If there’s one thing I’ve learned during almost 14 years of parenting, it’s that if you want your kids to eat vegetables, get them into the kitchen to cook them. Last week I was about to toss some Brussels sprouts into the oven to roast when my daughter stopped me:
“Please don’t cook them in the oven!”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t like them that way. Cook them in a skillet.”
“Okay, Smartypants. Any other suggestions?”
“Add mushrooms, lots of mushrooms.”
“Maybe you should just do this by yourself.”
She didn’t, of course. Trimming Brussels sprouts is much more tedious than designing a recipe, so I did most of the work under E’s direction. We added an entire box of mushrooms (“the best part”) to the Brussels sprouts with garlic, onion, and black pepper as the only seasonings. And you know what? E actually ate 2 helpings. I may put her in charge of all the side dishes from now on.
E's Super-Awesome Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 small onion , quartered and thinly sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms (baby bella or button), sliced
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the dry ends off the sprouts and then cut them in half. Prepare the remaining vegetables and heat a non-stick skillet. Have the vegetable broth standing by.
- Put the onions into the hot skillet and give them a sprinkle of salt (optional, but speeds browning). Stirring constantly, adding a teaspoon or two of broth to the skillet if the onions stick, cook until the onions begin to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and more broth if necessary, and cook for another minute. Remove onions and garlic to a plate and return the skillet to the heat.
- Put the sprouts into the skillet, cut side down. Cook until they begin to brown and then add in the mushrooms and stir. Cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently. Add about 1/2 cup vegetable broth and the reserved onions, stir, turn down the heat, and cover tightly. Cook until the sprouts are tender and easily pierced with a fork, 3-5 minutes, adding more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, garnished with grated orange peel, if desired.
Nutritional info is approximate.
More Brussels Sprouty Goodness:
Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry
Brussels Sprouts and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts Two Ways
Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Apples from 101 Cookbooks
Chipotle Chili With Sweet Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts from Post-Punk Kitchen
Brussels Sprouts Roasted with Lime and Garlic from get sconed
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Persimmons and Walnuts from wasabimon.com (vegan option)
Marta
February 21, 2011 at 2:05 pmThese look amazing! I love brussels sprouts, but only when they’re cooked until tender. I’m looking forward to trying these! I’m hoping my family will be brave enough to do so, or should I say, my husband will be brave enough. 🙂 Mushrooms should help! 🙂
Wendy (Healthy Girl's Kitchen)
February 21, 2011 at 2:15 pmBrussels sprouts are my absolute favorite vegetable. They have the same effect on me that candy does–once I start I don’t want to stop!!!! Thanks for a beautiful preparation of them!
Tracy
February 21, 2011 at 2:41 pmThese Brussels sprouts look super delicious. Mushrooms were a stroke of genius!
Lauren Adeline
February 21, 2011 at 3:54 pmThis looks so delicious. I know what I’m making tonight! Thank you for sharing.
Anna
February 21, 2011 at 5:22 pmSusan, how do you roast your brussel sprouts in the oven without oil? Just dry? Or do you add broth?
SusanV
February 21, 2011 at 5:29 pmI spray them very lightly with olive oil, so it’s not completely fat-free but close. I find that they burn too easily without any oil.
Emma
February 25, 2011 at 2:41 amI suppose it’s not so much roasting as steaming, but I find that Brussels sprouts turn out juicy and delicious in a clay cooker. No oil needed.
Jeanette
February 21, 2011 at 6:09 pmBrussels sprouts are so good for you. I usually roast them. I’ve never made them with mushrooms, but I’ll have try this combination. Looks good!
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner
February 21, 2011 at 6:15 pmBrussel Sprouts bring back so many memories for me. I’ve been wanting to try them roasted — this sounds INCREDIBLE! 🙂 Thanks! 😀
Celestial Season
February 21, 2011 at 7:22 pmThat sounds really good! We’ll have to try it for dinner tonight! 🙂
Gwen~healthymamma
February 21, 2011 at 7:40 pmSo true! I let my kids pick out which color lentils, type of beans and veggies they want at the market and they are much more enthusiastic to eat “their” groceries.
