Last week my roommate asked me about different ways to cook brussel sprouts other than steaming – I advocated for baking. For those that have eaten a plain steamed or boiled brussel sprout – I am sorry. A plain steamed brussel sprout, or even worse boiled, is mouth torture and not the way these possibly tasty little bulbs of green should be eaten.
In my humble opinion, the best way to cook brussel sprouts is to bake them. Preferably you bake them with a lot of flavorful things like onions, leeks, garlic, lemon juice, white wine, mustard seeds or powder, bacon and/or butter.
So for Friday night dinner with friends I decided to bake up some brussel sprouts per my own advice. I pulled out the white wine, lemon juice, onions, garlic, my roomie's Trader Joe's No Salt Seasoning, salt, the last of the processed parmesean powder, butter and my trusty cast iron casserole dish and began preparation of the best brussel sprout dish ever.
For the sake of National Poetry Month I have to throw a poem in here somewhere – so if I were to write an ode to brussel sprouts it would go something like this:
Oh Brussel Sprouts!
How misunderstood you are –
so many boil and toil over your bitter rebukes.
But when baked slowly to perfection
with friend garlic, onion and butter
your emerald jewel shines
a golden sunset in my mouth.
So how do you make the best brussel sprouts ever? Here is the recipe.
Baked Garlic Parmesean Brussel Sprouts
10 to 15 medium to large brussel sprouts cut in half
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 clove garlic finely chopped or 3 tbsp dried garlic flakes
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
4 tbsp Trader Joe's No Salt Seasoning
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
5 tbsp grated or powdered parmesean cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp butter
Step 1: Cut the bottom off each brussel sprout and cut in half.
Step 2: Place the brussel sprouts in a cast iron casserole dish and add all ingredients except the butter.
Step 3: Mix everything (except the butter) together until the brussel sprouts are well coated.
Step 4: Cut three tablespoons of butter off of a stick and place on top of the brussel sprout mixture.
Step 5: Cover the brussel sprouts and bake at 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes until soft and golden brown.