Brussels Sprouts.  The greatest little vegetable in the whole wide world.

Really.

I loved brussels sprouts back when the only way I ever saw them was from a frozen square box.  Even over-cooked and mushy they were great.

And then one day I found them fresh.  Brussels sprouts could actually have a crunch  when cooked!  What a revelation!  My love affair deepened.  I tried them any number of different ways.  And I liked them all.

Boiled, broiled, roasted, steamed, or fried… no matter how you do ’em, I’m there.  For years, I was hooked on brussels sprouts in a mustard sauce.  Then I went into a rut with balsamic vinegar.  Lately, I’ve been slicing them really thin and sauteing them.

Tonight, I cut two slices of bacon into matchsticks and fried the shredded/sliced brussels sprouts with the bacon – and a pinch of salt and pepper.  They were outrageously good.

For folks who aren’t huge brussels sprouts fans, slicing/shredding the sprouts turns them into a much sweeter vegetable.  They lose a lot of that bitter cabbagy taste that many dislike.

And, of course, the fresher the better…

And speaking of fresh…  Did you know that brussels sprouts grow on stalks?!?   The picture above is about half the stalk I started with. With easily 3 1/2 pounds of sprouts on a stalk, it’s a bit of a commitment for two people.  I may just blanch and freeze some.

And here’s what a cup of Brussels Sprouts will give you:

Only 60 calories without anything on them.  Bacon does add calories and fat.  Go figure.

Nutrient

Amount

%  RDV

Nutrient Density

vitamin K 218.80 mcg 273.5 80.9
vitamin C 96.72 mg 161.2 47.7
folate 93.60 mcg 23.4 6.9
vitamin A 1121.64 IU 22.4 6.6
manganese 0.35 mg 17.5 5.2
dietary fiber 4.06 g 16.2 4.8
potassium 494.52 mg 14.1 4.2
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0.28 mg 14 4.1
tryptophan 0.04 g 12.5 3.7
vitamin B1 (thiamin) 0.17 mg 11.3 3.4
omega 3 fatty acids 0.26 g 10.8 3.2
iron 1.87 mg 10.4 3.1
phosphorus 87.36 mg 8.7 2.6
protein 3.98 g 8 2.4
magnesium 31.20 mg 7.8 2.3
vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0.12 mg 7.1 2.1
vitamin E 1.33 mg 6.7 2
copper 0.13 mg 6.5 1.9
calcium 56.16 mg 5.6 1.7

As for the rest of dinner…

I took a small pork tenderloin and cut it into six pieces.  I dipped them in an egg and then rolled them in chopped pecans.  Into a skillet they went and I browned one side, flipped them, browned the other a bit, and then put thye skillet into a hot oven for about 10 minutes.

Perfectly cooked.

The potato was a yellow sweet potato mixed with a bit of melted butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of allspice.  Into a hot oven for about 25 minutes.

No baseball tonight.  It’s a travel day to Texas.

Maybe I’ll get to bed at a decent hour, tonight.  But not before the peanut butter cookies Victor made for dessert.

More on those later…..