Bacon & Pomegranate Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe - Life Love Liz (2024)

FAQs

What pairs well with roasted brussel sprouts? ›

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Serving Suggestions

Serve them plain, simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or dress them up! Drizzle them with a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and toss them with feta or Parmesan cheese, herbs, red pepper flakes, and nuts or pepitas.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

Brussel sprouts are roasted in lots of oil, then topped with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and honey. It's that sweet, fatty, cheesy combo that makes it taste good!

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of Brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, Brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids. The rub is that glucosinolates help protect sprouts against pests.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

If your Brussels sprouts are not crispy, you likely crowded the pan, causing the Brussels sprouts to steam instead of roast as there wasn't room for air to circulate. Cut in Half to Roast. To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half.

When we think about which meats go with Brussels sprouts, bacon usually comes to mind first. Upgrade that to prosciutto, add poultry and fish to the list, and leave room on the menu for steak.

Like other cruciferous veggies, Brussels sprouts have a type of carbohydrate that your body can't easily break down. This can cause you to have belly pain, gas, and either diarrhea or constipation.

Brussel Sprouts

They stimulate detox enzymes found in the liver and may also be protective to cells. This enzyme action helps remove toxins from the blood and support the liver. Brussels sprouts also contain antioxidants that prevent cell damage.

Side effects of eating raw Brussels sprouts

They contain an indigestible fiber called raffinose, which can be tough on the stomach. When bacteria in your large intestine try to break this and other indigestible fibers down, they produce gases like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane ( 9 , 10 ).

The key is to start with a cold skillet.

Put the butter and olive oil into the cold skillet, turn the heat to high, and when your nose picks up the brown-butter smell and the butter starts turning golden brown, toss the ribbons of Brussels sprouts into the skillet. They'll come out crunchy and delicious.

Which country eats the most brussel sprouts? ›

Containing more vitamin C than an orange and with just eighty calories in a half pound, Britons eat more of them than any other European country, around 40,000 tonnes a year — and yes, we do eat them all year round. Two-thirds of Brussels sprout consumption in the UK is outside of the festive season.

With all of these benefits, you may be wondering if it's okay to eat Brussels sprouts every single day. Rifkin's expert opinion is that it's safe to do so, but you also want to make sure you're eating other nutrient-rich foods too.

But it turns out, my tastebuds didn't change. I recently discovered that brussels sprouts truly do taste better now than when I was a kid, thanks to science. About 30 years ago, a Dutch scientist identified the chemicals that made brussels sprouts bitter.

A Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn, who worked at a seed and chemical company, figured out exactly which chemical compounds in Brussels sprouts made them bitter. The next step was to plant sprouts with the least amount of these chemicals and eventually cross-pollinate the chemicals out.

Brussels sprouts are a member of the brassica family, which includes mustard and turnips, so it's hardly surprising that there's pungent possibility lurking within those tiny leaves. You want to cook them in ways that encourage the sweet possibilities.

There's nothing wrong with soft and chewy Brussels, but if your goal is the type of crispy Brussels that they're serving at your favorite bistro you MUST thoroughly dry the surface of the sprouts before sautéing and/or roasting them. If they are wet they will steam instead of crisp. Surface area is your friend!

Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious addition to your diet. They may also come with added health benefits, including decreased inflammation and improved immune system health.

To cut through the strong flavor of Brussels sprouts try adding lemon juice, a tangy Dijon mustard, a splash of dry white wine, cider vinegar, or a drizzle of your favorite salad dressing.

Roast 'em! Our two rules: place and space! Place them cut side down to create that slightly crunchy exterior and soft interior. Space them out evenly so they don't steam–a crowded sheet pan party is not where your brussels want to be.