Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad (2 Star)

Brussels sprouts constitute one of my childhood horrors. I'm talking about gag reflex, can't think about without shuddering, horrors. (No offense, mom, if you read this.) So I didn't think I would ever willingly invite brussels sprouts into my space as an adult. But then I found this recipe on 101 Cookbooks and it looked so incredibly delicious. And this year I am all about incorporating more vegetables into my diet and trying new things so after reading this recipe and considering for several weeks I decided to face my foe. I'm glad I did.

I am sad that I was not able to photograph this in the daylight because it was very pretty. I made this in the evening and the recipe said: "This isn't a dish you want sitting around, the flavors change dramatically after ten minutes or so, and I think that is part of the reason brussels sprouts get a bad rap." So we had to eat it right away. I tried using the flash on my camera but it just lit up the middle of the picture. So check out the picture on 101 Cookbooks and imagine that mine looks that good.

Not only did this look pretty but it tasted fantastic! Brandon and I loved it and two of the boys even enjoyed it (shocker!) although they didn't like the apples. I used small cubes of chicken instead of tofu and I also didn't have pine nuts so I used walnuts. This was nutty, lightly sweet and salty (I was generous with the salt on the chicken) and had lots of crunch and texture. It was also fairly quick and easy to put together.

So, even if you have horrible nightmares about brussels sprouts and consider them one of nature's mistakes, give this recipe a try. It might change your mind.