I love brussels and adore mushrooms! Yum!
Mary (what's cookin' with mary)
February 21, 2011 at 8:08 pmB-sprouts and mushrooms are two of my most favorite veggies. This is a great idea E! Thank you 😉
Sara A.
February 21, 2011 at 8:17 pmI do this all the time! Yummy yummy! It was the first dish that got my boyfriend to realize he likes brussels sprouts.
Usually when I cook it, I will top with a little nutritional yeast or chopped almonds or cashews, though. Or I’ll add it to quinoa with a little lemon juice and maybe some tomatoes and make it the main dish.
Krista
February 21, 2011 at 9:42 pmI have developed a new love of brussel sprouts in the last year or so. It did take a bit of courage to try them again after having had them cooked to death when I was a child–yecchh! Now I cannot get enought of them! One of my fave ways to have them is to roast them with mushrooms, minced garlic, dried cranberries, and coarsely ground sea salt, coated with olive oil. I love how they brown–yum!
April at Kitchen-Blender-Reviews
February 22, 2011 at 9:47 pmFunny how Brussels Sprouts do that to a person. I seem to love them more and more every time I cook them. I started out cooking them only because I knew I should. Now I really really like them. 🙂
Lately I have been steaming them with nothing but water and air! Lovely and so tasty! I will give them cranberries a try. I am sure they will look delicious together…the colors. Thanks for the idea Krista.
virtual.jess
February 22, 2011 at 12:38 amThis is exactly how I do mine… Except I thinly slice my sprouts and finish with a bit of dry white wine. Delicious.
Erin
February 22, 2011 at 1:01 amWhat a cute story about E! Love it 🙂
ClenbuTerol
February 22, 2011 at 5:18 amI admit it, they look awesome, but they could use some real butter.
mmm… the taste…
Sarah (Flavoropolis)
February 22, 2011 at 5:37 amThis looks great – I’ve never made brussels sprouts in a skillet but from the directions it sounds like a great way to cook them. In the oven I find they often end up overcooked or undercooked, plus they take forever. The skillet sounds like a superior method, I’ll have to try it.
It’s awesome that you’re getting your daughter involved in cooking at such a young age! It’s such a valuable life skill, I would have eaten much healthier if I’d known how to cook as a teen.
Diane
February 22, 2011 at 10:21 amI don’t hink any brussel sprout recipe can top your Brussel Sprouts with Lemon Mustard Sauce. My whole family just devours them, even my picky son in law who doesn’t even like them. I have never had better ones. If your readers haven’t tried them, I urge them to do so……..Keep em’ comin.
SusanV
February 22, 2011 at 10:24 amThanks! I love those too! Here’s the link for anyone who’s interested: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/02/brussels-sprouts-two-ways.html
t
February 22, 2011 at 10:24 amOooh sounds like a combo of two of my favorite things! Can’t wait to try.
sweet road
February 22, 2011 at 11:26 amOh this looks good! I’ve never done brussel sprouts with mushrooms, I usually roast them with rosemary and sometimes almonds and apple… really good… but this makes me want to try something a bit more savory!
stephanie
February 22, 2011 at 1:20 pmThat is very funny, I just posted oven roasted Brussles sprouts. I have never had them any other way, I will have to give yours a try!
Juan
February 22, 2011 at 3:18 pmI wants wondering what’s the taste like of your sprouts. When my wife prepare the sprouts, she only boil it and add a little bit of sugar.
Gluten Free Diva
February 22, 2011 at 9:00 pmSuch a simple dish, but so delicious. Though I prefer them roasted, for expediency sake, I tend to cook them just like E suggested. And they’re delicious, even when panfried. I’ll have to try the mushroom addition. Nice though!
Jo
February 22, 2011 at 11:33 pmDelicious!! We’ve been indulging in brussel sprouts all winter and tend to stick to the same (now boring) recipes. Mushrooms! Yum!
