Brussels Sprouts are evil.
This vegetable with its seemingly innocent disguise as cute Barbie sized cabbages are single handily to blame for one of the darkest periods in my life and positioning me as Bad Mummy. Let me explain.
My meal philosophy has always been that I will not be a short order cook to my family. As soon as my 2 boys were old enough to eat “solids”, they were given the same meal as what my husband and I would enjoy. Sure, I would mush up the carrots, fish or puree the chicken, but in essence they ate what we ate.
This worked exceptionally well with my first son who readily ate anything and everything that was put in front of him, including the odd piece of Play Dough. People would marvel at his appetite as a toddler for curries and exotic fish but hey, what the heck did they think children of other cultures ate? Certainly not a steady diet of PB & J! It’s all in what I trained his palette for, or at least I thought so.
I remember thinking I was the queen of all mother cooks and would put a commiserating look on my face but smile smugly internally when other moms would moan about their need to cook 4 different meals. They just weren’t strong enough to say no I would say to myself.
Well, flash forward a few years and my second son decided I needed to be dethroned. Just like flipping a switch, he went from enjoying all vegetables to refusing anything remotely healthy especially the “icky green ones”. Our dinner table became the Battle of the Brussels Sprouts.
After 1 year of me cajoling, screaming, crying and turning into the nastiest Mummy on the face of the plant, I had an epiphany. I realized that the battle was not about the Brussels Sprouts but about the power of the battle. He knew that the dinner table had become his domain and he thrived on the attention, negative as it was. I let go of my need to fight with him and stopped worrying that he would starve by not eating his dinner (good ol’ mother guilt).
I calmly and simply told him that if he didn’t want to eat, he could be excused from the table but needed to go away and not bother the rest of the family who were trying to enjoy a nice dinner together and don’t even think about asking me for something else.
There were still many tears for weeks, his - not mine, as he felt cut from the herd and sensed his power being diminished. Strong stuff for a 4 year old but we all know how tough they can be! There were some nights that he went to bed hungry but after a few days of that he never failed to “suffer” through dinner by washing everything down with a big glug of milk.
Some parents might consider this cruel but I believe that our kids are born with a fairly flexible palette and it is us as adults who impose certain likes and dislikes on our kids from an early age. Whereas if you don’t make a big deal of food, keep offering different types of flavours and textures and not get frustrated or give in to the meal demands of a 4 year old, they will eventually open up their minds and their mouths.
These days Brussels Sprouts are still not high on the like list for my youngest but he’ll eat them in small quantities. He knows Bad Mummy can rear her ugly head at any time and would rather be part of the action at the family at the table where Good Mummy rules!
Try these variations on Brussels Sprouts to help reduce the battle at the dinner table!
Go to the next page for some yummy recipes!
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BRUSSELS SPROUTS SAUTÉED WITH GARLIC & SAGE
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Notes: Shaving the Brussels sprouts takes away the bitterness that is often associated with this healthy vegetable. It also decreases your cooking time making it an ideal side dish to serve during the week or when you are busy preparing a large holiday dinner.
Ingredients:
36 Brussels sprouts (6 per person)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, sliced thinly
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. To prepare the sprouts, cut a thin slice away from the base of each sprout and remove any outer tough, blemished leaves. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the trimmed sprouts thinly.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large sized frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and sage for 30 seconds and then add the shredded sprouts. Sauté the mixture, stirring often, until the sprouts are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PEAR, APPLE & BACON
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Notes: Everyone who has told me they don’t like Brussels sprouts love this recipe. The secret is in the roasting of the sprouts which take all the bitterness out and impart a nutty flavour instead which pairs wonderfully with the roasted apples and pears. You can make this side dish up to 2 days prior to your dinner. Simply reheat the sprouts in a 375F oven for 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
500g Brussels sprouts, quartered
1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium Fuji Apple, cored and cut into 1 inch wedges
1 firm Anjou pear, cored and cut into 1 inch wedges
2 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
8 large fresh sage leaves, roughly torn
3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Heat 1 large shallow roasting pan into oven to heat up.
2. In a big bowl toss together all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste.
3. Being careful not to burn yourself, pull out the oven rack with the roasting pan. Spread the vegetable mixture out onto the pan in a single layer and bake for 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until the sprouts are easily pierced with a knife.
4. Cool and refrigerate, covered until ready to reheat. Reheat in a 375F oven for 30 minutes.
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