The Smelly Brussels Sprout

As a kid, I avoided this vegetable! I remember being the only one left at the dinner table with just a serving of this awful veggie standing in the way of me and my dessert.  For whatever reason, I avoided the Brussels Sprout for the next twenty years.  I remember it being smelly and bitter tasting.  There was nothing pleasant about it and personally I did not know why the Belgiums would introduce this mini-cabbage sidekick to the rest of the world.  They should stick to producing Beer! 

A few years back, a client of mine who loved to cook passed along a pasta recipe to me with Brussels Sprouts as one of the main ingredients.  Was he serious?  Brussels Sprouts in your pasta!?!?  I was a skeptic at first, but he encouraged me to try it.  I'm always looking for new healthy recipes to try so I decided to give this little cabbage another chance.  Pleasantly surprised it's now one of my favorite recipes.  I have grown to love this cute little veggie!
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Off the top of my head, here's the recipe:

• 1 pkg. of spaghetti (I prefer vermicelli)
• 6-8 large Brussels Sprouts (preferably organic)
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 c. Pine Nuts
• fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta until cooked, al dente.  Reserve 1/2 c. of the pasta water and drain the pasta.  Slice the Brussels Sprouts into thin strips.  In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil until frothy.  Add the Pine Nuts and toast until lightly browned.  Add the Brussels Sprouts and cook until leaves are slightly wilted.  Stir in the pasta and reserved water and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. YUMMY!!
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The key to Brussels Sprouts is DO NOT overcook them!  They not only lose their nutritional value but this is when they begin to emit that awful sulfur smell!  It is much easier to cook these guys when cut in half or in thin strips.  This allows them to cook quicker and more evenly.

So why am I pushing these little guys??
They're healthy of course!  According to "The World's Healthiest Foods" (http://www.whfoods.org/), these mini cruciferous vegetables should be eaten on a regular basis and are one of the most powerful in fighting cancer in the cruciferous family.  The total glucosinolate content is what we're looking at here and is higher in Brussels Sprouts than found in mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli.  Brussels Sprouts also help in the body's detox system by providing sulfur-containing nutrients, vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, and vitamin E.  The glucosinolate content (specifically glucobrassin) in Brussels Sprouts also helps regulate the body's inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Both glucobrassin and vitamin K are present and are important anti-inflammatory nutrients.  Brussels Sprouts are also an important source of omega-3 fatty acids.  100 calories' worth contains 430 milligrams of omega-3s.  There are 4 g. of Fiber in every cup of Brussels Sprouts.  Not only does the fiber help support our digestive health but glucoraphanin is also present which helps in protecting the health of our stomach lining by preventing bacterial overgrowth. 

All in all, I can't find one thing wrong with these guys!  And now that I've figured out how to prepare them properly, I am a huge promoter of this Superhero Veggie!  Remember do not overcook, you will lose a lot of there benefits by overcooking (specifically boiling) and they will have that awful sulfur smell!