Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts - the mere mention of which can send people screaming off into the night!
I believe this stems from a bad childhood experience. When I was a child I was told

they were baby cabbages. Now what kid wouldn't enjoy eating kid sized cabbages?
If you're not a fan of Brussel Sprouts - approach this recipe with an open mind - it took me three years before I could convince my wife to let me bring them into the house and now this recipe is one of her favorite vegetable recipes! If you like Brussel Sprouts, here's a twist on most traditional methods of preparing them.

Fresh Brussel Sprouts - depending on size about 6 per person
1 Medium Shallot, pealed & minced
1/2 Carrot pealed and shredded
2-3 Tablespoons or more of Chopped Italian (flat leaf) Parsley
1/4 - 1/2 cup of chicken Broth
Butter & Olive Oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan.
Salt & pepper to taste - typically you don't need additional seasoning.

Start by 'cleaning the brussel sprouts - cut the stem end a bit shorter and remove the loose leaves, resulting from the cut and removing any discolored leaves.
Cut the brussel sprout in half lengthwise through the stem - aim for cutting one of the attached leaves in half through it's stem, accuracy isn't important but it helps keep the leaves intact through the cooking process,

In a large shallow fry pan, have enough Olive Oil & Butter (50/50 mix) to generously coat the bottom of the pan, medium-high heat. Once the Oil and Butter mixture is hot, place the 1/2 sprouts cut side down in the pan. A good method is to place them in a circle starting at the outer edge of the pan and work your way towards the center. This helps you keep track of how long the halves have been in the pan. When the sprout's cut side becomes browned, flip them over. They should brown in the approximate order that you placed them in the pan.

When all of the halves have been flipped over, add the rest of the ingredients (Parsley, Shallot, Carrot, and Chicken Broth) place the lid on the pan and let them cook until tender.
Enjoy!

For Taste Sake
A julienne peeler is a handy tool to shred the carrot, if you don't have one, you can use a conventional vegetable peeler. Use the peeler to produce long thin strips. Lay the strips on top of each other, cut the strips in half lengthwise then cut those halves lengthwise into as many strips as you can.

Chicken Broth can be replaced with a Chicken Bouillon and water mixture.

If you're not familiar with shallot, it's in the onion family, they are a small member of the onion family with a nutty flavor. Shallots are a bit more expensive than an onion. Onion can be substituted but the flavor will be a bit different.

I've tried to keep this recipe healthy. My brother in-law takes my recipe and puts a cube of butter in - how could you go wrong?