Salad spruce-up pt.2

This post seems quite appropriate considering my recent adventures in ending a salad rut and finding confidence in preparing brussels sprouts on my own. I bring to you: The Super Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

1/2lb brussels sprouts, grated in a (not for)cheese grater

1 handful alfalfa sprouts

Sprinkle of flax and/or sunflower seeds for added protein and crunch

Sweet Mustard Miso Dressing:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup (I only used 1 because I used sweet white miso and found it to be sweet enough)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste (omitted this because the miso was salty enough for me)
Filtered water, as necessary

Also bellow are 5 ways to break out of your salad rut via thekitchn

1) A Sprinkle of Cocoa Nibs: I first started using a sprinkling of cocoa nibs on top of my salads this summer. While you'd think it would lend an odd sweetness to a salad, because of their slightly bitter nuttiness, they provide a really nice toasty, savory element. And a welcome crunch.

2) Mix Up Your Greens: It's easy to get in a rut when it comes to salad greens. We know which greens we like and we continue to buy them. Maybe you're a butter lettuce gal or a strictly romaine kind of guy, but next time you're at the market, choose a spicy arugula or watercress to change things up a bit.

3) Try a New Ingredient: I recently had a dinner party with a handful of good friends here in the Bay Area and we prepared a salad with fennel and mushrooms. Both the fennel and mushrooms were sliced paper thin and we dressed it with a simple dash of olive oil, lemon and good sea salt. It was a most welcome change from a more typical green salad. Now when I'm at the market, I've been picking up fennel or a persimmon or something I don't typically use in salads just to experiment with something new.

4) Herbs, Herbs, Herbs: My dad adds chopped cilantro to virtually every green salad he makes. After falling in love with salads at his house, I've tried adding chopped Italian parsley, chives or dill. Herbs are an easy, wonderful (and healthy) way to liven up any tired salad.

5) Hello there, mandolin: In addition to trying new greens or ingredients in a salad, slicing or prepping your vegetables in a new way will make you feel like you're experiencing an entirely new kind of salad. Try slicing your vegetables paper thin or as matchsticks on a mandolin. Or do the exact opposite and keep things robust and chunky. Visually, you'll trick your palate into thinking you're onto something totally new.

master of the sprouts

I have a confession to make. I love brussels sprouts. Ok, that' t not the confession. I'm a little ashamed to say that until now, I had never cooked my own brussels sprouts. I think I tried a while back but they never came out nearly as good as my moms, which are a spin-off of the Whole Foods prepared brussels. If you have never had them, let me tell you that these things are better than candy and are HIGHLY addictive. They manage to make them perfectly charred and crunchy on the outside yet mushy melty in your mouth on the inside. I have a feeling that their technique may involve 20lbs of oil and 2 tons of salt, but I like to think that they taste so good because of the love and effort involved in the slow, attentive roasting process. But I'm pretty sure its because the pint I indulge in sparingly contains the caloric intake of entire days worth of food.

Enough rambling about my gluttonous cruciferous'. So when I found a whole branch? of organic brussels for only $2 at the farmers market, I couldn't turn them down. While I was tempted to bring them over to my moms apartment as a gift/ beg her to cook them up for me, I decided to give it a go on my own.

I began by plucking each sprout and then slicing them in half. Then I placed them in my fun confetti bowl and gave them a nice rinse.
I then heated a bit of coconut oil in a pan and placed the brussels, cut side down, in it. I let them char there for a bit. I really wanted to get that yummy burnt affect they have going on with the Whole Foods variety, just minus all the yucky useless fats from oxidized, cheap oils. A sprinkle of himalayan salt helped them cook down without adding oil. While these babies were crisping away, I made a little dressing from:

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Maple Syrup

2 T Dijon Mustard

After about 5-7 minutes, I poured the dressing over the brussels and let it cook into them for an additional two minutes. Make sure to mix well so that it gets evenly distributed.

Oh my god. So freaking good! I could have eaten a whole pound of these things. No really, I could, and not have to worry about my cholesterol levels skyrocketing!

Lesson learned: Don't be intimidated by recipes you think are too good to tackle. Instead, get inspired by them and pull from them ideas and make them your own.