You don’t have to love a vegetable that uncompromisingly declares its heartiness and healthiness the way brussels spouts do, but why wouldn’t you? With all the indulgent food that typifies the season, brussels sprouts balance out the heavier fare. As an accompaniment to the Thanksgiving meal, al dante brussels sprouts lend refreshing crunch to what would otherwise be a table full of mashed food.
All I’m saying is give these little fellas a chance.
brussels sprouts in coriander dressing
serves 8
6 cups of small brussels sprouts, trimmed and cleaned
1 tbsp oil
3 oz. feta cheese
1/2 cup low fat yoghurt
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 small bunch of parsley leaves, chopped finely
Cut the sprouts into thirds or quarters depending on how large each sprout is. Heat the oil in a medium heavy pot and throw in the cut brussels sprouts. Salt the sprouts and coat in the pan, so that all of them are coated with the oil and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, so that some of them start to brown and caramelize. While these cook, prepare the coriander dressing. You can also leave your brussels sprouts plain, although they will be anything but that. The small ones are naturally sweet and are delicious all on their own. If you have vegans at your table, or anyone needing to avoid dairy, you can serve them without the yoghurt corianded dressing:
Mash the feta with a fork or potato masher, add yoghurt, coriander, cut parsley and salt to taste. Once the brussels sprouts have cooled, mix the dressing through the sprouts, serve warm. If making ahead for Thanksgiving, reserve the dressing and coat the brussels sprouts after reheating them.
Related posts:
- mushroom and brussels sprout omelette
- talking “turkey” all month long
- coriander crusted salmon with tahini sauce and heirloom tomato quinoa salad
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Thank you Naked Beet for boosting my courage to suggest a turkey alternative for Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I would dress and serve “the bird,” believing that everyone was looking forward to this traditional main course, but in reality, everyone was being “polite.”
This year, circumstances beyond our control reduced our family guest list substantially, and while discussing a much smaller bird with my mom, (I didn’t want to disappoint) she suggested that perhaps we might consider an alternative (especially because those who really enjoyed turkey wouldn’t be coming!), and she hoped that I wouldn’t be disappointed if we skipped it this year. Me, disappointed, I thought that you…….! Well, as it turns out, nobody in our family is married to the idea of turkey, but we managed to salvage the popular “sides.”
So, my Naked Beet friend, one more free roaming, all natural young turkey was spared, and a new tradition of exploring new and special recipes has begun.
The Persian Lamb Shanks is a winner in this family of lamb lovers. Baby brussel sprouts are a favorite, and I thank you for awakening my taste buds to coriander. After cooking the sprouts in the olive oil and salt, I seasoned with coriander alone….sweet and bursting with flavor! The Parmesan cups were a hit, lovely nests for the mescaline salad. I substituted dried cranberries for the pomegranate, (denture issues for older folks). Your dressing is wonderfully delicate.
I’m looking forward to trying some of your tempting desserts. Your recipes are such a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. I love scrolling through the Naked Beet’s visually irresistible menus; your alchemy is scrumptious, and I can’t wait to eat what’s coming next.
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Thank you for the lovely comments! ; ) I’m glad to hear you were successful with the parmesan cups and that I’m not alone in my lukewarm response to turkey, and that you braved the terrain of a non-traditional main protein for your Thanksgiving.
I’m always on the lookout for new twists on my favorite veggie side dishes. Brussels are definitely one of my faves, and this coriander dressing sounds like a fantastic accompaniment!
Looking forward to trying this recipe, as well. Have you enjoyed the fried brussel sprouts with curry, mint, and fish sauce at Momofuku Ssam Bar? I literally had to order a second helping! Ma Peche offers a variation with the same ingredients, only using cauliflower instead of brussel sprouts, which surprisingly worked just as well.