Why I like this…
These aren’t your grandmother’s Brussels sprouts. When I first got married, my husband refused to eat Brussels sprouts. All he could think of were the colorless, overcooked things his mother made. When I started roasting them, he couldn’t believe that this was THE.SAME.VEGETABLE. While you can directly roast the sprouts without blanching first, this process fast-tracks the cooking process a bit and yields a tender sprout.
Why it matters…
If you want to reduce inflammation, you should know about advanced glycation end products or AGEs. AGEs can cause inflammation and impact cellular function. Vegetables are naturally low in AGEs, but how they are cooked can also create or reduce the amount of AGEs. Dry heat and high-heat cooking can increase the AGEs in food. Rather than directly roasting the Brussels Sprouts or sauteeing them in a pan, these are partially cooked using a low-AGE blanching method. While they are still roasted, they are (a) moist going in and (b) cooking at a higher heat for less time to reduce the AGEs. If you REALLY want to reduce the AGEs, you could blanche and then toss the sprouts with the garlic, oil, and red pepper and directly serve them.
Blanched and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1 lb 1 Brussel Sprouts
2 Tsp 2 Diced Garlic
1 Tbsp 1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp 1/4 Red Pepper Flakes
Directions
- Rinse Brussels sprouts. Then trim the ends off and cut them in half. If you cut an "X" or an "I" in the bottom of the sprout, the center area will cook more evenly. Also, trimming ahead of time can help prevent the sprout from absorbing too much water when cooking.
- Prepare a bowl of ice water big enough that you can put the blanched sprouts into it. Set this aside.
- Fill a large pot with water and a pinch of salt; bring this to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water is boiling, put the Brussels sprouts in and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer Brussels sprouts to a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process. Once cooled, drain and put on a tray, patting them dry. Put the bowl aside; you will use it again.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the dried Brussels Sprouts into the bowl and toss with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes.
- Place sprouts with the cut side down onto the parchment paper lined tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the cut side browns.
