Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are most likely not a favorite vegetable for most. I come to this conclusion because of the location in the produce department. They are not out front with the avocados and tomatoes, but kind of tucked away behind the eggplant. None the less I have found them for the last two weeks and they are ready for my dinner again tonight. Brussels sprouts, part of the cabbage family, have 102% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C and 169% of the daily requirement for Vitamin K.  The recommended daily requirement for vitamin K is 65-80mg daily.  Among other things, Vitamin K is needed  for  normal blood clotting so if you are on blood thinner you may need to think about this.  According to Wikipedia and other sources, Brussels sprouts have sulforaphane, a phytochemical believed to have anti-cancer properties. There are a lot of reasons to include them in a dinner menu.  This is my recipe.

1# Brussels spouts, the end trimmed slightly and the outer messy leaves removed. Cut in half lengthwise.
Mix together 1 and 1/2T of olive oil and 3/4T of  balsamic vinegar in a medium size bowl. (The recipe calls for twice as much for both, but I reduced by half.)
Add the Brussels sprouts and stir so they are all coated.  Add salt and pepper to taste or omit the salt.  Check your blood pressure.
Spread on a lined cookie sheet in a single layer.  Cook for 12-15 min.  Turn them over and cook 12-15m. again. Enjoy.

Resources: in addition to Wikipedia, I found some good information on GreenMedInfo.