my jerusalem kitchen

If I think it’s yummy, please don’t call it yucky. I know I’m sounding childish right now, but there’s something about the topic of brussels sprouts that just makes me wanna throw a tantrum and suck my thumb.

You know that question philosophy professors always ask, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”? Well, I have been wondering something of my own this week: do children who have never tasted brussels sprouts know to hate them?

I think they might…

I had ever eaten one until two weeks ago because I trusted that little voice inside me going, “eeeew, Mommy! Noooo!” But recently, I was practically forced to eat them at a bar, starving, really, really not wanting to eat a burger and finally settling on brussels sprout chips which the gal said were super popular. Two days later, I was practically force fed the little critters again when I went out with some friends and the two appetizers I wanted were “gone” and the only non-fishy (I’m allergice) appetizer was…DUM Dum dum: panko crusted roasted brussels sprouts and everyone looked at me like, “yeah, definitely, definitely we’ll take those instead!”

Now, if you’re anything like me—or most children, I guess—you’re going, “eeeew….yuck….why??? She better update this post STAT!” But then again, if you hate them so much, why are you still reading? You’re nothing like me! I would have clicked on 10 minutes ago! So I can only assume that brussels sprouts lovers, you must be my audience now. And WOWZERS, theses are so good! And with most things I like, let’s give them a shortened name: B.sprouts. These tiny little cabbages are the new addition to my grocery list and I really feel like a grown up now. Haters: if you are still here, give b.sprouts a shot. They just wanna get to know you.

What you need:

1 pound of brussels sprouts; peeled and washed well

1 tblsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 lemon/lime wedge

How to do it:

Cut the ends off of your b.sprouts. Peel off the layers until they won’t peel easily and when you reach this point, cut the stem again, peel the layers and then stop. You can reserve the tiny remainder of the bulb for a bonus recipe below. When all the leaves are in a bowl give them a really, really good rinse. Toss with the olive oil and salt and lay on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 F or until the leaves are crispy, like chips. They will have turned to a slightly brownish color at the tips. Drizzle with lemon/lime juice and enjoy!

You can see here I tried to get experimental with flavors. Cinnamon + b.sprouts= baaaaaad. The others, especially the turmeric, rosemary and cayenne were pretty good! I couldn’t really taste the cumin and the sumac was good, too, but I think I prefer them plain and drizzled with lemon juice to the sumac.

*Bonus Recipe–What to do with the left over bulbs?

Panko-crusted Brussels Sprouts

Sorry for the poor photo quality. Hopefully your oven is still hot at 400 F from the chips; if not, preheat oven to 400 F. Take the bulbs and slice them down the middle. In a pan, place the bulbs flat-side down. Add 2-3 tblsps of olive oil, 2 tsp minced garlic, salt to taste, 1/2 c panko and the juice of one lemon and turn the burner to medium-high. When the flat side begins to get a pretty brown color remove them from the burner and place on a roasting pan. Roast for about 15 minutes, place in a dish and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!