Self-described recipe developer, cook, baker, wife and cat servant, Jennifer Emilson is also the creator of the award-winning food blog The Lemon Apron. In her debut cookbook, she shares seasonal recipes for rustic, approachable home cooking using the fresh produce and ingredients available to Canadian cooks year-round. Here she presents a fresh and vibrant way to prepare Brussels sprouts. Lemon and sumac add a tart contrast to the creamy richness of the sprouts and pine nuts, while cinnamon lends a warm, earthy accent.
Ingredients
- Pine Nuts 2 Tbs
- Brussels Sprouts 450 g, root end trimmed and halved
- Butter or Olive Oil 2 Tbs
- Ground Cinnamon ½ tsp
- Sumac ½ tsp
- Salt ½ tsp
- Pepper ¼ tsp
- Garlic 2 cloves, minced
- Grated Lemon Zest 1 Tbs
- Lemon Juice 1 Tbs
- Olive Oil for drizzling
Cook It
- In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring occasionally to avoid charring, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes (but keep an eye on them). Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same pan over medium-high heat, add ⅓ cup of water and the Brussels sprouts, cover tightly, and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on their size, stirring once to keep them from scorching on the bottom.
- Add the butter, cinnamon, sumac, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stir-ring often. If the water has evaporated before the sprouts are fork-tender, add another tablespoon or two.
- Stir in the garlic and lemon zest and juice, and cook until the Brussels sprouts are fork-tender or are still firm but offer little resistance when pierced with a knife, about 30 seconds. Larger Brussels sprouts may take more time, of course, so you may want to add another teaspoon of butter and 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and serve.
Excerpted from The Lemon Apron Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for the Curious Home Cook by Jennifer Emilson. Copyright © 2022 Jeniffer Emilson. Cover and interior design by Lisa Jager. Cover and interior photography by Johann Headley. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
