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From:	Rocket Scientist (proxy1c.external.lmco.com)
Subject:	Brussels Sprouts
Date:	January 24, 2006 at 12:38 pm PST

In Reply to: So, Rocket Scientist, about those Brussels sprouts posted by Sparky on January 24, 2006 at 9:34 am:

Hello Sparky,

First off - if you are going to steam them, I think the texture is so much better using fresh ones. So far I have not found a good way to cook the frozen ones, but I have an idea in mind that I'm going to test in the next week or so (a Brussels Sprout bisque - steam the frozen sprouts and then blend with a cashew-based bisque!).

Second, for the fresh ones which are in season right now: I wash them, then slice off the tough little bits of stem. Then I slice them each in half.

FIrst recipe: I steam them for about 10 minutes - no more, or they'll be over done. THen I heat up, very slightly, 1/4 cup of Mostarella Sauce from _The Uncheese COokbook_ by Jo Stepaniak (the original, not the updated book). The main ingredients are cashews, sesame seeds and nutritional yeast. I heat it no more than you would for toasting nuts, so nothing goes rancid. I pour this over the sprouts and add fresh ground black pepper. It's incredible. THe sauce, by the way, is a great salad dressing just by itself (raw), if you like dressings. But it does have a lot of fat from nuts, so keep that in mind!

Second recipe: I mist a pan with cooking spray (not properly Fuhrman, but I've had bad luck with just using water - I use just enough spray and no more). I put the cut sprouts, cut-side-down, on the pan in a single layer. I add about a teaspoon of water right in the middle, cover the pan, and turn it up on about medium heat. I let it go maybe 5 minutes, then add a bunch of sliced carrots right on top of the sprouts, and a little more water if it looks dry. Now you need to watch closely - I like the sprouts just slightly brown, but they will burn very easily. So I check every 2-3 minutes or so (check for brownness and poking the sprouts for tenderness), adding water to steam if it gets too dry. Once they are starting to brown, I stir the vegetables around, then scrape them to one side and add some diced onions and a few cashews to saute a little. Mix all that with the vegetables, again scrape it all aside, turn the heat off. Then I add about 1 tsp. Braggs and about 3/4 tsp. Turbinado sugar, let it bubble, then stir it around for about a minute until the sugar is just starting to melt - add more Braggs if it starts evaporating. Then quickly mix all that into the vegetables to distribute evenly, and eat! Amounts are estimates only - I never have measured.

That probably sounds complicated - but the only hard part, really, is making sure the sprouts don't burn. The Braggs/sugar thing is like a very light instant teriyaki flavoring with a fraction of the sodium, and it's excellent on any kind of steamed or stir-fried vegetable. I do this all the time - one of the few ways I like vegetables at all.

Let me know if you try it.

RS

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