Brussel Sprouts With Garlic, Ginger & Lemon Zest
Straight out…I’m just gonna say it!
I fu*kin’ hated brussel sprouts with a passion.
Ever since i was a kid, my mother would always put these tiny looking green monsters on my dinner plate. And I mean every single night!
Now that i think about it, i can still taste the bitterness in my mouth. But that’s only because my mum was never really good at cooking. Oh don’t get me wrong, i’m not complaining.
Or am i???
We’ll get back to that in a second…
She’s however very health conscious and will do absolutely everything she can to ensure we stay healthy. I guess she knew that brussel sprout is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. That’s why they were always on our plates, inside our tummies, whether our tongues liked it or not.
Thankfully, i have now grown up, developed an interest and passion in cooking. So today, i’m able to cook this healthy vegetable back for my mother. Only that it tastes much much better. (Sorry mum!)
But I honestly and sincerely don’t blame her. She had a tough life growing up and I’m sure we (me and my sister) made it even tougher for her.
You see, back in their days, they were considered lucky to even eat a piece of meat. A piece of pork, chicken, lamb, beef or whatever they could afford. And it was only on special occasions such as a birthday.
Meats were expensive and foods just weren’t as easily available as it is today.
Not to mention there were wars…
Then there were hungers, pains and of course, running away from it all.
It wasn’t easy and I still remember what my grandmother told me about how she carried my mother, moving from city to city, away from war.
And how she had to dig through layers of dirt, with her own bare hands in order to find sweet potatoes, FOOD!
This was how they managed to survive.
And is the only reason why I’m alive.
So back to where I was complaining about my mother’s cooking…
Well…
I wouldn’t even DARE!
If it wasn’t for them, for my parents, their parents, I wouldn’t be so lucky to live in a country such as Australia. A place where I can easily find fresh produce to enhance my cooking skills, to make that perfect meal.
In fact, I wouldn’t even have a tongue, let along loving it.
Being able to taste and test with numerous different and FRESH ingredients is TRULY a wonderful gift!
A gift that most of us take for granted. To be able to live in a beautiful city such as Sydney, where everything is so convenient and with supermarkets literally in every suburb. Really…what more do you want?
I can simply walk down the street and I will be able to find the freshest tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages or the best bacon, prawns, bananas, you name it!
So now that I have all the resources I need and the skills to cook for my own mother, it is really a privilege that I’m wholeheartedly grateful for.
Being able to make delicious meals that used to taste awful, only ever reminds me of how hard it must have been for her to raise our family, to raise us, to raise me.
So mom, today i’m going to make you a dish.
A healthy brussel sprouts dish that I know you will like very much.
While it’s nothing compare to yours, because yours was full of love. It is the best and simplest I can come up with. I know you like simple food.
I also want you to know that I love you very very much.
So please, please enjoy…
Ingredients
- Fresh Brussel Sprouts - 500g
- Water - 4 cups
- Ginger - 1 slice
- Garlic - 3 gloves
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
- Lemon Zest - According to taste
Instructions
- Wash brussel sprouts, cut in half, trim off the ends and keep aside.
- Bring water (4 cups) to boil in a pot on high heat
- Once water is boiling, put brussel sprouts in and allow them to cook for 2 mins.
- Remove brussel sprouts and strain under cold running water for approx. 2-3 mins.
- Place wet and cooled brussel sprouts onto a kitchen towel and gently remove excessive water or moisture. Keep aside.
- Heat up a cooking pan on medium high heat. Add olive oil (2 tbsp) and tilt to spread oil evenly on pan.
- Add sprouts onto pan, flat side down and allow to saute for 3 mins.
- After 3 mins, add sliced garlic, flip sprouts over and saute for another 3 mins.
- Add salt, black pepper, lemon zest and gently stir fry for 1 min. Dish is ready to serve.
Notes
If you have a small pan, you may not be able to fit all of the sprouts at once. Simply split into 2 different batches if you have to.
Just use the same greased pan, add a little extra salt, pepper and lemon zest for taste. A little extra work, but definitely worth the effort.
And there you have it people, this is a really simple brussel sprouts recipe that is absolutely delicious, easy to make and SUPER HEALTHY! So I highly recommend anyone to cook this dish for their family, especially their mother.
It is packed with amazing nutrition values that all other green vegetables can only dream of. So do your family a favour. Cook them this vegan dish and keep them healthy, just like how my mother did even though hers tasted nothing like this.
Finally, i just wanted to say this to anyone who is currently reading this post.
NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR MOTHER’S COOKING!!!
I’m dead serious. Your mom is the only reason why you’re able to taste this delicious recipe in the first place. Even if her food really does taste bland, bitter or outright disgusting. Believe me when i say this, because whatever she has cooked for you…you can rest assure that it is packed with LOVE!
Now this is an ingredient, a taste, a sensation that you will NEVER ever get from any 5 star restaurants!
And I don’t care if the restaurant belongs to Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver or Marco Pierre White.
Your mother is and will forever be the greatest chef in your life.
So keep this in your head.
I’m out.
P.S If you enjoyed this recipe as much as my mother did, please don’t forget to share with others.
