Forget exercising more, being punctual, and sailing around the world… In 2011, I want to get more creative in the kitchen and fire up the Team Reilly dinner repertoire. Being a dietitian doesn’t give you immunity from making the same 5 dinners over and over again. While we all love veggie chili with cornbread, curried lentil stew and roasted veggies, pizza and salad, spinach lasagna, and overstuffed burritos, it’s time for some risk-taking, mess-making, and gross-dish ditching! Every week this year, I’ll make a new side dish, main dish, or dessert and test them out on the family (which includes the adorable “I’ll try anything” husband, easy-going 5-year-old daughter, unpredictable 3-year-old son, and “I can feed myself” 1-year old son).
The journey actually began in the grocery store the other day when I spotted a tall, dark, and handsome stalk of Brussels sprouts (pictured). Wouldn’t your journey begin that way? I just wish I could’ve had my bridesmaids carry these instead of flower bouquets! How hot would that have been?!
So here’s what I did (mind you dinner-time background noise is a soundtrack of “mommy” on repeat, so new dishes must be simple & quick!):
Crave-Worthy Brussels Sprouts
Serves 5 Adventurous Humans
30 fresh Brussels sprouts, plucked, rinsed, and cut in half length-wise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
hot heat & a cool attitude!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Toss in the Brussels sprouts until they get frisky (the point at which you turn on your overhead fan). Add the water, cover, and cook 5-10 minutes.
Remove cover, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook until some are toasty brown. Serve immediately!
What the critics said:
Bitchin’ Dietitian: “Wow! I hope no one else likes these so i can eat them ALL!!”
Bitchin’ Husband: “More please!” (Bitchin’ Dietitian: “Crud”)
5-Year-Old: “Mmm! Better than that other mushy kind [the frozen variety]!”
3-Year-Old: “Tastes good, but too chewy. Can I spit them out?”
1-Year-Old: (if he could talk) “I can chuck these things all the way from the dining room to the kitchen!!”
So there it is! Week #1 was 3 stars out of 5. This one will be appearing again. Ideas for ingredients or dishes to try next?
Delish & Healthy-ish With Jen Reilly, RD 
My husband declared he didn’t like Brussel Sprouts until I got him to try this recipe. Now they’re a regular side dish at our house. Yum! Brussel Sprouts with Dried Cranberries and Lemon
(proven to make converts out of professed brussel-sprout haters)
1 (10 oz) package Brussel Sprouts [or 1-1/2 lbs. fresh]
1/2 Cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1. Trim the tough outer leaves from the Brussel Sprouts, slice off the stem and cut them in half, lengthwise.
2. Put the sprouts in a steamer basket; set in saucepan over two (2) inches of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until the sprouts are tender but still bright yellow-green (10-15 min).
3. Combine cranberries, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Add sprouts and toss to coat.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Per serving (3/4 Cup): 118 cal, 5 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 mg Chol, 163 mg Sodium, 19 g Carb, 4 g Fiber, 3 g Protein, 19 mg Calcium.
Heather, I’m drooling! Can’t wait to try that recipe! I bet that one will be a 5-Star for sure! – Jen
I like your idea Jen, new dish a week.
Thanks, Jon! While I’d love to try a new dish each day (like Julie in Julie & Julia), that’s just not doable! 🙂
Lily absolutely loves brussel sprouts- who knew! So much so that she actually traded her rice for the rest of Sophie’s brussel sprouts yesterday. Sophie managed to finish one. It took her about 15 minutes because she peeled and ate one leaf at a time:) Guess I should have thought about serving them before- oops!
Anyway, thanks for reminding me about brussel sprouts:)
Katie