52 Weeks of Cooking – Week 4 – The Spicy Spatula

I have a very vivid memory from my childhood of sitting at my parent’s kitchen table…There is plate in front of me. And my dad is sitting across the table staring me down like the gatekeeper. He was trying to get me to eat brussel sprouts.

Long story short, I may have appeased him by eating one of the little cabbage bastards….but from then on, brussel sprouts and I have traveled different roads. Even seeing them on a menu at a restaurant bothered me to a certain extent. However….people get older and wiser. Even where foods they hated as a kid are concerned.

A year or so ago, Mike and I were spending the weekend with my Aunt Deb & Uncle Mitch in Nevada. They made us dinner…and *GASP*…….the side dish was brussel sprouts. After my momentary freak out, I decided to give them a try. It had been over a decade since I had them and thought maybe it was time to give them another chance. It was a good decision. They were great. My grown up taste buds could actually appreciate the flavor. So when the theme for the week was, “Ingredient You Hated As A Kid” I knew it was time to cook some up myself. For anyone out there who avoided brussels as vehemently as I….I would gently encourage you to give these a shot. And if you still abhor them afterwards…then all right. At least you tried!!!

Roasty Toasty Brussel Sprouts

Makes 4 servings

16oz of fresh brussel sprouts (the pre-washed bag from TJ’s is so easy)

¼-½ cup Spicy Brown Mustard

¼ cup Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the brussels in the olive oil and mustard to coat them. Use as much mustard as you feel necessary. You want them generously coated in the mix. Season the lot with salt and pepper, toss again, and then pour the mix into a 8×5 pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Put the pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Gently mix the brussels at this point and then cook them another 45 minutes to an hour. The goal here is to get the outsides SUPER crispy, almost to the point of burning them. What you end up with is a fantastic crisp on the outside with a tender inside.