Nothing is better than cooking at home and knowing what ingredients you are putting into your food. Being a vegan living in Newark, Ohio, eating out is not my favorite thing to do. Majority of the restaurants in Heath and Newark are not vegan-friendly. Therefore, cooking has become one of my favorite pastimes. I have come to realize that it is a blessing in disguise because I started to experiment different types of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and herbs in my cooking. Strangely enough, my choice of food has actually broadened. Being a vegan is about discovery, not deprivation!
I shared a photo of my pan-roasted Brussels spouts on my Facebook profile last night and several people have asked me about the recipe. So here I am sharing what I did last night. I received a recipe from Peggy, one of the Ohio Green Specialists members, and decided to make it into a vegan version with some adaptation to the ingredients and procedure. Both vegan and non-vegan version of the recipes are posted here. My version is for one pound of Brussel sprouts, which is what you usually get in a bag in Meijer. This is good for four servings. Hope you will enjoy this dish!
My vegan version of the recipe:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, cleaned, rinsed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 Tsp. dried thyme
1/2 Tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 Tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. Cabernet Sauvignon or red wine of your choice
- Mix the herbs and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, cook Brussels sprouts, uncovered, for 3 minutes in lightly-salted boiling water. Only use enough water to cover the Brussels sprouts and toss them occasionally. Drain well.
- Dry the same large frying pan, add olive oil and then garlic when the oil is heated up. Cook and stir the garlic in medium heat until they are browned.
- Add the buttery spread. When the buttery spread is nearly melted, carefully arrange the sprouts, cut-sides down, in the frying pan. Top with the herb mixture. Increase heat to medium high. Cook, uncovered, until the sprouts are well-browned.
- Turn off heat. Add the red wine on the frying pan (not on the Brussels sprouts). Quickly toss to distribute flavors.
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This is the original recipe I received, which Peggy adapted from the one in the Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, Nov 2009:
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, cleaned, rinsed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp. rice oil (or Olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp. minced jarred garlic)
3 Tbsp. butter (or flavorful nut oil)
½ bunch fresh thyme (about 10 springs) – or 2 tsp. dried
1 large sprig fresh rosemary, halved (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 ¼ tsp. Kosher salt or 1 tsp. regular salt (or omit, to taste)
1 Tbsp. sherry
- Mix the herbs and salt (if using) in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, cook Brussels sprouts, uncovered, for 3 minutes in enough lightly-salted boiling water to cover; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels or clean kitchen towels.
- Place a very large heavy skillet or sauté pan over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes. (If using jarred minced garlic, no need to cook the garlic in this step – just add.) Add half the butter.
- Increase heat to medium high. When butter is nearly melted, carefully arrange half the sprouts, cut-sides down, in the hot skillet. (Use a splatter screen to avoid major splatters.) Top with half the herb mixture. Cook, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes, until the sprouts are well-browned.
- Remove sprouts from pan. Repeat with remaining butter, sprouts, herb/salt mixture.
- When the second batch is browned, return all the spouts to the skillet along with the sherry. Quickly toss to distribute flavors.
Written by Angie Palmer
