One of the most controversial lifestyle changes is when you become a vegetarian. Your parents get pissed when you come over for dinner, your co-workers try to intimidate you with their callous questions, and you sound like a bitch when you’re ordering at restaurants. But you know what? It’s your body and you should eat and not eat whatever you want.
With all that said, I recently became a vegetarian. The only problem is that I have no idea what to eat now. I used to occasionally eat fish – this is where all of you strict vegetarians yell at me – but I’m limiting my cooking and learning how to cook to only vegetarian cuisine. So, over the next… rest of my life, I’m going to gather what I learn in the kitchen, and I’ll also be sharing what I learn from some of the best chefs in town.
So here we go: the Brussels sprout. Why did I choose this for my first week? Because when I ate meat I had an excuse for not trying it, but now that I’m only eating veggies, what the hell.
The tiny, leafy vegetable resembles the cabbage not only in look, but also taste. You might even get a little broccoli flavor in there too. But don’t worry. I wouldn’t be talking about this little guy if it didn’t come out tasting fantastic.
The Easy Oven-Crisped Brussels Sprout
Step 1: Buy about a pound or two of the greenest (not yellow) B. sprouts you can find. They’re everywhere, so put it on your list and be brave.
Step 2: Turn your oven to 400°.
Step 3: Cut off the dry ends, give them a little bath in cold water, and peel off any yellow leaves. Follow this by chopping them in half.
Step 4: Place the sprouts in a medium bowl and toss with EVOO. Next, you can add your favorite add-ins to give it some much-needed flavor. Here, I added a roasted garlic, rosemary, and sea salt spice blend.
Step 5: Break out your muffin pan. Yes, your muffin pan. By putting 1 or 2 halves in each of the muffin slots, the sprouts will touch more of the pan versus placing them on a flat surface. They cook faster, and they get crispier.
Step 6: Throw them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then take them out, stir them around (carefully because they’ll be tender), and put them back in for 15-20 more minutes.
Once they’ve gotten some color and crisp, they’re ready to go. You’ve seriously just made Brussels sprouts and they’re going to be delicious. What you’ll taste is a crispy, salty, earthly vegetable that could easily take the French fries’ spot as a guilty pleasure. However you’re getting a veggie that not only tastes good, but is great for you. Brussels sprouts have a ton of fiber, antioxidants, and they could even help to prevent cancer. So take a bite and enjoy the new French fry: the Brussels sprout.
**Look out for next week’s Learning Vegetarian to learn how to get cultural with your bad self.
Lindsay is a California native who loves leather bags, killer heels and a bright shade of long-lasting lipstick. She’s always on the lookout for a great guy in skinny jeans, but puts her independence and writing first, traveling to some of the best hotspots in Denver and all over the world looking for a good lede.