Vegetable of the Day - Brussels Sprouts

The oven is heated to 350 degrees and the brussels sprouts are sliced in half, onions into large cubes, and sprinkled all with olive oil and garlic salt.  They will roast for about twenty minutes and become delicious little green globes full of great nutritional value!

Another recipe you might try is this one:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Author: CopyKat Recipes

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 25 min

Serves: 8

Roasted Brussels sprouts are so tasty, and so easy to make.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 pound bacon
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bacon and pan fry bacon, but only partially cook your bacon, it will finish cooking in the oven, remove bacon from pan, and add diced red onion to the pan. Cook red onion until just softened. Wash Brussels sprouts an slice in half, remove any brown leaves. On a cookie sheet add sliced Brussels sprouts, partially cooked bacon, red onions along with pan drippings and mix well. Pour olive oil over the Brussels sprouts and stir until the Brussels sprouts are evenly coated. Roast for approximately 25 minutes, sprinkle with kosher salt, and add fresh cracked pepper before serving.

Either way, you will not be disappointed!  You can also add walnut halves to this recipe for a delicious and nutrition change.

Brussel sprouts are cool season vegetables. In general, sprouts are harvested when the lower buds mature and reach about an inch in size. Fresh sprouts should feature firm, compact and dark green in color. Avoid sprouts featuring loose leaf, yellowish and light in hand.

Fresh sprouts keep well in the refrigerator for up to a day or two. Remove any damaged or discolored outer leaves and store fresh unwashed sprouts in plastic bags/zip pouches in the vegetable container of the refrigerator.

Here is some nutritional information on these little gems...

Health benefits of brussel sprouts

• One of the nutritious vegetable that should be considered in weight reduction programs. 100 g Brussel sprouts just provide 45 calories but contain 3.8 g of dietary fiber (10% of RDA) and no cholesterol. 
  
• In fact, brussel sprouts are storehouse of flavonoid anti-oxidants like thiocyanates, indoles, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. Together these phytochemicals offers protection from prostate, colon, prostate and endometrial cancers.
  
• Di-indolyl-methane (DIM), a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol has been found to be an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent through its action of potentiating "Interferon-γ" receptors.
  
• In addition brussel sprouts contain glucoside, sinigrin. Early laboratory studies suggest that sinigrin helps protect from colon cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells.
  
• Brussel sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C; 100 g sprouts provide about 142% of RDA.  Along with other antioxidant vitamins, vitamin A and E; it protects body by trapping harmful free radicals.
  
• Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in sprouts, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide anti-oxidant and protective light-filtering functions from UV rays. Thus, it helps prevent retinal damage, "age related macular degeneration disease" (ARMD), in the elderly.
  
• Sprouts are good source of another anti-oxidant vitamin A, provides about 754 IU per 100g.  Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for acuity of vision. Foods rich in this vitamin offer protection against lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 177 mcg or about 147% of RDA.  Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet helps limiting neuronal damage in the brain; helps prevnt or at least delay onset of Alzheimer's disease.
  
• The sprouts are notably good in many B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body.
  
• They are also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.
  

Brussel sprouts are incredibly nutritious vegetable that offers protection from vitamin A deficiency, bone loss, iron deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and, colon and prostate cancers.
 

WOW!  If that doesn't impress you, the taste of these little jewels certainly will.  

Now please don't buy FROZEN brussels sprouts, they just aren't the same.  Like some other notable vegetables - squash and potatoes for example...they just are not as good once they have been frozen.  They tend to become wattery and tough and lose their inherent sweetness.  CHOOSE FRESH HERE!

Brussel sprouts are cool season vegetables. In general, sprouts are harvested when the lower buds mature and reach about an inch in size. Fresh sprouts should feature firm, compact and dark green in color. Avoid sprouts featuring loose leaf, yellowish and light in hand.

Fresh sprouts keep well in the refrigerator for up to a day or two. Remove any damaged or discolored outer leaves and store fresh unwashed sprouts in plastic bags/zip pouches in the vegetable container of the refrigerator.