do i like brussel sprouts?

Quite a few people wince when brussel sprouts are mentioned. And I cannot recall ever attempting them before (probably because of all of the wincing)...



So, today I bought some. I felt so proud of myself as I bagged up several brussel sprouts... all the while Gramma's sarcastic tone rings in my ear: "How do you know you don't like it if you've never given it a good chance?!"

I brought them home... did some online researching and found a quick method that looked easy, sounded good and had some potential.

I started with preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Then I hit the cutting board... I cut off part of the stem and peeled back the yellowish and/or loose leaves. I will note, these things look and act like mini-iceberg lettuce heads. The layers of leaves even peel back similarly... but don't let them fool you. They taste NOTHING like iceberg lettuce (afterall, iceberg doesn't have much flavor anyway).



But let's take another rabbit trail... while I was roasting I decided it was time to roast some garlic and maybe some cauliflower too. See?


Chop off the pointy top, drizzle some oil and sprinkle on some kosher salt... wrap it tightly and voila!





Then I tossed the brussel sprouts (not pictured here) in a little bit of olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. And onto the sheet tray with the garlic...



But since brussel sprouts take a bit longer than the cauliflower I'm going to wait on that part for now.

Roasting, roasting, roasting...



After about 15 mins it was time to roll the brussel sprouts around the sheet tray a little bit (so they roast evenly)... so this is when I added the cauliflower. (And yes, I also drizzled the cauliflower with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt.)





Another 15 mins went by... and it was time for another turn.



10-15 mins later ... it all looks good. Time to find out if I like brussel sprouts. (I already KNOW I love roasted garlic and cauliflower... just doing double duty with the hot oven on this post.)


The cauliflower was scrumptious. The brussel sprouts? Crispy on the outside - and salt always helps. Cooked well inside - soft and not overdone. But there is that overwhelming brussel sprout flavor... I can understand the wincing, completely.





So, what's the verdict? I still don't know if I like brussel sprouts.


Why don't I know? Well, I ate the brussel sprouts. But I'm not yet convinced. i promise to give these poor things will get a second try from me (using a different cooking method) along with some different flavors. Any suggestions? Leave me a comment...


Stay tuned... I'd like to be a champion for brussel sprouts. But they have yet to prove themselves...




enjoy your time in the kitchen...