Believe it or not, I didn’t always have the refined palette that I do today. In fact, I would say that it was fairly recently that I even started to be able to like cruciferous greens. Cruciferous greens are greens that I used to refer to as the “yucky greens.” They include but are not limited to: kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and bok choy. They are loaded with all kinds of healthy nutrients, and to be honest I really wanted to like them, but I couldn’t get past some of their more unpalatable characteristics. Cruciferous greens tend to be extremely fibrous and can be a bit stinky.
Turns out, all these years I was preparing them the wrong way! All you have to do is ROAST THEM! Roasting has always been a go to cooking method for me as it always seems so inviting. I love how the whole house heats up and smells delicious when something is roasting in the oven, but to be honest, I really never thought to roast “yucky greens.” Now, it is the only way I prepare them.
When it comes to roasting these veggies it is more of a method and less of a recipe, so I am just going to share to examples of how I roast cruciferous vegetables, and then you can try them at home.
For brussels sprouts, I cleaned them and cut them in half. I preheated the oven to 375 degrees, and then on a clean jelly roll pan, I put the sprouts and drizzled them with a little bit of olive oil and a little bit of good balsamic vinegar. Then, I sprinkle them with some salt and pepper. Next, using my hands I just toss the mixture around a bit. Then, I roast the sprouts for about 15 – 20 minutes until they are caramelized and tender. I serve immediately. This is a great side to go with roast chicken or meat loaf since the oven is on anyway.
For kale, the method is very similar. I clean and dry the kale. I remove the fibrous stems and put the kale on a jelly roll pan. I drizzle with just a tiny bit of olive oil and salt. I toss with my hands, while the oven preheats to 375 degrees. I roast the kale for 10 – 12 minutes. When I remove the kale, I sprinkle it with parmesan cheese and then let it cool. The kale is best served at room temperature. Some people eat this like kale chips, but we eat it as an almost a side dish to lemon chicken breast or grilled flank steak.
Now, that you have an idea of how to make these healthy and nutritious greens more tasty, what will you be roasting up? I think next, I’m going to try Broccoli.
