Thursday, November 1, 2012

Loving That Man Of Mine

You might not think that serving Brussels sprouts to My Beloved, who is lukewarm about them at best, is a loving gesture, but let me explain. You see, Brussels sprouts are good for him, filled with vitamins and fiber, and I want him to have all those benefits to keep him strong and virile. Plus, they taste good - well, at least, to me they do. Inexplicably, he doesn't see it my way, so I have made it my life's work to convince him - in a loving way, of course.

So, last week, I tried yet another way of fixing Brussels sprouts, trying to tempt his taste buds. This one was a big success.  First, I crisped thin strips of prosciutto in the smallest possible driz of olive oil, then set them aside. Into the same pan, I added a dollop of butter and about 15 cleaned and halved Brussels sprouts. Over medium heat, I let the cut sides of the sprouts just begin to brown, then added about 1/4 cup of chicken broth to the pan, covered it and let the little green half spheres braise on very gentle heat for about 20 minutes while we watched the first half of the final game of the World Serious. How about them Giants! Sweep!

When I returned to tend the pan, the sprouts had gone beyond the bright green range into the army green range, so I was worried. However, I drained out the tad of liquid left in the pan, piled them on our plates and sprinkled them with the crisp prosciutto.

I thought they were delicious, truly delicious!  The chicken broth seems to have gentled that bitter cabbage flavor that many object to and the fun texture and taste of the prosciutto added flavor and interest to the dish. I don't see how anyone could object and, in fact, he didn't - he just smiled a weak little smile and admitted, "Well, that's an improvement."

Clearly, not a home run this time, more like a base hit. I traded him half of my hamburger for the rest of his sprouts and we both ended the evening in a good mood.


9 Comments:

Blogger Greg said...

Add pork product and butter and it makes anything taste better :)

Thursday, November 01, 2012  
Blogger Toons said...

Wow! The Darling Rebecca and I have the same situation. She likes them a lot and I can't seem so be able to sneak them past my tonsils. Maybe more pork is the answer?

Thursday, November 01, 2012  
Anonymous jann said...

Base hit beats a strike out, so keep trying.

Thursday, November 01, 2012  
Blogger Nancy Ewart said...

You are getting there - maybe next time bacon? Of course, if you are trying to watch cholestérol, then bacon isn't the best cboice but I love a stir fry of bacon, sliced ginger, garlic, shallots and Brussel Sprouts. I steam the sprouts until they are barely done then toss them in the other ingredients. Squeeze a lemon over them and bring to the table.

Thursday, November 01, 2012  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Greg, you're right about that!

Toons, maybe it's a guy thing?

Jann, I will continue to try, despite the lukewarm reception...

Nancy, interesting ingredients for your stir fry - do you slice the sprouts thinly so they cook quickly?

Friday, November 02, 2012  
Blogger Nancy Ewart said...

Yes, I do and core out the bottom a bit because there where it's bitter. The ginger and lemon also help smooth out the bitterness.

Friday, November 02, 2012  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Nancy, thanks for the info. Happy eating!

Friday, November 02, 2012  
Blogger Ms Brown Mouse said...

I am still working on Mr Brown with sprouts :)

Saturday, November 03, 2012  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Ms Brown Mouse, welcome back! So nice to hear from you! Hope Mr. Brown had a fine trip to the US and good sailing! Do tell, via email if you prefer...

Saturday, November 03, 2012  

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