Pan-Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Dried Cherries

I feel as if I’m just packing up from Christmas and all of a sudden it’s Valentine’s Day.  This is one holiday that seems to elude me year after year.  Perhaps it’s the three family birthdays in January that keep me from embracing it as much as I’d like, and perhaps it’s for this same reason that I enjoy St. Patrick’s Day so much -- I have time to prepare!  Since the food is so traditional when it comes to St. Pat’s, it’s hard to sneak in anything different without being the object of scorn, but this year I think I have come upon something that will be welcomed by guests and apt to become a requested side dish for all St. Pat’s dinners to come.  This year, I’ll be replacing the traditional cabbage with Brussels sprouts!

Now before you all turn up your noses, let me begin by saying that Brussels sprouts are a very much underappreciated vegetable, and I mean to put a stop to this.  Nutritious, Brussels sprouts contain Vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, and a hint of protein.  They are easy to prepare, will be a bright spot on the table, and this recipe will change your mind about how you think they taste.  I nearly ate then entire bowl myself when I tasted this recipe and will certainly be making it again.  I used dried tart cherries and didn’t bother to chop them up.  The sweet/tart flavor of the cherries was a delightful accompaniment to the sprouts and the pistachios gave it the perfect amount of crunch.

The recipe is straight out of the new cookbook 50 Best Plants on the Planet: The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, in 150 Delicious Recipes put out by Melissa’s Produce, and reproduced below.  If you’ve ever wondered how to fix a vegetable, any vegetable, this valuable resource will tell you how.  Get this book, you’ll thank me later.  Meanwhile, eat your sprouts!

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