BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Brussel sprouts look just like tiny cabbages. They really are very cute, but I've seen these cute little cabbages cooked into a bitter dark green globe of a mess.

Some people like to take a knife and make a cross in the rind, that's after you slice a bit off the rind and remove some loose outer leaves. The pro of the x is that the core will get a chance to cook with the leaves rather than after the leaves. The con is that it may crack the vegetable and cause a bad taste.

The leaves should be bright green when purchased and not stored more than a day in the fridge for best taste.

They can be boiled, or steamed, but take care not to overcook, that seems to be why they can get a bitter taste. The longer they cook the darker the leaves will get and the mushier the sprout.That is what you want to avoid. They should never be cooked longer than seven or ten minutes no matter what the cooking method is. They are done just before the leaves darken.

Brussel sprouts are an unusual vegetable because they have a lot of protein in them, but it is said to be an incomplete protein. If you have whole grains with them then you can make it complete. Other nutritional values are (for 1/2 cup cooked), calories 30, protein 2 grams, carbs 7 grams, fiber 2 grams, potassium 247 mg, vitamin C 48 mg, folate 47 mcg, vitamin A 561 IU.

IU stands for international unit and does not really have an American measurement equivalent, it more closely refers to the potency rather than weight or size.