Even though one of my favorite elements of traveling is
dining out, after several days of restaurant dining while on vacation, I start
to look forward to cooking again. Often, while waiting to board our flight
home, I will peruse recipe sites and food blogs for inspiration. But, when it
comes time to actually cook that first meal back, simple usually wins over
complicated. After the last bag is unpacked, and the last load of laundry
folded, the last thing I want to do is run around to multiple grocery stores in
search of unusual or hard to find ingredients. I try to use what I tend to keep
stocked, limiting the length and effort of that first post-vacay grocery run.
This week, I prepared a lovely, healthy, and easy dish of
Lemon Pepper and Pistachio Brussels Sprouts that only required three
ingredients from Trader Joe’s: shredded Brussels sprouts, pre-cooked edamame,
and scallions. How easy is that? The resulting dish was exactly what I was
craving after so many decadent and indulgent meals out—simple and nutritious.
And so very green.
For variations on this recipe, you could add avocado or parsley. Some fried tofu would be a nice compliment, either on the side or mixed in. Next time I might swap half of the Brussels sprouts for some lacinato kale. It would make a great side dish to tabbouleh and falafel, or any dish with some spicy Asian flavors.
For variations on this recipe, you could add avocado or parsley. Some fried tofu would be a nice compliment, either on the side or mixed in. Next time I might swap half of the Brussels sprouts for some lacinato kale. It would make a great side dish to tabbouleh and falafel, or any dish with some spicy Asian flavors.
Here’s the recipe.
Lemon Pepper and Pistachio Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
Several tablespoons of good olive oil
1 package of pre-shredded Brussels Sprouts from Trader Joe’s*
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 package of precooked edamame from Trader Joe’s
¼ cup roasted salted pistachios
¼ cup lemon juice (I keep this on hand in the fridge at all
times)
Red pepper flakes
Lemon pepper
Garlic Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Steps
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan.
When the oil is hot and sizzling, add in the entire package of Brussel’s
sprouts. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they start to brown up. Don’t push
them around too much—you want the edges to brown and crisp a bit for added
flavor.
When the Brussels sprouts are nearly done, add in the scallions
and seasoning. I used a generous shaking of red pepper flakes, about a ¼ teaspoon
each of garlic salt and lemon pepper, and several turns of the salt and pepper
grinders.
Once the green onion is cooked and the Brussels are
finished, add in the entire package of edamame. Sauté for another minute or two
to heat the edamame all the way through. Then, add the lemon juice and cook for
another minute or two until some of the liquid cooks down.
Plate and top with pistachios. Enjoy!
*You could also finely chop whole Brussels’s sprouts, or
throw them in the food processor in batches. But, I like the time saver of the
pre-shredded sort at TJ’s!
