Who else is tired of meal planning and cooking during a pandemic?

Are you growing weary of planning meals and cooking during the pandemic? I sure am! Last week, I forgot--or maybe avoided?--making my usual meal plan for the week. The result: we ended up ordering take-out 4 out of 7 nights. I’m all for take out each week, but 4 times in a week could get old very fast. Having a simple plan helps me grocery shop and it helps me feel like there’s less floating around in my brain. And that means, I feel less disorganized! And who doesn’t want to feel less disorganized???

How to Make Shredded Sautéed Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are simple AND delicious

This week I’m back to meal planning! Whew--what a relief! Brussels sprouts are almost always one of my veggie sides every week. I’ve written about my family’s love of Brussels sprouts here before. They’re so simple to cook on a busy weeknight when you're short on time. And they’re a delicious! Shredding and sautéing them eliminates the bitterness. Both my children have always loved this cruciferous veggie in it's shredded and sautéed state.

When I can’t find fresh, whole Brussels sprouts I like to buy them pre shredded usually at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. They’re always on my top favorite veggie sides (Click here for more ideas for simple veggie sides). Thankfully, Brussels sprouts have been available in our farmer’s market CSA boxes every week the past few months. It takes only a few minutes to shred a bunch of them in a food processor and then quickly saute for about 5 minutes until they’re bright green and some have just begun to brown.

A few fun facts:

They're cruciferous - think broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, cabbage.
They aren't mini-cabbages, but the purple Brussels sprout is a hybrid of Brussels sprouts and purple cabbage
They're named after the capital of Belgium where they were first grown in the 16th century.
Brussels sprouts grow on stalks that can grow to 45 inches in height. The stalks aren't edible. But the large leaves of the plant are.
Click here to watch a short video about growing and harvesting Brussels sprouts.

What's your favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts?

Simple Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Print Recipe

Quick and tasty sauteed Brussels sprouts make a great weeknight veggie side.

Author: Elizabeth Davenport

Ingredients

2 bags of whole Brussels sprouts

2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the ends off the Brussels sprouts. Cut large Brussels sprouts in half. Smaller ones can be left whole. Discard the ends and any tough outer leaves.

Using a food processor with the slicer attachment, shred the Brussels sprouts.

Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat for about 30 seconds. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts. Add salt and pepper and sauté until the Brussels sprouts are bright green and some have started to brown.