Nutty Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad

I am in a constant search to find new and creative ways to get Corey to eat his vegetables. It's not that he's not a good sport about it, but it's challenging to get a man to eat anything NEW that is green, and steamed broccoli gets boring. So we tried this Cooking Light recipe last night from the October issue and Corey seemed to like it very much! While it probably won't make it into the Side Dish Hall of Fame, I can proudly say that it coerced Corey into eating his vegetables!

We had this side with Herb & Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken from The Little Kitchen (recipe here), roasted potatoes (recipe here), and a Nantucket blue salad. The whole dinner took less than 45 minutes to put together, start to finish!

NUTTY WARM BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD

Recipe Notes

I cheated and used Bird's Eye "Steam in Bag" brussels sprouts (available in your grocer's frozen vegetables section). Five minutes in the microwave and they were cooked - no trimming required! One regular slice of white bread should make 1/3 c. breadcrumbs, as the recipe calls for.

Nutritional Information (Per serving - makes 6 servings)
71 calories - 3.1 g. fat - 3.5 g. protein - 2.3 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 c. fresh breadcrumbs (approx. 1 slice)
• 3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or two bags of frozen "Steam in Bag" Brussels sprouts)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1-1/2 tbsp. finely-chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 oz. shaved Asiago cheese

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cook 1 minute or until just golden, stirring constantly.

2. Add breadcrumbs and cook 1 minute more until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Transfer garlic and breadcrumbs to a bowl, set aside.

3. Separate leaves from Brussels sprouts and quarter cores. Heat remaining 1/2 tsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add leaves and cores to pan, cook 8 minutes or until leaves wilt and cores are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Alternately, if using the "cheat" method with frozen vegetables, microwave those in the bag and then add to hot oil, sauteeing for approximately 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Remove from heat. Toss with breadcrumb mixture, salt, and pepper. Top with walnuts and cheese and serve warm.