Upsides to the Down Economy/ Mom Was Right - Eat Your Veggies!

I am really digging my veggies these days! There was an article on AOL about the best restaurant in the world (Noma in Copenhagen) and when they asked the chef what new trends he noticed, he commented that vegetables were big these days. This restaurant even employed two foragers- people who go out and gather food from the woods. I have already done my foraging (picking dandelions out of my yard) but beyond that, I have been really in love with vegetables lately, especially ones I don't normally eat. In the last few weeks I have made sauteed dandelion leaves, stir fried Swiss chard (served with a peanut sauce), roasted brussel sprouts and broccoli salad. I was going to try kale, but when I went to buy it at Whole Foods, it was a little pricey, so I opted for Swiss Chard instead. These vegetables all contain Vitamin K, a vitamin most of us fall short of in our daily intake. It has recently been shown to play a role in balancing blood fats, making your good cholesterol (HDL) better and triglycerides lower. Researchers suspect K is involved in metabolism, blood sugar regulation and fat storage and all of those factors combine to affect HDL and triglyceride levels. When I was in Key West, I met a girl who has a food blog (Love Hurts, Bacon Heals) and she also teaches inner city kids how to eat better. She said one of her favorite vegetables was Brussels Sprouts. I was shocked. OK. When I was growing up, my Mom gave us three food items we NEVER had to eat. One of mine was the dreaded brussels sprout- smelly, soft, mushy, slimy, gross. But after talking to this girl, I decided to give them a second chance. I used an Ina Garten recipe- the essence of simplicity- that roasted the brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. To my surprise, they were delicious! I even ate them cold the next day and were so good I made them again the next week. Roasting (as opposed to boiling or steaming) really brings out the flavors of the vegetables. Here is the recipe: As Mikey said : Try it, You'll like it! And you'll get your dose of Vitamin K for the day.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts, ends cut off and outer yellow leaves removed

3 T Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl (or large Ziploc bag). Pour on a shallow roasting pan (lined with aluminum foil for easy clean-up) and roast 35 to 40 minutes, shaking from time to time to roast evenly. They are done when they are crispy outside and tender inside. Sprinkle with more salt, if needed. A squeeze of lemon is also nice. Enjoy!