When I was a little boy my mom would boil Brussels sprouts for dinner. They were always an ugly, dark, depleted-looking green monstrosity on my plate. I hated Brussels spouts with a passion, like only a little boy can. They tasted bitter and the more over-cooked they were, the more I despised them. They were my #2 least favourite vegetable with asparagus being the #1 Oh-my-God-I’m-gonna-hurl vegetable. Seriously, asparagus made me gag!

Thankfully I’ve long since learned how to properly cook both vegetables. It’s through the magic of cooking these veggies correctly that you can win over even the longest running Brussels spouts hater.

Roasted Brussels sprouts are now my favourite way to cook this super nutritious vegetable. There are many ways to add flavour while roasting them. My key ingredients are balsamic vinegar, a citrus like lemon, lime, or orange, and walnuts or pecans. I also prefer to roast them over boiling, since roasting will preserve more nutrients and the flavour simply can’t be beat.

Many years ago I was finally taught how to properly boil them by a chef friend of mine. The reason many people over-cook Brussels spouts is because they don’t score the stem (see my pictures, below). If you use a sharp paring knife to make a cross-cut deep enough into the core, the spouts will cook evenly all the way through — nor will you need to cook them as long. When you boil sprouts too long they turn bitter and unpleasant to the palette.

You can enjoy these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with any of the meat meals that I’ve posted as part of my How to Cook Meals in Bulk Series. For example,

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