of the sprout.  I was not a fan of the brussels sprouts until recently when I started cooking it myself.  I discovered that a generous amount of oil and patience can bring out the flavor and goodness while giving us all the nutrition.

I’m sure no one needs another recipe for brussels sprouts – they’ve been roasted, fried, stir-fried, baked, and even ended up in curries. But, I didn’t know that enthusiastic bakers had made Brussels Sprouts Cakes……here. If carrots can be baked into cakes, why not brussels sprouts I guess. Folks either love the sprouts or hate the sprouts, and I hated them too.  Now that I have found a simple way to cook the sprouts, I find them delicious when roasted or pan-seared. I don’t know about baking cakes with the sprouts, however, if I do get so adventurous, I’ll post some pictures and let you know how it tasted.

I made these pan-seared brussels sprouts for dinner tonight and they were incredibly delicious and almost crunchy. I first trimmed the sprouts and cut them in half. Then, blanched the sprouts in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes and drained the water. While the sprouts were simmering away, I sliced some onions and began caramelizing them in a tablespoon of oil. When the onions were golden brown, I added the blanched brussels sprouts and continued to cook on medium heat until the sprouts were well seared, brown, and almost crunchy. In went some red pepper flakes, stirred it all around until well mixed. It needed a pinch more salt, and that’s it. I know this is how I like my brussels sprouts, I hope you do like it too.

Colorful Peppers Make A Simple Tasty Dinner

Colorful bell peppers are seen in plenty at the markets during Fall - of course, they are seen in supermarkets all year around when they are expensive and not as flavorful as they are now in the peak season.  Bell peppers are commonly used in stews, soups, casseroles, and stuffed with ground meat, rice, beans, corn, etc. etc, Stuffed peppers are very common and make a wholesome one-pack meal, and leftovers are delicious too.  Peppers and potatoes make a perfect combination (that recipe is for another day).

We use a lot of peppers in our cooking, not only the bell peppers, but also thai bird chillies, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, dried chillies, and the list goes on.  Mexican peppers also find their way into stews and curries.  Peppers are packed with vitamin C and capsaicin, which is known to reduce inflammation and improve circulation.  Pickled chillies are delicious, isn't it?

In the basket above, the small green chillies and habaneros are from our little garden that I picked this past weekend before the snowstorm arrived....yes, snow in October!

I had a few bell peppers, one red, one yellow and one orange...was wondering whether to roast them or make a simple salad, but decided to make a quick saute that was ideal to eat with rotis.  I sauted some colored bell peppers with onions, garlic, ginger, and added a little frozen spinach for a quick dinner tonight.  A few hard-boiled eggs were cut up and dressed with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  Heated up flatbreads (rotis) and dinner was ready.  There is no real recipe or measurements to what I dished up tonight.  I used half cup thinly sliced onions, 1 clove garlic, a piece of ginger, one tomato, and some peppers.....that's about it.  When it was all softening up in olive oil, I added a handful of frozen spinach, some salt and a little water.  Simmered it for a few minutes, garnished with some chopped cilantro....and scooped it up with a roti...delish!