I know what you’re thinking: peanut butter and Brussels sprouts??? Weird…
But please trust me on this one. Give this quick recipe a try, then thank me later. All you need is about ten minutes and six ingredients, and you have an amazing side dish that your kids may even love!
The inspiration for this recipe came from the food magazine, Palate, which did a feature on Southern cuisine. One article described a restaurant in Houston, TX (does Texas really count as Southern?), which is famous for its peanut butter Brussels sprouts. I had barely finished the article before I was planning this recipe in my head.
Many people don’t like Brussels sprouts because they’ve only had the frozen/reheated version. Overcooking sprouts makes them bitter, which is why most kids end up feeding them to the dog. It was not until I tried sprouts roasted that I really realized how delicious they can be. After that, I was hooked. If I see them on a restaurant menu, I definitely order them (unless they’re covered in cheese and bacon)!
If you’ve never cooked raw Brussels sprouts before, the best way to prepare them is to start by tossing them into a bowl of fresh water and letting them sit for a few minutes (this kills any little bugs that might be hiding inside them). Obviously, if you buy the sprouts still on the stalk, you have to cut them off first, but usually you can buy them in a one-pound bag in the produce section of your grocery store. After they have soaked, trim the stalky brown end and remove the loose outer leaves. Now they are ready to be halved or quartered, depending on the recipe you’re using (I prefer quartered for this recipe).
- 1 T. coconut oil or olive oil (or a splash of water if avoiding oil)
- ½ lb. Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 T. natural peanut butter (unsalted)
- 2 T. golden raisins
- Few dashes hot sauce (optional)
- Pinch sea salt (optional)
- Melt oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sprouts and cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and squeeze lemon juice over sprouts. Add raisins and stir in peanut butter and hot sauce.
- Taste and add more lemon juice or salt, if needed.
- Serve as a side to just about any meal, or sit and devour the entire bowl like I did 🙂
I can’t get over how easy and delicious this dish is! I will be telling all of my friends and family to try it ASAP, so prepare yourselves!
I barely made it through the photo shoot before eating the whole bowl. These sprouts are that good.
Try them and let me know what you think!
Leave a Reply