Brussels Sprouts; From Yuck to Yum

As a child, brussels sprouts seriously made me gag. I remember being forced to eat "at least two bites" and hearing how "good they are for you". Y-u-c-k! I did not care if they were the antedote to snake venom. They were gross.

Turns out that I was fed frozen Brussels sprouts. They are nasty bitter and they got soggy too. There was no amount of sauce or spice that could mask that fact. Mom couldn't possibly hide them in a casserole without my gag reflex finding out. Blech!

So, fast forward to 2009 and a cooking class I took in South Carolina. The chef sauteed fresh Brussels sprouts in butter, salt and pepper. That was it. Simple. When I bit into it, I was so pleasantly surprised by the flavor and even more so by the fact that I couldn't stop eating them! No gagging. No joke.

Tonight, I sauteed up some of those little cruciferous cabbages in olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to let the pan get nice and hot while I cut the sprouts in half. I then add the olive oil (about 2 tablespoons).

I drop them sizzling loudly as they hit the skillet. What a great sound. Music, really. I then add salt and pepper using my eyes and my intuition to determine the amount. I stay with them, stirring them, watching their color change to a bright, hot green. They get a little brown. A sign of flavor on the plate.

Ultimately, I like them salty and crunchy. I don't cook them long. I add a little water if the pan gets overheated to prevent burn. Too much water makes them soggy. Too little and it splatters. Just right and it will cook down and steam the outer leaves.

Pretty green half cabbages on a plate and I can't stop eating them. Yum. We have arrived.

A bag, already washed is only $1.99 at Trader Joe's - just so you know . . .

Single Man's Soup - A Stupid Simple Recipe

On yet another cold and rainy night in what is supposed to be sunny Los Angeles, I received a call from my BFF, celebrity hair stylist, Billy Lowe with a simple request. "Meg! I want soup tonight! Can you come over and make it here?"

Knowing my dear bachelor friend, I began to ask questions pertaining to cookware and basic food supplies to see just what I had to work with. There were no knives, no chopping board, no salt, no pepper, and no olive oil BUT, he did have a stock pot, an a couple of wooden spoons.

My love for a challenge in the kitchen was ignighted by this request. My passion for teaching the kitchen clueless also perked right up. I then set off to a nearby Trader Joes to pick up the ingredients.

Here's the recipe:

Single Man's Soup

1 bag chopped vegetables (we used Asian Stir Fry Vegetables)
1 bag chopped onion
1 box Just Chicken (cooked and ready to eat)
1 box Chicken Broth (organic, free range)
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or Olive Oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste

First we sauteed the onion in Earth Balance butter substitute. Next we added the whole bag of veggies followed by the entire box of broth. We then added salt and pepper until it tasted great. We brought that to a boil then turned it down to low to simmer for a few minutes. We both like our veggies to be a little bit crunchy so we didn't cook them for long. For the last few minutes, we added the entire box of Just Chicken. You want to add the chicken last so that it just gets heated and not over cooked as it will become tough. Next thing we knew, it was ready to eat.

With no soup ladle, Billy improvised, using a mug to scoop his soup out. He had one bowl that he insisted I use while he used a glass, two cup, measuring cup. We then sat down at his table (yes, he does have a table) and began to devour this hot, delicious, simple treat. And it was tasty. Billy gushed about it's goodness - from it's health value to it's flavor - all throughout the meal. He loved it so much, he had a second helping - also known as four cups of soup!

When asked if he would make this soup again on his own, Billy offerd an emphatic "Yes!" But, we both agreed it's a lot more fun to make it together.

You can find all of these ingredients in most super markets. At Trader Joes, the soup cost about $15.00 (including salt and pepper grinders).

For a Trader Joe's near you, click here.