Guest Author - Jill Valente
This past Friday night we celebrated my mom’s 62nd birthday at her apartment in Hastings-on-Hudson. She made a delightful dinner for our family and we all totally inhaled it! The next day she was seaching the fridge for leftovers which were no where to be found. I guess there is nothing like a home cooked meal by your mom. She served a lean filet mignon, sautéed green beans, roasted potatoes, a fabulous salad and this amazing side dish that I have now transformed into Healthy Foods material. Instead of Brussels sprouts she used romaine hearts and instead of 2 tsp of butter I think she used a whole stick!
Spring Vegetable Sauté
Brussels sprouts are similar in nutritional value to broccoli. They are an excellent source of folic acid, vitamins C and K, and beta-carotene. Green peas are a good source of protein, B vitamins and a variety of minerals. Their sweetness rounds out this dish that will soon be a favorite in your house.
Ingredients
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 10 oz container Brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 tsp butter
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup reduced fat chicken broth
• 16 oz package frozen sweet peas
Directions
Heat the olive oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium and when hot add the chopped shallot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the asparagus stalks, halved Brussels sprouts, butter, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cover the pot with a lid. Steam the vegetables for about 10 minutes until they are tender. A third of the way through add the peas and toss to combine. Makes 6 servings. 2 points per serving.
Notes
I like my vegetables crisp and bright green. If you like them to be a bit more cooked, increase the amount of time they spend steaming. Also, like most of my recipes this one is great with substitutions. Swap green peas for snow peas, Brussels sprouts for some chopped cabbage or experiment with white asparagus. I enjoy the mild flavor of shallots but garlic or chopped onions work well too.
