Friday, February 22, 2008

ARF, With a Sweet n' Sour Twist

I'm probably the last person in the food blogger world to have discovered Cate's secret that she hid so well these past few months... but I have to say one more congratulations on the birth of her daughter Madeline Olivia, and add my virtual gift basket to the pile!

Like any parent (and especially new parents on the block!) energy is in short supply, as is free time! It mystifies me that the queen of Sweetnick's only took one week off - I cannot even contemplate a life without maternity (or paternity) leave! Hopefully, these bites of delicious greenery for this go-round of ARF / 5-A-Day are both nutritious and fast enough for everyone's schedules, since Brussels sprouts are one of my favourite foods, especially when they're made like this!

Sprouts are probably one of the most bashed vegetables on Earth. It's really too bad too, seeing as they are both insanely hardy (storing for periods as long as 30 days if kept at about 32F) and so full of good stuff! Add to that the wide variety of uses they have and recipes you can add them to, and... voila - superfood! Folate, vitamin A, manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B6 & B1 all find a home in these mini-cabbages, and they even have omega-3 fatty acids inside! But, if you still think sprouts are the bane of your existence... think again. These are awesome beyond belief, and healthy too!

Sweet, Spicy n' Sour Sprouts
Serves 4
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  1. In a medium saucepan, cook Brussels sprouts in 2/3 cup boiling water until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, broth, syrup, vinegar, and mustard until well combined.
  3. Drizzle over the sprouts in the pan, toss thoroughly to combine and serve.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 110.0
Total Fat: 3.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 61.8 mg
Total Carbs: 17.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g
Protein: 3.8 g

2 comments :

  1. My husband loves brussels sprouts and I am always looking for new ways to make them and this flavor combination sounds great!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the feedback!