Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard

We had two glorious days of spring in Portland this week. It was sunny and 65 degrees in Portland and the streets were flooded with pasty white hipsters.

I joined with my fellow pasty-skinned Portlanders and reveled in the sunshine. I even left work early on Thursday, just to soak in a little extra sun. On a whim, the husband and I decided to invite a few people over for dinner that evening.

We BBQed. We sat outside (without jackets!). We pretended it was summer, never once stopping to think about the fact that it’s March in Portland.

And while we knew in our hearts that the sun wasn’t here to stay, we made the best of it while we could.

It was perfect.

And here we are, 3 days later. As I write this, I am curled up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of coffee. It is absolutely horrible outside and our two days of sunshine seem like a distant past.

But you know what? I’m OK with it. We made the most of those two days, and we’ll have more beautiful days to come.

When those days arrive, you can be sure I’ll be grilling up some Brussels Sprouts.

GRILLED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD
Adapted from Serious Eats

Note (1): If it’s still cold and miserable where you live and you don’t feel like BBQing, these Brussels sprouts could easily be cooked on a grill pan on the stove.

Note (2): This is a very basic mustard sauce, and could easily be adapted. A touch of honey would be lovely with it, or perhaps some crushed garlic.

Ingredients:
1 pound of Brussels Sprouts
2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

Equipment needed:
Bamboo skewers
BBQ or Grill pan

Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the sprouts (i.e. cook them in the boiling water) for 3-4 minutes. Remove sprouts from the boiling water and rinse with cold water (or plunge into an ice bath).

Remove sprouts from cold water and pat dry. Trim the bottom stems of the sprouts, and remove the outer leaves. Mix together the mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the Brussels Sprouts in the mustard sauce. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Once sprouts have marinated, prepare them for grilling. Skewer sprouts, placing 3-4 sprouts on each skewer. (Note: Since the sprouts aren’t cooked all the way through yet, they are a bit tough to skewer. You can also place the sprouts directly on the grill without a skewer, if they are large enough to not slip through the grill grate.)

When the grill is nice and hot, place the skewered sprouts on the grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the sprouts are nicely charred on all sides. When ready, remove the sprouts from the grill and toss with a bit more mustard sauce.

Enjoy immediately!

P.S. I had a few leftover grilled sprouts, so I tossed them into a curry noodle bowl I had for lunch the next day. It was amazing.

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