Brussels sprouts are at the top of my liver-supporting rainbow of foods yet hardly ever make them for fear of noses turned upward—especially from #1 son—until this recipe that is.
To me, Brussels sprouts have a unique cabbage-esque flavor that goes with my favorite foods. But to many, Brussels sprouts are the butt of numerous jokes; the vegetable that people love to hate. Not this amazing recipe.
In my world of whole foods healing, food has three different functions:
- provide enough nutrients to meet the body’s basic metabolic requirements;
- reduce the risk of diseases by stimulating key body functions;
- taste great and be fun to eat.
For some, it might not be enough to think of your lovely liver with every bite. Please try.
The toxins we eat, drink and breathe get processed for elimination by your hard-working liver. This is our body’s natural detoxification system (a basic system) and sometimes (often) (usually) it needs a helping hand (foods that stimulate detoxification). Whole foods are the hands-down best way to keep your body clean and meet its basic nutritional needs.
Eat clean.
And help it out with regular servings of liver loving veggies like Brussels sprouts. Or do my whole-foods-based, guided Rejuveo cleanse with daily meal plans to stimulate key detoxification functions—and taste amazing.
See, Brussels sprouts contain a special protein called glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant—some call glutathione the mother of all antioxidants. Glutathione, with folate (as 5-methyl-folate NOT folic acid), vitamin b6 and vitamin b12, plays pivotal roles in protecting all cells against oxidative stress-induced cell damage (think early aging, cell death, nervous system diseases like Parkinson’s) and in detoxifying chemicals and drugs.
Most people don’t eat nearly enough of the cruciferous family of vegetables like cabbage and Brussels sprouts that provide the highest amounts of glutathione and the other vitamins it needs to work.
And don’t forget about garlic. Also loaded with sulfur compounds (glutathione is a sulfur compound, garlic has some others…), in addition to helping the liver rid the body of toxins, the sulfur in garlic has been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and bacteria-related illnesses.
And next we add the gut-helping probiotics in a coconut kefir-based tahini sauce. Could there be a more perfect food?
Keep in mind, heating destroys many of the beneficial properties of sulfur foods. That’s why this recipe doesn’t over-cook the Brussels sprouts but leaves them in their par-cooked crunchy, satisfying, yummy form. And probiotic tahini is just a blender whir away…
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pint brussels sprouts (about two pounds)
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to coat bottom of pan
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Probiotic Pomegranate Tahini sauce
⅓ cup tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)
1 large garlic clove, crushed or coarsely chopped
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice(from about 2 lemons)
⅓ teaspoon salt, more to taste
½ cup coconut milk kefir
1 tablespoon (juice sweetened only!) pomegranate jam or refrigerator watermelon berry jam
Preparation
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim bottom off the Brussels sprouts, then slice each sprout in half top to bottom.
- Toss trimmed sprouts with oil, garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to oiled baking dish. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until sprouts are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the sprouts.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot or warm.
Probiotic Pomegranate Tahini sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a Magic Bullet and puree until smooth.
- Drizzle over the cooked Brussels sprouts and serve.
Copyright © 2015-18 Marie Cecchini Sternquist. All Rights Reserved
