Email From My Mom aka How to Roast Brussels Sprouts and a Bonus Recipe (family secret)....

Email exchange between my mom and I this week....

me-
please send me detailed instructions on how to make the brussels sprouts your made at christmas.thanx.

mom-
Look for fresh-looking b.s. Cut off the ends and pull off any yucky looking leaves so that you are left with a gorgeous, green sprout. Wash that off, then cut the sprouts in half. Season with a fine-quality olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to use sea salt or Kosher (the same) and cracked pepper. I especially like the Monini Fruttato O.O., but it is expensive-only buy when on sale. This week, the Colavita Fruttato(which I have never before seen in Fruttato) is an extraordinary buy at HT. $6 off the regular price. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is as good as Monini. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 min.-whenever you think they are browning a bit and done. I also add a little Balsamic or lemon juice or both during the cooking process. These are tasty morsels and packed with nutrional goodness. Love,Mom

mom again-
P.S. that little browning brings out the nutty flavor and goodness of the sprout.

OK, so lets roast some brussels sprouts. Oh and what's up with them being called BrusselS sprouts? I did not know about that S on the end until a couple of months ago. Too many s's if you ask me.

Fun Facts about BrusselS Sprouts stolen from wikipedia-Brussels sprouts belong to the same family that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi: they are cruciferous. They contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_sprout

So I essentially just followed her instructions above........

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Bag of fresh Brussels Sprouts from Harris Teeter
Sea Salt
Pepper (I wanted the kind you grind but we were out of it so I just used regular pepper)
Olive Oil (my good kind from Italy, thanks Mandy!-she hates being called that by the way)
Balsamic Vinegar

So I pretty much did what she said. I cut the ends off and halved all the brussels sprouts, then washed them. Then I lined a pizza pan (I'm not sure why I used that) with foil and put the sprouts, 1 tablespoon oil, a handful of salt and some pepper on it and mixed it around with my hands. Then I baked them for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. At the halfway point I drizzled some Balsamic Vinegar over them.

The Brussels sprouts browned nicely and tasted good. I think they might not even have needed balsamic. But I like it. Some of the leaves fell off and got crispy. Those were actually quite tasty. So overall I enjoyed these and my husband gave them a "mmmmmmmm Brussels sprouts" as soon as he was finished downing them.

And now for a bonus recipe. I made baby hamburgers to go with the sprouts. When I was little and my dad would go out of town, I would always request baby hamburgers from my mom. For some reason I guess he did not find them appealling. For years I thought they were a complex hamburger recipe served in a delicate tomato sauce. Then one day when I was older I asked for the recipe. Only 2 ingredients. Hamburger meat and a can of tomato soup. Make mini hamburger patties. Then cook them in a skillet over the stove and once they are cooked, add a can of tomato soup. Simmer for a few minutes and you're done. Delish and a great compliment to roasted brussels sprouts.