Brussel Sprouts Salad

Sounds unappetizing? Are you in for a big surprise or what!

Until less than a week back, I had never tasted Brussels sprouts. They were just some small little cabbage looking mundane things. I am surprised it took me soo long to try them out. Eons back, my dad had to spend a whole year or so in Germany. My vegetarian teetotaller dad had more than his share of trouble finding food (& water) there. He says what worked best for him was walking into a restaurant and asking the chef to cook a little bit of every kind of vegetable he had on hand and serve it with bread and butter. I remember him describe small little tender cabbages that used to be oh so tasty. Now that I think of it, I think those tiny cabbages he so enjoyed were in fact Brussels sprouts!

Last week, I discovered Brussels sprouts while in CA. My very health conscious friend forced me into trying just a bite of her salad while I was busy wharfing down a pizza. It was like an epiphany. It was delicious, sweet and salty at the same time. Yummy. I then looked for recipes on the web that will help me recreate what I had tasted. The recipe I came up with is based on http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe2/index.html

It may sound weird, but take my word for it. It is delicious.

For two people you'll need:
- About 20 fresh small tight looking Brussels sprouts.
- Good olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- Balsamic vinegar
- (Sea) salt
- Pepper
- Walnuts (or pecans, or pine nuts)
- Croutons (optional)
- Chopped Boiled egg (optional. Supposed to be very good with this)


- Heat oven to 400F.
- Start on the caramelized onions. Slice onions leastwise. Add about a tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onions. Make sure to alter the heat so that the onions brown but not burn. They'll take a while. Keep an eye on them.
- Cut the Brussels sprouts lengthwise into halves. Discard the tough stems. In a bowl combine the chopped sprouts with some olive oil (1tbsp?), salt and pepper. Place sprouts flat side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 mins and then broil for 2. Times vary from oven to oven. Make sure its not overcooked. Will taste terrible if overcooked. They should be tender, but still have a bite.
- Once done, toss the Brussels sprouts and the onions together with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and a handful of toasted walnuts. Grate some parmesan reggiano on top. And viola. A tasty side!