Favorite Brussels Sprout and Beet Dish

Beets and Brussels sprouts are so nutritious, but they each have a bad reputation, especially among those who don’t care for vegetables. My theory on folks who say they don’t like vegetables is that they were probably served plates of boiled, flavorless, or worse, canned veggies as a kid. For those who say nay to veggies, I recommend giving them one more try by adding a flavorful cheese or bacon and cooking in butter rather than steaming or boiling. So there’s a little fat. So what? The vitamins are still there and it makes for a more enjoyable experience.

This is the anti-bland veggie dish. The ingredients are so perfectly in season now too. I served it last night with a marinated top round steak, cooked on my trusty cast aluminum stovetop griddle.

Warm Salad of Brussels Sprout and Beet – serves 2 – 4

2 large or 4 small beets, peeled and diced
12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, outer leaves removed and halved
2 T + 1 T +1 T of butter
1 sprig of fresh tarragon, chopped
2-3 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled (but not pre-packaged “crumbles”)

Melt the first 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium baking dish or gratin dish in the oven as it pre-heats to 375 degrees This saves a little energy.

Once the oven is heated, take the dish out and toss the chopped beets in the butter to coat. Put back in the oven to roast beets for 20-30 minutes, until a fork is easily removed.

Meanwhile, melt the second tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Once it starts to foam, add the tarragon and infuse the butter for 1 minute. Place the Brussels sprouts in the butter, cut side down and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes until browned and crisp, watching to be sure not to burn the butter or tarragon. Flip the sprouts and cook another 10 minutes. Swirl that last pat of butter in the pan, toss and turn off heat.

Combine sprouts, beets and blue cheese in either the baking dish or in a warmed serving dish.

Ingredient origins: Organic beets and Brussels sprouts – Massachusetts; Butter – Maine; Tarragon – Massachusetts; Blue cheese – Vermont.

The marinade turned out nicely too. I chose the ingredients from what I had on hand, for example, I’d opened a can of tomato paste the other day. Normally I prefer to buy it in a tube, like oil paints, because you can take what you need without having to use a whole can. The cans of tomato paste and the Worcestershire sauce were both regrettable Costco purchases. I didn’t realize until I got it home that Worcestershire sauce contains high fructose corn syrup. So, I thought a marinade would put it to good use, without actually having to consume much of it. I’ll be more careful next time I buy it.

Worcestershire Marinade

1 C Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C canola oil
1 T tomato paste
1 t chili flakes
2 t black peppercorns

I let the top round sit in the marinade for a total of three hours, turning once.