Thanksgiving Success... and Failure

Every year at Thanksgiving I look at the Brussels Sprouts in the produce department and think, "One day I will make those because they are traditional Thanksgiving fare." And almost every year I have thought, "Not knowing how to make them and have them taste great is a big roadblock for you." This year I just ponied up the two or three dollars and bought some because I was feeling extra confident in my cooking skills this year. I didn't know what I was going to do to them, but I knew I could pull it off. And I must say, these were my favorite veggie side dish that I made this year. I ate all the leftovers and forced everyone in my family to eat a bite of them. And a whopping three out of seven people liked them! So, if you love Brussels Sprouts or cabbage, and you've never tried them, this is so easy you will wonder why you never ate them before. And they have to be better for you than a Snickers bar, right? These are a great side dish for any holiday meal, and they look so cool on a platter that you have to try them at least once this season. And they are also one of those dishes that are naturally gluten free, so you don't have to feel freakish about any of the ingredients.

Halved Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts

1 pkg fresh Brussels Sprouts, washed and halved

1/4 cup chopped pine nuts

3 T butter

1 lemon

Melt the butter in a large nonstick frypan. Add the Brussels Sprouts and stir to coat in the butter. Saute for about 7-8 minutes in butter, letting them brown. Add the pine nuts and stir to coat. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves over the sprouts and nuts. Transfer to a serving dish and serve up warm. Delish!

On a depressing side note, my green bean casserole was a complete disaster. Complete and total. Here is a sad picture of the really yucky dish:

I topped it with sliced onions fried in olive oil that were a little too done. (Can you say black?) I baked it and thought for sure it would be the best thing ever. Not so much. Oh, well, at least no one can say I didn't try. I am going to try to perfect this dish eventually, though. It always sounds so good to me at the holidays and I'm determined to make a gluten free version that tastes fantastic. Did you make a fabulous version of a gluten-filled dish this Thanksgiving? Leave a comment, we'd all love to hear about it.

Happy eating!