Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Brussels sprouts never appealed to me until I came across a Brussels sprouts dish on the menu at one of the restaurants I frequent in Santa Fe. The Brussels sprouts tasted so delicious, I asked the young waiter, probably in his early thirties, if he could give me the recipe.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s the policy of the establishment not to give out proprietary recipes,” he said politely.

“No problem. I’ll figure out what’s in here and then try to reproduce it when I’m home,” I replied.

When the waiter returned to bring some condiments to our table, I looked up from my meal and blurted out, “Are you from Bozeman, Montana?” My dinner companions looked up in surprise. I immediately regretted asking such a silly question that seemed to come out of nowhere, bypassing my filters.

The waiter looked startled. “How did you know? Did someone tell you? Do we have friends in common?”

“No. I have no idea how I knew that.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No. I’m not kidding. That kind of thing happens to me now and then, ever since I got 51 platinum coils put in my head during brain surgery related to an accident. It’s as though I’m an antenna. Except that I can’t control the information I get. Most of it is not very useful.”

“Wait a second. I’ll be right back.” The waiter disappeared and within a few minutes returned with the recipe for the roasted Brussels sprouts, written in neat handwriting on a slip of yellow paper.

The following Thanksgiving, I prepared the roasted Brussels sprouts dish for my family and friends. The response was enthusiastic. Several people asked me for the recipe. The best part of all, it only took about 10 minutes of prep time, and about 40 minutes of cooking time. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Cut the Brussels sprouts lengthwise into halves or quarters, depending on the size of each sprout, enough to fill two packed quarts.
  • Two cups of lightly roasted pecans or raw pistachios
  • Two large avocados, sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Extra Virgin olive oil
  • The cloves from one bulb of garlic with the papery skin removed
  • One half stick of butter

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 365 degrees (higher heat will damage the olive oil)

  • Roast the Brussels sprouts in a baking dish with plenty of olive oil. Sprinkle on top 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Place the cloves of garlic and the slices of butter throughout the dish.
  • After about 40 minutes, when thoroughly roasted and tender, remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven and toss into the baking dish the lightly roasted pecans (or raw pistachios) and the chopped avocados.
  • Squeeze a lime and pour the juice on top for an added zing.

And that’s it!!! Very simple.

Not only is it delicious, it’s nutritious. Brussels sprouts come from the cruciferous family which includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, mustard greens, collard greens, and kale—to name just a few foods from this family.

Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They have various components that have been shown to lower the risk of cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, studies show that cruciferous vegetables have the ability to arrest the growth of tumors in the breast, lung, colon, liver, cervix and prostate.

One of the elements found in cruciferous vegetables is sulfur in the form of sulforaphane, a phytochemical that can stimulate enzymes in the body that detoxify carcinogens before they can cause damage to the DNA in the cells. Two other compounds found in cruciferous vegetables, crambene and indole 3-carbinol, are also known to activate detoxification enzymes in the liver.

Because we all have toxins stored in our bodies during these times we live in, and because we all face some level of risk for getting cancer, it makes sense for us to include cruciferous vegetables in our diets on a regular basis. Of course, if you’re sensitive or allergic to this family of foods, this recommendation would not apply to you.

This Brussels sprouts recipe includes fat, protein, and vegetables. The protein comes from the pecans and the fat comes from both the pecans and avocados. I encourage my patients to include some form of protein and beneficial fats with every meal to stabilize the blood sugar and maintain consistent energy levels, reduce food cravings, and for an overall sense of well-being.

Here’s to your good health!

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Comments

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe — 22 Comments

  1. I love this story Erica, especially how your supernatural powers got you the receipe 😀
    I got Brussels sprouts in our organic vegetable bag last week, and I worked them into a dish from Yotam Ottolenghi (do you know him)? I’m going to try this next time. Love!

  2. I just tried this recipe and it will definitely be part of the Thanksgiving feast that I am putting together. I may add dried cherries for some color and added pop.

  3. Thanks for this recipe. I made something slightly similar a few days ago—sprouts cut in half, added garlic and onion and then sauteed them. Lots of sulfur. I will try roasting–your way sounds delicious, though I would never have thought of the avocados.

  4. SO now you are an intuitive as well as a very smart doctor, eh? I personally have never liked brussel sprouts (the smell!), but this actually sounds good enough to try! I love all the cruciferous vegetables, and seem to crave broccoli and collard greens a lot, probably for the liver detoxing you talked about in your blog. Thanks for sharing the recipe and making it into a health education piece as well! So much for secret restaurant recipes!

  5. Erica, thanks so much. This is a keeper for sure, and I will make them…some of my favorite ingredients. I miss seeing you!

  6. Yummy!
    My daughter, Anne, does something similar to this…..just Brussels Sprouts, cut in half, spread on a baking/cookie sheet and drizzled with olive oil and some coarse sea salt.
    Put under broiler (not too close to the flame) for a few minutes…till the BS start to turn brown and Lo!
    They’re done.
    A far cry from the wretched, overcooked mess we were served as children. WHAT were our mothers thinking?

  7. thanks, erica, I do like brussels sprouts and have a great recipe, BUT this one is DIFFERENT, and I know IT WILL BE A HIT when I serve it. pat cameron (“relative” of Felicia)

  8. My partner Chris won’t touch Brussel sprouts, but I am going to make this anyway, and eat this scrumcious healthy side dish for Thanksgiving meal, because I love brussel sprouts!

    Love your story about turning lemons to lemonade, and becoming psychic in lieu of such a traumatic injury. I always knew you were special, this just adds another layer to just How Special you truly are!

    Many hugs and blessings to you!

  9. Wow this recipe sounds delicious. I love Brussels sprouts, but Ronnie not so much, can not get him to even try them since not liking them in childhood. So maybe this will do the trick. Thank you for sharing your discovery. Love and Hugs, Alice

  10. I loved the story!
    Funnily enough, yesterday I thought ‘I must find a recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts’ – and here it is!

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