Thursday, October 10, 2013

Cranberries, Walnuts, and Brussels Sprouts

I am trying a few different ways to cook Brussels Sprouts.  I have roasted them with olive oil and garlic at 400*F for 20 - 25 minutes.  I made a recipe from American Institute of Cancer Research where it used raw Brussels Sprouts instead of cabbage in a slaw.  The slaw had dried cranberries, walnuts, and lemon juice.

I decided to try a similar recipe, but with cooking the Brussels Sprouts with fresh cranberries.  Instead of lemon juice, I used balsamic.  And I added blue cheese.  This can be served as a side dish, or as meal with rice or pasta.

What you need:
- 2 1/2 cups Brussels Sprouts
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

What to do:
1.  Remove outer, loose leaves from the Brussels Sprouts.  Then, trim the stem off.  Next, use the point of a knife to cut a shallow 'X' in the bottom. Finally, cut each in half lengthwise.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add Brussels Sprouts.  Stir and cook 2 minutes.  Add cranberries, vinegar, and water.  Bring heat to medium-high.  Cover with a lid for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid, lower heat to medium.  Cook 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add honey, walnuts, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Cook 3 more minutes.