brussels sprouts guide

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Is there anything better than a perfectly crispy Brussels sprout? I absolutely love this vegetable but they're not super versatile. However, they have amazing health benefits so I try to eat them as frequently as possible. Brussels are rich in vitamins and nutrients that are important in our overall health.

Brussels are an excellent source of Vitamin C, which fuels our immune system and oral health. Just 1/2 cup of this vegetable gives women about 65% of daily needed Vitamin C intake. They're also high in protein compared to other green vegetables. Brussels also contain vitamin K and are a great source of calcium, which are essential for bone health. These two nutrients work together to provide strength to your bones.

Because I cook a lot, I love switching up how I prepare Brussels sprouts. I recently purchased a mandolin and have loved using that to shave Brussels (NOTE: please be careful when using a mandolin, I had a pretty traumatizing experience and have learned to always handle this tool with caution.) Enjoy these four recipes below with fun ways to incorporate Brussels into your diet!

Recipes

Vegan Caesar

When the average person thinks about Brussels sprouts, they think about roasting them so they're nice and crispy. But there are so many other ways you can use them, including eating them raw in a salad. It's the best way to retain all of the vegetable's nutrition. I love shaving Brussels to mix in with other lettuces to add some variety and depth to the flavor. This vegan caesar is the perfect starter or side!

brusselssalad.JPG
Recipe
Ingredients
  1. Shaved Brussels sprouts (amount depends on how many salads you're making)
  2. Radicchio
  3. Kale
  4. Romaine
  5. Gluten free bread
  6. Olive oil
  7. Salt & pepper
  8. Dairy free caesar dressing
    1. 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
    2. 1/4 cup water
    3. 2 tbsp olive oil
    4. Juice of 1/2 lemon
    5. 1/2 tbsp Dijon
    6. 2 minced garlic cloves
Directions
  1. To make croutons: preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice bread into small cubes and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes.
  2. To make dressing: drain cashews and combine all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.
  3. Chop lettuce and shave Brussels sprouts. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss together and enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts & Ricotta Pizza

I'll pretty much eat anything on pizza, but when I topped my pizza with shaved brussels, I was blown away. Light but still filling, this pizza is a a game changer. It's the perfect way to sneak more veggies into your diet, while still eating something that feels like you're not eating brussels sprouts. Pair with your favorite wine for the perfect Friday night.

BrusselsRicottaPizza
Recipe
Ingredients
  1. Simply Mills Almond Flour Crust Pizza
  2. 14 brussels sprouts
  3. Parmesan cheese
  4. Part-skim ricotta cheese
  5. Salt & pepper
  6. Red pepper chili flakes
  7. Balsamic glaze 
  8. Truffle salt (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Shave brussels sprouts with a mandolin into flat thin pieces.
  3. Lightly coat in olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake for 7 minutes.
  4. While in the oven, prepare the almond crust according to the box. Remove brussels and set aside, bake the crust for 5 minutes.
  5. Drizzle olive oil directly onto pizza crust, sprinkle with salt & pepper and add a little parmesan cheese. Cover the pizza with the shaved brussels and place dollops of ricotta on the pizza in desired locations. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & red pepper chili flakes. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.
  6. Top the pizza with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, truffle salt and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.

Brussels Breakfast Hash

When Brussels sprouts are in season, I typically go off at the grocery store and buy WAY more than I need. Then I find myself googling around trying to find ways to use the brussels so that I’m not wasting them. If you’re like me, I’ll take brussels anywhere at any time of the day. You're probably thinking that they aren’t your typical breakfast food, but with this Brussels Breakfast Hash, you’ll be convinced otherwise.

Full disclosure: I created this recipe before I stopped eating meat (I still eat fish & eggs). For meat lovers, this one's for you.

BrusselsBreakfastHash
Recipe
Ingredients
  1. 1 large sweet potato
  2. About 20 brussels sprouts
  3. 1/2 yellow onion
  4. 2 - 3 strips of applewood smoked bacon
  5. Fresh rosemary
  6. Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cut sweet potato into smallish - medium cubes, cut brussels into fourths lengthwise, dice onion. Set onion aside.
  3. Place sweet potatoes and brussels onto a cooking sheet, coat in olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, set the bacon aside and sauté the diced onion in the bacon grease. Set pan aside.
  5. Remove the brussels and sweet potatoes from the oven and transfer into a small casserole dish. Pour the onion/bacon grease over the hash, add chopped bacon and stir. Top with a couple of rosemary sprigs and cover with tin foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
  6. Poach an egg while hash is cooking and top once the hash is finished.

Brussels Bowl

As you can tell, a lot of my recipes are vegan, even though I'm not a vegan. I think eating mostly plant based is super important for overall health, so I try to cook as vegan as possible. It's also more fun to create recipes using plant-based ingredients and allows me to be really creative. This bowl is jam packed with goodness and is super filling. I make bowls all the time for dinner, but I love switching up my bases. Under all of these amazing toppings, is a big pile of shaved Brussels. It's the perfect base to this flavorful bowl! 

brusselsbowl
Recipe
Ingredients
  1. Desired amount of shaved Brussels sprouts
  2. 1 can chickpeas
  3. 1 sweet potato
  4. 1 head of broccoli
  5. Extra firm tofu
  6. Avocado
  7. Dressing
    1. I combine a random amount of sesame oil, soy sauce, white rice vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a jar and shake vigorously before serving. I'll develop an exact recipe for this soon!
Directions
  1. Preheat the over to 400. Cut sweet potato and broccoli into small pieces and toss with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  2. Drain can of chickpeas and cook in a skillet on medium low heat in olive oil, salt & pepper, and paprika. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.
  3. Slice tofu into 1/2 inch pieces, cook in sesame oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook each side about 10 minutes until crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
  4. Sautée shaved Brussels sprouts with salt & pepper.
  5. Serve all together in a bowl and top with avocado and dressing.