By Sybille C. Denninger

When I posted the Pumpkin Risotto recipe I promised that I would follow up with my very own (well, my Mom's to be exact) Brussel Sprouts recipe. Everyone's favorite vegetable, right? Right!

So here it is, in time for Thanksgiving, with a little disclaimer: It's one of those vague "a dash of salt" and "some pepper" recipes which are passed along between friends and family members like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. More instruction than official recipe, but this one is so simple, you can't possibly mess it up haha. That being said, let's get started:

Fresh Brussel sprouts (organic would be best) I recommend 6 to 8 sprouts per guest

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

Butter

Light cream

I love recipes with short and simple ingredients pretty much everyone has in their kitchen already. The key here is the preparation of the Brussel sprouts which is a little bit of a process (a pain in the you know what). But once the boring part is done, the rest is a cinch!

Start by deconstructing (I love that word) the Brussel sprouts by literally breaking off each leaf. This chore is easiest with a paring knife which you can use to make small cuts into the stems and then peel away the leaves. Listen to an audio book LOL. As I take apart each Brussel sprout I drop the leaves into a large colander. By separating the leaves, everything cooks evenly without a too soft outside and a bitter inside. Bring lightly salted water to a boil. Wash the Brussel sprouts leaves and drop them in the boilig water. Stir thoroughly to make sure all leaves are submerged, then continue to boil them, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. You don't want them to change from a fresh green to the usual drab "cooked Brussel sprouts color".

Drain the leaves and use the same pot (one pot dish - BONUS!!!) to heat enough light cream to coat the leaves without them swimming in it. Visually speaking I usually pour in just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Add some butter and salt, pepper and a little nutmeg to taste. Stir in the leaves thorougly and bring to a quick boil. Done!

Enjoy your Brussel sprouts :-)

Extra tips: This Brussel sprouts dish reheats very well and tastes even better the next day. I also use this basic light cream/butter/salt/pepper/nutmeg recipe for Savoy cabbage. In that case all I do is cut the cabbage into fine strips, discarding some of the thicker veins as I go along. Boil the strips for 5 minutes and then follow above instructions. Delicious!!!