Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family, they have a strong nutty flavor and are usually cooked by steaming or roasting. This dish would go great as a side dish for red meat or can be enjoyed by itself as a flavorful snack. My first time ever trying Brussels sprouts was in this dish. the sweetness and texture from the pecans really makes this dish hit the spot. Further down I have some ways you can alter the dish to your liking as well, so lets get into it.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
| Brussel Sprouts | 1 lb |
| Butter | 2 oz |
| Pecans, chopped | 4 oz |
| Salt | TT |
| Pepper | TT |
Instructions:
- Trim the Brussels sprouts, and cut an x into the bottom of each sprout (this will promote even cooking).
- Boil the Brussels sprouts in salted water until fork tender (about 10 minutes).
- Drain the Brussels sprouts into a bowl and keep them in a warm place (you can keep them in your oven at 170F in an oven safe container).
- Melt the butter in a pan until frothy, then add the pecans and toss to combine the flavor.
- Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and toss the mixture evenly.
Brainstorm:
This is a versatile dish and some ways that you can variate it to your liking include, switching out the brussel sprouts for green beans, kale, asparagus, or even carrot. I feel that all of these vegetables would pair well with with the buttery and slightly sweet flavor of the pecans. Another idea you can try is to add a sweetener while the butter is frothing, like honey or maple syrup. You also can try enhancing the flavor inside the Brussels sprouts by boiling it in a chicken stock or steeping herbs, like rosemary or thyme in the water before adding the Brussels sprouts to the pot. All of these innovative ideas have yet to be tried out by me, so if you do try one of these, remember to reach out and let me know how your brussel sprouts came out in the comments section!
www.brainstormkitchen.com 