Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cherry Salad

One of my favorite childhood stories about my husband is the time he filled his plate with Brussels sprouts because he thought they were cute, only to be taken aback by their less-than-pleasant taste.

Despite his disappointment, he knew he had to follow his family's rule of "take what you want, but eat what you take." So he "tried to swallow one whole to get them off my plate. And I choked and almost died!"

Instead, he sneakily stuffed the Brussels sprouts into his pants pockets. Later that night, he launched his dirty clothes down the laundry shoot — Brussels sprouts and all. They were only discovered days later when my mother-in-law did the laundry.

While Brussels sprouts may be an acquired taste for some (my husband enjoys them now) my boys are not big fans — yet.

This salad, which is from a Six Sisters Stuff menu plan, is my latest attempt to win them over. Alas, I still have some work to do.

I and my husband, on the other hand, loved this side dish. It has subtle sweet and savory flavors and holds up very well for a few days in the fridge.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cherry Salad
Inspired by this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

1 bunch purple kale, finely chopped
1 pound Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, finely diced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Mix kale, Brussels sprouts, cherries and almonds in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper until blended and smooth. Stir in green onions.

Pour dressing over greens and stir to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions

I'm making up for lost time using my one and only Indian cookbook. See last week's post on Chicken Tikka Skewers.

With those Chicken Tikka Skewers, I made the roasted Brussels sprouts also in Indian-Inspired Gluten-Free Cooking but with some tweaks. I added onions, because we love to roast onions with our Brussels sprouts, and upped the spices.

XOXO,
Amy

Indian-Spiced Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions
Adapted from Indian-Inspired Gluten-Free Cooking

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 large sweet onion, cut into large pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and all of the spices and salt. Add Brussels sprouts and onion chunks and toss until coated with spice mix. Place vegetables on a baking dish (lightly sprayed with vegetable oil). Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over vegetables and roast until nicely browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Open-Grill Brussels Sprouts

You know how I mentioned in last week's post on Chili Lime Corn Salad how we Georges are eating simply -- because of our kitchen renovation? Well, the kitchen work continues and so do our challenges putting dinner on the table. But thank goodness it's summer and we can grill. So the other day the hubby was again grilling sausages and I whipped up these Brussels sprouts based on what I had on hand that was also easily accessible (i.e. not packed up in some box stacked in the dining room).

The results? Delicious. The hubby and I were fighting over the grilled onions, which weren't even the main event in this yummy side dish.

Also, BTW, I tend to make Brussels sprouts entirely on the fly. For example, check out my Roasted (Kitchen Sink) Brussels Sprouts.

XOXO,
Amy


Open-Grill Brussels Sprouts
16 ounces Brussels sprouts trimmed
1 red onion, cut into big hunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients and then put veggies into grill basket. Grill over open flame for about 10 minutes. Shake occasionally. Veggies are done and ready to be removed from grill when Brussels sprouts are browned on some sides and  onions are turning translucent.

PS: I've mentioned grilling sausages in my last two posts. If you live in Northern Ohio,  check out Hasselbach Meats in Fremont. When visiting my family at Lake Erie, we stop by the award-winning family-owned Hasselbach meat shop and  fill up a cooler of brats, Italian sausages and what are called "fresh sausages" to bring home to Charlotte. Below is a pic of our grill with Brussels sprouts and Hasselbach's fresh sausages.

Roasted (Kitchen Sink) Brussels Sprouts

One major coup of my marriage: I got my husband to eat--and like--Brussels sprouts. Now if I could just get him to like mushrooms.

I have followed recipes for Brussels sprouts. They often call for honey or maple syrup and maybe bacon. Mmm, bacon. Now, I just kinda use whatever I have on hand--hence "kitchen sink." Sriracha is nice for balancing out the sweetness.

Anyhow, I recently roasted what I call "kitchen sink" Brussels sprouts and the younger daughter ate two (victory!) and the hubby ate many more. The point is to be adventuresome, use what is on hand, and make sure to cook them long enough that they aren't hard (hubby hates that).

XOXO,
Amy

Roasted (Kitchen Sink) Brussels Sprouts
12-16 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Honey -- generous squirt (No honey? Use maple syrup. What's really good is maple syrup and bacon or ham)
Sriracha -- to your liking
Salt
Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Spread onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Savory, sweet, salty. Crisp, crunchy, tender. It's all of the good things.

It began with an innocent trip to Trader Joe's. I had already planned my menu for the week and purchased all of the required ingredients. But I got a little bored and the weather got a little crummy, so I bundled up my little boy for a trip to snag pumpkin spice rooibos tea from TJ's. And I maybe wanted a sample of whatever they were sampling. I'll be honest.

I was sticking to my pumpkin-themed shopping list until I meandered through the produce section. There I came upon a giant stalk of Brussles sprouts. "Danny, look at this!" I breathed with awe. Danny's eyes were wide with wonder, and he demonstrated true admiration by rubbing his drool-y hands all over the Brussels sprouts. He loved them. How could I not buy them? For Danny, of course.

And then this deliciousness happened. What's better than Brussels sprouts? Brussels sprouts with maple syrup and bacon, thankyouverymuch.

Get roasting, people.

P.S. No, Danny did not eat the Brussels sprouts. He only eats graham crackers. Sigh.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Serves: 4

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 strips bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss together Brussels sprouts, oil, bacon, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until Brussels Sprouts are golden brown and tender, tossing halfway through.