Homely Vegetables Made Grand

Beets, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage. Homely vegetables that seem to be either loved or hated. I learned very young to love cabbage in the form of cole slaw, a love that continues to this day, though cabbage in most any form is high on my list of loves. I also loved beets, as my Mom would can them each summer and at a very young age I enjoyed helping her slip off their skins after boiling, as well as popping some of the tiny ones into my mouth. Beets also figured large at Easter each year, when my Yugoslav (these days her hometown would be in north Serbia) paternal grandmother made Beets with Horseradish to go with her ham. To this day, ham doesn't taste right unless I have some beets with horseradish on hand.

Lots of beets and healthy greens

Brussels sprouts on the other hand, took me a lot longer to come to terms with. I was a highly picky eater as a child. Once I married in 1970 at age 20 and moved to Guatemala, I was exposed to all sorts of foods I'd never heard of before and learned to like and to cook most of them. Brussels sprouts were not on that list, as I never once saw them while down there. So it wasn't until much more recently, like in the early 2000's, that I finally tackled learning how to make Brussels sprouts taste good. 

Brussels Sprouts

Along with many other members of the cruciferous vegetable family (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula radishes, bok choy and others), Brussels sprouts can be pungent and sometimes bitter. However, as they are now believed to trigger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, we are encouraged to eat more and more of these vegetables that are sometimes hard to enjoy. 

What I discovered is that Brussels sprouts become bitter when they are over cooked. If steaming, ensure they are cooked just until they are bright green and can be pierced with the tip of a knife. Once the color darkens into the olive range, they become bitter. I steam my Brussels sprouts more often than not, and this recipe for a "sauce" makes them quite palatable. My husband, far more picky than I ever was, has finally come to enjoy eating these little veggies based solely on this recipe, and that is a true coup!

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound Brussels sprouts
Salt, for sprinkling
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup capers, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lime zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

Trim the Brussels sprouts so they are of a fairly uniform size. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts in a very small amount of boiling water and sprinkle with salt. Cook until just barely tender. Better yet, steam them. Watch that they stay bright green. This can take about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size. They become bitter when overcooked.
 
While sprouts are cooking, mix all the rest of the ingredients together into a paste. When sprouts are tender, drain and return to pan. Mix in the flavored butter and toss until melted. Serve immediately.

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Cabbage

Another of the cruciferous vegetables, as mentioned above, cabbage is supposed to be exceedingly healthy for the body. That does not mean it is palatable to everyone. As I mentioned, I love cabbage. Whether it is plain boiled or served raw, I just love it. My husband however, will not eat it raw under any circumstances. Cooked? Depends. I have gotten creative with some recipes to tempt him. Often, it is better if he isn't aware of it at all. In that way of thinking, I have made this noodle dish, in which the noodles and the cabbage are pretty much all the same color, as well as a similar looking size, so it isn't as noticeable that there is cabbage in the recipe. He does love noodles, and most any pasta. So this recipe is perfect. If, perchance, you like the flavor of caraway seeds, do add a half teaspoon or so to the cabbage when it is being cooked. As my husband also dislikes caraway, I leave it out.

Noodles with Cabbage

Noodles with Cabbage

Serves about 6 to 8

6 ounces wide egg noodles
2 onions, sliced thin
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
(¾ teaspoon caraway seeds)
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces cabbage, cored and cut into ½-inch strips
1 tablespoon paprika, preferable Hungarian
¼ cup dark brown sugar, or more, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Put 6 ounces of water into a large pan. Add the onions, vinegar, butter, caraway seeds (if using) and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, and stir in the cabbage, paprika and brown sugar. Cover the pan and cook for 35 minutes, removing the lid three times during this period to stir. Add water, if necessary, to ensure that the liquid in the pan remains about ½-inch deep.

Approximately 5 minutes before cabbage finishes cooking, drop the noodles into 2 quarts of boiling water, with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook them for 5 minutes. The noodles will be undercooked. Drain them and add them to the cabbage mixture, along with some ground pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the noodles are al dente, 5 - 7 minutes. 

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Beets

Unlike the above vegetables, beets are not cruciferous vegetables. This does not mean they aren't also healthy eating. Also anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying, beets, in the chenopod family along with chard, spinach and quinoa, also have edible greens, making this great root a twofer in terms of great healthy eating. Beets come in various colors. I find the lighter colors such as in golden beets or in the lovely striped Chioggia beets to be lighter in flavor also. Maybe just me, but to me, if you object to the dark red beets, give one of the lighter colored ones a try. Beets are touted as possibly having anti cancer benefits, and the type of fiber in beets can provide special health benefits in the colon.

While I have loved beets since little, I have yet to persuade my husband to try any of them (Except by subterfuge, in my Chocolate Beet Cake!) That does not stop me from trying out new recipes, and this particular recipe is so good that I just cannot stop eating the beets when they are done.

Lemon Garlic Beets

Lemon Garlic Beets

Serves about 6

14 to 16 ounces fresh beets, peeled
1 teaspoon lime zest
juice of one juicy lime (1 - 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. 

Slice the beets into ¼-inch thick slices, then slice the pieces into quarter-rounds. Place the beets into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to coat. Spread the beets into a single layer in the sheet pan, then spray another piece of foil with cooking spray and place the oiled side down over the beets, crimping the edges to seal the pan. Bake the beets for about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.