That is my explanation of two brussel sprout recipes in a row. I am happy to discover I am wrong, and am reveling in my new found delight that there is food outside the realm of sugar-y processed goodness. If you think I am joking, I will have you know I ate nothing but Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese and ten spoons of cookie dough nuked in the microwave and smothered in milk for an ENTIRE WINTER last year. I've come a long way, baby.
This brussel sprout dish I recently ate at the uber fabulous SLS hotel in Los Angeles. I don't usually go to such swanky places, but on this occasion I did, and of all the amazing things I ate, the sprouts were my favorite. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the recipe, and here it is- scaled down and sans the 'lemon air'. When you order this dish, it comes with what looks like foamy soap bubbles on top. Its lemon air. if you want to know more, check it out here. There is a video to walk you through it as well.
Makes one serving- You will have to do the math for each person you plan to serve
3 oz. Brussels Sprout Leaves (organic, or from your local farmer's market)
you have to pull the leaves off the stalk-y bit...I had to cut a little off the stalk to get the leaf to come loose, and as you go in further you may find you need to cut it again- they should look like this-
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| Its upside down, I don't know how to reverse it, but that is some amazing Himalayan sea salt next to the brussel leaves |
1 T. sliced Green Grapes (or whole champagne grapes)
(I got the champagne grapes- if you can get those- Trader Joe's has them- they are your best bet)
1 T. Lemon Pith
(What the hell is pith??? I'll tell you. Its the bitter white stuff on the inside of a citrus peel. You don't have to use this but yo ucan. I scraped it off with a knife.)
1 T. Granny Smith Apple (medium dice)
2 T. Sherry Vinaigrette (sherry vinegar + olive oil)
(red wine vinegar will do just as well, you won't taste the difference unless you are some kind of vinegar aficionado)
1 tsp. Dried Apricot (medium dice)
(Yes, these are plain old dried apricots- you can usually get them at your local farmer's market)
1 tsp. Chives
Lemon Zest
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| The Radical Recipe Laboratory in Full swing, Yo! |
1. Trim the Brussels sprouts.
2. Put water on to boil
3. dice into small squares the apple and the dried apricot (make the apricot bigger squares, its hard to cut precisely) chop chives, and put all in a small bowl with the grapes.
4. Mix vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl
5. Put a teaspoon of salt in the water (I prefer Himalayan sea salt- its the best)
6. Blanch Brussels sprouts leaves for 60seconds in boiling salted water.
(I would take them out with a big spoon and put in a big colander- bite one- if it doesn't sort of melt in your mouth and is still rubbery, blanch them a little while longer)
7. Place in mixing bowl with apricots, apples, grapes, chives, and sherry vinaigrette. Mix well. Add a little sea salt.
5. Place lemon pith puree on bottom of bowl and pour brussels sprouts mix
NOW EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A GREEN GODDAMN! BECAUSE YOU DO!
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| I couldn't wait, so here is a picture of my half eaten brussel sprout dish. So freaking good I could slap my grandma! |
So the skinny on brussel sprouts is... they are extremely nutrient dense. The more you eat, the less likely it is you will succumb to a variety of ills. And since we are all endeavoring to avoid GMOs- you can safely make this dish from locally grown produce and a couple of condiments from TJ's. Hell to the yeah! Its very sexy to know how to whip together a tasty dish of pure goodness. It will wow your friends and impress your neighbors. And you will be giving a little FU to the bad guys at Monsanto!
BENEFITS OF BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Cholesterol
The high fiber content (over 15% of our RDA) of Brussels sprouts lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to do so, ultimately lowering the cholesterol amount within our bodies.
DNA
Recent studies have shown that certain compounds in Brussels sprouts block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that can be detrimental to the health and stability of DNA within white blood cells.
Antioxidants
A host of antioxidant ingredients are found in Brussels sprouts, including Vitamins C, E, and A, as well as the mineral manganese. Furthermore, flavonoid antioxidants like isorhamnetin, quercitin, and kaempferol also serve well to protect against oxidative stress on the body's cells.
Inflammation
Glucobrassicin, a glucosinolate particularly abundant in Brussels sprouts, has been shown to fight inflammation on a genetic level once converted into the molecule indole-3-carbinol, or ITC. Furthermore, one and a half cups of Brussels sprouts contain about 430 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids (about ⅓ of the daily recommended amount) that are an essential part of our body's anti-inflammatory messaging molecules. Finally, the wealth of vitamin K found in Brussels sprouts has been shown to effectively regulate our body's inflammatory responses.
Cancer Prevention
Glucosinolates in Brussels sprouts and their detox-activating isothiocyanates are shown to fight against and even prevent various cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer.
Cardiovascular Support
Brussels sprouts contain the isothiocyanate sulforaphane made from glucosinolates. This powerful compounds not only triggers anti-inflammatory activity in our cardiovascular system but may also prevent and even possibly help reverse blood vessel damage. By regulating inflammation within the body, Brussels sprouts can fight against the onset of heart attacks, ischemic heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, the lowered cholesterol mentioned earlier may also lessen the possibility of arterial blockage.
Digestion and Diet
One cup of Brussels sprouts contains four grams (16% of the RDA) of dietary fiber, which can aid in digestion, prevent constipation, maintain low blood sugar and check overeating. The sulforaphane found in Brussels spouts also protects our stomach lining by obstructing the overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that can lead to gastric cancer.
Vitamin K
Brussels sprouts are especially high in vitamin K (one cup contains 273.5% of the RDA), which promotes healthy bones, prevents calcification of the body’s tissues, serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, and is essential for proper brain and nerve function.
The nutritional benefits of vitamin C (one cup contains over 161% of the RDA) found in Brussels sprouts ensure a healthy immune system, ward against hyper tension, lower blood pressure, fight lead toxicity, combat cataracts, and serve as a powerful antioxidant that prevents “cellular rust,” which can lead to atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Vitamin A Brussels sprouts also contains over 20% of the RDA of vitamin A that boosts immunity, protects eyes against cataracts and macular degeneration, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs. Folate A biochemical event called the methylation cycle relies on folate to properly transcribe DNA, transform norepinephrine into adrenalin, as well as transform serotonin into melatonin. Furthermore, folate suppresses the amino acid homocysteine that has been shown to contribute to heart disease. One cup of Brussels sprouts contains a healthy dose of folate (almost 25% of the RDA) and the health benefits associated with it.
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