Angie's Recipes
February 23, 2011 at 3:16 amOne of my absolutely favourite veggies! Haven’t tried them with the mushrooms though…thanks for sharing it!
Angie
Gena
February 23, 2011 at 7:57 pmI’ve always anticipated the moment when E’s recipes start to pop up! This is a great one.
Aidee
February 24, 2011 at 10:21 amI never new how to do brussels! Such a yummy and simple recipe, I may be doing this for dinner tonight! 🙂
Betty
February 24, 2011 at 10:36 amMy husband made this recipe last night and it was wonderful! The dish was so savory and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!
Melisser
February 24, 2011 at 12:53 pmAw, that sounds lovely! I like skillet Brussels too.
Sammie
February 24, 2011 at 10:38 pmI fear brussel sprouts. But hearing that your kids can enjoy them makes me feel like a wuss and they look really appetizing!
laloofah
February 25, 2011 at 8:14 pmWhat serendipity! I’d bought just over a pound of brussels sprouts on Tuesday and received this post in my email the next day. We’d planned to steam them and have them with chia seeds and walnut dressing the way we always do, but decided to give E’s recipe a try instead. It’s brilliant! E’s brilliant! 🙂 Simple to prepare and wonderfully flavorful, this is now a new favorite way to enjoy brussels sprouts. Thank you E and Susan, what a great culinary team you are!
I loved veggies as a kid but loathed brussels sprouts. It was only a year or so ago that a few friends (and many vegan bloggers) convinced me that the sprouts of my youth were loathsome because they’d been overcooked and I needed to give them another chance. Glad I did!
Azahara
February 27, 2011 at 3:32 pmMy mom never cooked Brussels sprouts, so I’ve discovered them as a young adult. I’ve just been eating them for about 2 years, thanks to the great ideas found in your blog, and I must say I love them to the point that I spend many a winter Sunday afternoon trimming, blanching and freezing sprouts so that I can also have them in the summer.
I always cook mine in the skillet, with dried basil and veggie broth, and combine them with a base of millet boiled with a little dried oregano. I also add caramelized onion (done without oil, à la SusanV!), some chickpeas, and mushrooms–usually “camagrocs” (cf. http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camagroc) or porcini, both if which can be easily dried. On top of all that, I throw in lightly roasted sunflower seeds, raw walnuts and a Tbsp. of ground flaxseed, which gives the dish a hearty nutty flavor.
It’s a huge portion, I know, but it’s just a bit over 600 calories (I’m a bit underweight, so I really need them) and it’s highly nutritious and healthy. I simply love it! And I guess it would also make a nice kid-friendly dish.
Azahara
February 27, 2011 at 3:39 pm-I think the link I provided doesn’t quite work. Here you have another one:
http://ichn.iec.cat/bages/pinedes/camagroc.htm
-Also, I meant “ON your blog.” Sorry!
A (Nearly Vegan)
February 27, 2011 at 11:06 pmAh this was delicious and perfectly simple! Thanks!!! I love expanding my vegan options!
Florian @ frenchyscuisine.com
February 28, 2011 at 12:45 pmLooks nice, Brussels sprouts are difficult to cook or too ad in a recipe, a few people like those :/
Josh Cole
March 1, 2011 at 7:46 amThey are definitely better in a skillet. I agree with your daughter 100%.
Christopher Kandrat
March 1, 2011 at 11:59 amBrussel sprouts are one of my favorite things of all times, Hopefully I get to make this soon.
Carlo
March 1, 2011 at 6:57 pmThe brussels sprouts’ color looks perfect, awesome! 🙂
Mrsflex
March 2, 2011 at 7:15 pmThis was good though I still prefer brussels sprouts oven roasted. I really enjoyed the mushroom/onion combo with the sprouts. Thanks for another good variation on brussels sprouts. ~Leslie
Hilncore
March 3, 2011 at 10:26 amThank you for this simple and time saving recipe!!